This super easy vegan chocolate pudding came about when I discovered our Safeway carried frozen young Thai coconut meat.

That’s right. Sixteen ounces of delicious fresh (but frozen) coconut meat. My heart.

I don’t live in Portland anymore so finding a treasure like this in a small Eastern Washington town feels like a miracle. Feels like? It is a miracle!

Do all Safeways carry it? Was it a random fluke?? I don’t know.

I can tell you it’s in the frozen section near the fruit. It was on the bottom shelf in a green and white vacuum-sealed bag. It doesn’t last long, so it’s essential to have a plan. Once it thaws the package instructions are very clear that it must be used up and can’t be refrozen. Because the meat is entirely clumped together it would be pretty hard to portion it off into smaller servings. Maybe a cleaver would work??

Anyways. 🙂

Let the package thaw in the refrigerator overnight. When it is completely thawed add ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth.

More about Young Thai Coconuts

1. Coconut meat comes from the inside of a young coconut
2. Meat near the top is usually wispy and soft, like a thin slice of mango, whereas meat near the bottom though pliable has a firmness to it
3. Marinate with savory sauces for a fresh and healthy meat alternative
4. Add some to your next smoothie or salad
5. Coconut is really a drupe not a fruit
6. A fertile coconut tree can grow as many as 75 coconuts a year
7. Coconut trees prefer sandy soil, salty water, and sunshine—we have a lot in common
8. Coconuts are naturally a great source of fat, carbohydrates, manganese, iron, phosphorus, and zinc

It’s funny that I’m emphasizing the pudding is soy-free, but then use soy whip as my topping. Haha oh well! [Tips for using Soy Whip here]

For a soy-free cream topping So Delicious has a delicious coconut cream available in the freezer section of some stores. I’ve found it in the freezer section of Moscow Food Co-op and it looks just like a Cool Whip container.

The cherries I used are Cherry Man Farm to Market Cherries from a Vegan Cuts snack box. They are the healthier maraschino cherry, colored with vegetable juice instead of dye. A delicious option!

Enjoy! xx