The secret to making the creamiest chocolate pudding ever? Sweet potatoes and coffee

You could say that Pamela Salzman‘s upgraded healthy chocolate pudding recipe was a happy accident.

“I threw some leftover sweet potato into a smoothie once and the texture was so unbelievably creamy, it immediately reminded me of pudding,” says the certified holistic health counselor.

The end result? A low-sugar, dairy-free dessert that was a no-brainer to include in her new book, Kitchen Matters. “I think sweet potatoes are so versatile—I’m here to tell you, they’re the new cauliflower!”

It’s not the first recipe to take the high-in-fiber tuber and turn it into something sweet (remember this purple beaut?), but it might be the only one that also utilizes coffee. “The coffee is definitely optional, but I’m a firm believer that it makes the chocolate taste more, well, chocolatey,” Salzman says.

The proof is in the, well, pudding.

Here’s how to make Pamela Salzman’s Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding

Serves 4 or works great as a tart filling  

Ingredients
1 lb sweet potatoes, preferably pale fleshed, but any variety will work1/4 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder6 Tbsp pure Grade A or B maple syrup, or more to taste2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk2 Tbsp unsalted, unsweetened almond butter1/2 tsp instant coffee powder1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract3/8 tsp fine-grain sea salt

Optional toppings: toasted, shredded unsweetened coconut, flaky salt, chopped almonds, coconut whipped cream, fresh berries, and/or raw cacao nibs

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and roast the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet until very tender. The timing depends on the size of the sweet potatoes, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. If there are multiple sweet potatoes, space them out on the sheet pan. Alternatively, peel the sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, and steam until tender. (This will be faster but they won’t be as sweet.)

2. Remove the skin, place the cooked sweet potatoes in a food processor or high-speed blender with all the remaining ingredients, and process until perfectly smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness. Serve at room temperature or chill until cold. Top with your desired toppings. Can be made up to three days in advance.

Notes
To make this nut-free, use unsweetened and unsalted sunflower butter and any milk (dairy-free if necessary). The amount of almond milk will depend on the starchiness of the sweet potatoes and desired consistency.

Each week we spotlight a healthy-delish recipe that’s truly genius (and easy to make) from someone who’s wowed us in the food world. We’re talking buzzy cookbook authors and Instagram foodies to brilliant chefs. You can find more mouthwatering, must-try ideas from the Recipe of the Week archive.

Another brilliant dessert hack? Sweet potato brownies. Or incorporate the super-tuber into breakfast, lunch, and dinner with these 3 tasty recipes. 

Excerpted from Kitchen Matters: More than 100 Recipes and Tips to Transform the Way You Cook and Eat—Wholesome, Nourishing, Unforgettable by Pamela Salzman. Copyright © 2017. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.