Vegan Avocado Pistachio Pudding, Ingredient-Challenge Monday Recipe

I spent this past week several hours away from home in work related training; away from my children, husband, phone and computer.  On Wednesday, in a panic, I realized we were approaching a challenge week and hadn’t even picked an ingredient!

Thankfully, I was able to reach my Ingredient-Challenge Monday partner, Shea who had something in mind and was able to take the reins from there.

This week we are featuring the beautiful avocado.
Far beyond guacamole, avocado is a deliciously creamy addition to most any recipe and I am thrilled to introduce my creation to you this evening.

What makes the avocado so wonderful?

While you may know that this fruit is filled with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, did you know that it is a great source of Omega-6 fatty acids?  Avocados are also rich in Vitamin C, E, K as well as b-vitamins including Folate and Pantothenic Acid.

Pantothenic Acid? Why on earth would I stop and tell you about that?  Well…pantothenic acid is an essential nutrient that helps to synthesize and metabolize proteins, carbohydrates and fats…so while the avocado may be rich in fat, these are not only good fats, they are also full of nutrients that will help you to metabolize those fats more efficiently.

Couldn’t we all use a little more of that?

There are so many wonderful nutrients packed into this green goddess that I could go on and on.  In the meantime, you can read more about the nutritional value of the avocado here.

Having grown up in Sunny Southern California, avocado has long been a staple in my diet. Even so, it was not until the need to find dairy-free alternatives to meet the needs of my child, and now myself, came into play that I truly began to appreciate the versatility of this wonderful ingredient.

Most recently, while watching an early episode of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, I became intrigued with a dessert featured on the episode.  Up until this time, avocado pudding remained foreign to me.

Sure, I have used avocado in ice cream, but for some reason the thought to include this creamy item in my pudding recipes never crossed my mind.

When Shea offered this ingredient up as the challenge-ingredient for the week, I wracked my brain to discern how I could go about creating a pudding masterpiece truly worthy of Ingredient-Challenge Monday.

Because I have already answered a previous challenge by making a mint-chocolate mousse, I wanted to steer clear of chocolate this go-round (strange, I know).

Vanilla pudding seemed out of the question, as the green hue of the avocado would surely keep my family from enjoying this (no matter how delicious it tasted)…

After much contemplation, it seemed pistachio pudding offered the greatest solution for me this week.

Pistachio pudding is supposed to be green, smooth and creamy, just like the avocado.  Pistachio pudding is supposed to have a subtle balance between sweet and salty, flavors that compliment avocado beautifully. Pistachio pudding, frankly, just sounded good. So, I decided to make pistachio pudding!

This pudding is truly the pistachio lover’s dream.  Everything you remember about pistachio pudding with none of the dairy, grains or sugar to ruin it.

I hope you find as much enjoyment in this simply delicious recipe as we have.

Vegan Avocado Pistachio Pudding

1 c Shelled Salted Pistachio Nuts, soaked 3 hours

1/3 c Agave Nectar

2 Whole Ripe Avocado, seeds and skin removed

1 Tbs Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Drain and rinse pistachio nuts. In high-speed blender, combine soaked pistachio nuts and agave nectar.  Blend on high until smooth paste has formed.  Add remaining ingredients and continue to blend, first on low speed, working your way up to high until smooth pudding has formed.

Serve in 4 small bowls, topping with salted pistachios for garnish.

Now that you have taken a moment to devour my offering, be sure to visit Ingredient-Challenge Monday to see what our featured blogger, Shea, has created this week.

Don’t forget to link in your favorite avocado recipe and join in on the blog hop below!

Happy Monday everyone!