Confession: I used to have a terrible sweet tooth. Terrible. But after making small diet changes over time, setting up some accountability and praying a lot (no joke) I’ve been able to be satisfied with fresh, real food as the star of my diet. But you know what? Chocolate still has a special place in my heart. And these low carb chocolate paleo puddings hit the spot. 

Alas, I’m not in my 20’s any more, and I don’t burn through extra calories quite as easily. After having two babies, while, you know the rest. I was eating sugar throughout the day, grabbing pizza for easy dinners (justifying it by have a salad on the side) and not losing any weight. 

I realized I needed a change. So I went low carb. But I couldn’t cut out everything. I couldn’t give up my beloved chocolate. I had to find creative ways to eat it without it having too much sugar. And this low carb chocolate pudding tastes even better than the real thing. It is super chocolatey and smooth. Perfect for an afternoon snack.

Although I do eat grains, beans and raw dairy from time to time, they don’t make up the bulk of my diet. Focusing on mostly paleo eating helps me to feel healthy and energetic without putting too much effort into it. 

I like that these chocolate puddings use coconut milk instead of regular milk. The research shows that raw milk and raw dairy products are healthier in providing nutrients and beneficial bacteria to the body. This is what I give my kids. But heating milk destroys those nutrients and bacteria. For that reason, I like to use coconut milk, which can handle the heat. 

There have been so many studies on chocolate, showing that it can help with everything from avoiding sunburn to improving memory. For me, I like the taste and I like how it makes me feel. It gives me a boost of energy, but unlike caffeine from coffee, I don’t crash from it. It also makes me happy. I have to be careful with this one, though. I used to turn to chocolate when I felt stressed or anxious, especially when my kids were younger. I had to really reign it in and stay on top of how much chocolate I was eating. 

For chocolate to be the healthiest, you’ll want to avoid candy bars, sugary chocolate drinks and chocolate ice cream with lots of sugar. With that said, there are times of celebration and gathering when it’s just fine to eat those things. But I’m talking about the day to day here. 

Chocolate bars that are at least 85% dark are a great source of cocoa. It has lower sugar than milk chocolate and a higher dose of antioxidants. My favorite ways to eat chocolate are by adding cacao powder to smoothies, sprinkling cocoa nibs over dates with almond butter, and making this delicious chocolate pudding. 

It really is delicious. This is the kind of treat I eat with a spoon, then grab a rubber spatula to scrape every last bit of flavor from the dish. 

Another reason why I love to eat this pudding is because it is made using chocolate collagen. Collagen is so good for your hair, skin and nails. It is wonderful for your joints and keeps you moving easily. You can also get collagen from homemade bone broths. But I love that a chocolate treat can have collagen too. 

In my recipe, I add a tablespoon of honey that is divided between five servings. To me, this still counts as low carb. But if you’re doing keto, you can omit the honey or use a sweetener like monkfruit or erythritol (or combination of the two). I would just recommend adding it to the coconut milk while you heat it, and make sure to stir it so it gets fully dissolved. Otherwise you may have a little crunch.

It’s pretty easy, as long as you have an immersion or regular blender. Heat the coconut milk until warm. Add all the other ingredients and whisk. Then, transfer to a blender or a deep, narrow container, such as a Pyrex glass measuring container, and blend.