Mouthwatering desserts don’t have to be time consuming, nor do they have to be unhealthy. This crazy healthy AND super quick mixed berry pudding is the perfect proof of that. Active working time is maximum 20 minutes. If you use defrosted frozen berries you can whip it together in less.
You can choose to use only a single type of berry but by mixing them up you get a deeper flavor profile. Most grocery stores have a bag of mixed berries in their frozen foods section making it super easy to mix it up. And feel free to mix frozen berries with fresh ones when they are in season. Just be sure to trim fresh strawberries before weighing.
If you do go the single berry route I suggest focusing on strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or even cherries. An all blueberry pudding comes across as too flat, I think, and an all red/blackcurrant pudding may well come across as too tart. However, that can potentially be fixed by the addition of a stronger spice, like cinnamon or cardamom, and/or by adding a bit more sweetener to bring out the flavors.
This berry pudding is feather light so serving it with a rich cashew nut cream makes perfect sense. It not only adds some oomph, it also brings out the flavors of the fruit. This cream is quite thick but do resist the urge to add more milk unless your blender is caving in under the stress. It is the thickness that makes it so unbelievably scrumptious.
This dessert is a perfect make-in-advance treat as you can easily leave it in the fridge for a few days.
For another equally easy fruit heavy dessert try my Healthy Mango Mousse which is also great when made with peaches.
Mixed Berry Pudding with Cashew Cream
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 500 grams mixed berries You can use fresh or defrosted frozen berries but if you are using fresh berries then weigh after trimming, if needed (like strawberries).
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered agar agar
For the cashew cream:
- 3/4 cup raw cashew nuts
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 Medjool dates if you cannot find Medjools you may need to use more dates to get the same amount of sweetness.
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
To serve:
- Fresh berries Optional
Instructions
To make the pudding:
- In a blender, blend the berries with the sweetener and vanilla until well blended. Leave the mixture in the blender while you move on to the next step.
- Add the milk and agar agar to a small saucepan and heat it over medium heat, stirring continuously. Once it reaches boiling point let it briefly boil up (the milk will rise up), no more than a few seconds. Then add the milk to the blender with the berries and blend on high to mix well.
- Pour into 6 individual glasses, cups, small bowls or ramekins. Transfer to the fridge and leave them for an hour until set.
To make the cream sauce:
- Cover the cashew nuts with boiling water and let them soak for 20 minutes.
- In a high powered blender, blend the nuts with the milk, dates and vanilla until completely smooth. Adjust the thickness by adding more or less milk. Exactly how much you need depends both on the dates you use and how thick you prefer the sauce to be. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until serving.
- To serve, top the individual desserts with a few fresh berries, if you like, and serve with the cream sauce on the side.
