Not quite pudding in a bowl, or a pudding pie; this creative dessert is a sugar free chocolate pudding pie in a bar! It is made with creamy dark chocolate keto pudding with a chocolate and almond flour crust.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- After my favorite Keto Coconut Cream Pie, sugar free chocolate pudding pie is a well loved dessert. This recipe was inspired by one on fine cooking. The pudding bars are adorable (if you can imagine calling pudding adorable), and would look really delicious and unique served at a party or buffet.
- If you love pudding, you may want to try my Low Carb Cauliflower Rice Pudding and my Sugar Free Banana Pudding.
- These low carb pudding bars take about the same time and effort as a regular pudding pie.
- I love the portion control and ease of serving them. If you want a clean slice, the best way is to make sure the bars are cold and to use a hot sharp knife lightly wiped off in between slices.
Ingredient Notes
- The pudding bars have a basic almond flour crust but with a special twist. Melted sugar free chocolate is smoothed over the crust and hardens to a delicious chocolate base for the pudding.
- Choc Zero is my chocolate of choice for this recipe. It's low in carbs and does not have any sugar alcohols. It uses Monkfruit extract for sweetener.
Step by Step Directions
- Combine the almond flour, butter, brown sugar substitute and salt.
- Smooth crust batter on the bottom of a foil lined pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Pour chopped chocolate over hot crust and smooth on top of it. Place in refrigerator until pudding is ready. The chocolate will harden as it cools.
- Combine sugar, cocoa and salt in saucepan and add 3 tablespoons cream and stir well. Heat pan to medium flame and stir in remaining cream and almond milk. Continue stirring, including bottom and sides, add vanilla and let cook a few minutes. Add the chocolate and cook and stir for 2-3 more minutes. Lightly sprinkle the xanthan gum and arrowroot powder over top and cook on low flame while the pudding thickens for just another minute or two.
- Pour pudding over crust and lightly smooth with spatula if needed. Let sit at room temperature to cool before refrigerating to fully cool before serving.
- Carefully remove pudding bar from aluminum foil with long handled spatula or knife. Cut into 16 squares.
FAQ
Traditional pudding uses either cornstarch or all purpose flour. For keto puddings, I like to use a bit of arrowroot powder and/or xanthan gum. Arrowroot is a great replacement for regular flour since it will thicken puddings and sauces with only 7 carbs per tablespoon. Make sure to lightly sprinkle it in at the end of cooking to avoid it getting gummy. I use xanthan gum the same way but in a much smaller quantity, only about ½-1 teaspoon is needed.
I have never frozen pie because it does keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. According to Can you freeze this, pudding can be frozen but the texture may not be the best after it has been defrosted and it can separate. Also the crust may get soggy. So it is best to use it up while fresh.
Please let me know if you tried this recipe. And I would love if you give me a star rating. This tells me what you enjoy and would like to see more of.
Here are more desserts to try:
Print
Keto Chocolate Pudding Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Dark chocolate pudding combines with an almond chocolate crust to make these creamy and unique keto pudding bars. Such a fun presentation at your next party!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup packed Swerve brown sugar substitute
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fine almond flour, sifted
- 2 oz. Choc Zero chocolate bar, chopped into small pieces *
Filling:
- ¼ cup sugar substitute
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Hershey Special Dark)
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder*
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 5 oz Choc Zero chocolate bar, chopped *
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Crust:
- Line a 9 " square baking pan with aluminum foil. Make sure the foil hangs over the edges a bit (see photo).
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Melt the butter in a medium bowl and mix in the brown sugar substitute, vanilla and salt. Stir in the almond flour and mix until blended.
- Press the dough onto the bottom of the lined pan and smooth it all over. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until light golden brown.
- Remove from pan and sprinkle the chocolate pieces over crust. Let it sit for a few minutes to melt into the crust. Then use a spatula or pastry brush, gently spread the melted chocolate over the crust. (see photo). Let cool and refrigerate until set and chocolate is hardened.
Filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar substitute, cocoa and salt. Stir in 3 tablespoons cream and whisk together to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining cream and almond milk and stir constantly over medium heat. Make sure to stir the bottom and sides of saucepan to avoid pudding sticking and getting clumpy. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon makes this easier.
- Keep stirring until pudding begins to come to a low boil, which will take 4-5 minutes.
- Lower heat to just a simmer and add in the chocolate. Keep stirring bottom and stir along the sides as well to cook the pudding for another minute or two after chocolate has melted. Then slowly sprinkle in the arrowroot and xanthan gum, stirring well to avoid clumps. * Continue stirring as you see the pudding thicken for another minute.
- Remove pan from heat and scrape the pudding onto the crust. Quickly smooth the top just once or twice with spatula and no more as it will begin to set up. You can give the pan a slight jiggle if the pudding seems uneven in the pan and then leave it untouched for an hour as it cools to room temperature.
- Place pan in refrigerator uncovered until completely cooled. Then cover and remain in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
- To remove pudding bars: hold edges of foil and lift from pan onto a cutting board. Using a long handled knife or spatula, slide the bars off the foil.
- Heat a knife under hot water, wipe off and cut pudding into 16 bars. You can reheat the knife and wipe off if pudding is sticking to the knife and you want a cleaner cut.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in a closed container.
- You can sprinkle some chocolate shavings over top for decoration, optional.
Notes
*Lily's is another brand of chocolate with sugar substitute. I prefer Choc Zero since I feel it has no aftertaste and does not bother my stomach. Choose whichever brand you prefer, just read the label. For this recipe Choc Zero has 20 grams of carbs per 7 oz. total chocolate needed. Lily's has 28 grams. So this is a keto friendly, low carb dessert recipe.
Keywords: Pudding, low carb dessert
Leave a Reply