Sometimes I get the urge for chocolate pudding, often too late to make it from scratch to enjoy the same day. This recipe is a shortcut to making traditional chocolate pudding while also avoiding dairy. If I have time, I will pour the pudding into a baked pie shell for a creamy, rich chocolate pie. The base of the pudding is made with avocado, a healthier fat and the key ingredient to thickening the pudding. The orange juice is a secret ingredient I came across when perfecting the chocolate-avocado pudding, finding the juice to help prevent the avocado from oxidizing too quickly and adding enough acid to balance the sweetness while amplifying the chocolate flavor. If you’re looking for a vegan-friendly pudding, skip the pie crust and pour into individual cups. Enjoy this chocolate pudding for spur-of-the-moment cravings or when you want to spend less time making a chocolate pie for dessert. 

Chocolate-Avocado Pudding Pie
Makes 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients
1 pie dough recipe, here
2 avocados, pits removed
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup honey
¼ cup fresh orange juice, plus extra
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup hot water, not boiling

Directions 

1. Remove one disk of pie dough from the refrigerator. On a well-floured work surface, roll out the dough into a circle about 12-inches in diameter and ⅛-inch thick. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie pan and press it gently into the bottom and sides of the pan. Evenly pleat the overhanging dough with your fingers to create a decorative edge, leaving a ¼-inch lip to allow for shrinkage. Refrigerate the pie shell for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the pie shell with parchment paper filled with pie weights or dry beans, and blind bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the weights and parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, egg wash all exposed surfaces of the pie shell. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and cool completely. 
3. Meanwhile, scoop avocado flesh into a blender and scrape in vanilla bean seeds. Add cocoa powder, maple syrup, honey, orange juice, and salt, then blend to purée. With the blender running on low, gradually stream in water and blend. If the mixture is too thick, add more orange juice as needed until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour mixture into the baked pie shell and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. 
5. Before serving, top pie with whipped cream and shaved chocolate or toasted coconut. Pie can be stored, chilled, for up to 3 days. 

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