Vegan & Gluten Free Chocolate Dessert

We love dessert around our house! This chocolate dessert has tons of plants and so easy to make. Plus, this no bake chocolate dessert is made in under 30 minutes and you just pop in the freezer!

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Chocolate Dessert Crust

I make these yummy cashew cookie bars that are so amazing. They are filled with oats, cashews, pumpkin seeds and other yummy ingredients. They are really easy to make and the good thing about them is you can play with the recipe and change it up and it still turns out good.

You can also switch out the nuts/seeds in the cashew cookie bar and chocolate dessert recipe below. I’ve used all different kinds of nuts but I find we like cashews the best!

I also really like to use pumpkin seeds whenever I can because they are full of magnesium. Did you know that magnesium is a natural stool softener and it calms the central nervous system. This is perfect for kids that have trouble with constipation, trouble focusing, some nervous system disorders, trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep during the night.

My son and I were in the kitchen one night and wanted to make a sweet treat. So, I modified my cashew cookie bar recipe with what I had on hand in the kitchen and we made a great crust. My kids are not huge fans of peanut butter. They will eat it if it’s mixed into things occasionally but that’s not the norm.

I’ve been using cashew butter instead because of it’s smooth texture, taste, and it’s flavor doesn’t overtake the recipe. If you have a nut allergy or at a nut free school then use Wow or Sunbutter.

Total Ingredients Needed

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup oats (I use Bobs Red Mill GF oats)

1 cup cashews

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup cashew butter

1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup

Handful vegan chocolate chips (We like the allergy friendly brand Enjoy Life)

2 scoops chocolate plant protein/superfood mix (or your fav chocolate protein powder)

6 tbsp plant milk

1 container So Delicious Coconut Milk Cool Whip

Chocolate Dessert Crust Ingredients

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup oats (I use Bobs Red Mill GF oats)

1 cup cashews

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup cashew butter

1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup

Handful vegan chocolate chips (We like the allergy friendly brand Enjoy Life)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until oats and nuts are finely chopped and peanut butter is all mixed through.

If you like some chunks that’s okay too. Just blend until all together to your liking.

Pour batter into a brownie baking pan and wet hands. Pat down mix until it is firmly packed into the pan.

Place in the oven on 350 for 7 minutes. Take out and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Alternative Chocolate Pudding Mix Recipe

While the crust is cooking you are going to make the pudding. We use an amazing plant protein and superfood mix that we loooove. We love it because it’s for everyone: babies, kids, parents, older people, etc. It’s vegan, gluten free, low glycemic index, and has lots of different plant foods in it.

You can learn more about it HERE. If you want to try it reach out and I’ll send you a free recipe book.

2 scoops of chocolate plant protein powder

6 tbsp of plant milk (we use unsweetened almond milk)

If you want more pudding then just add a scoop. For every scoop you add 3 tbsp of plant milk.

If you don’t have a chocolate protein powder that you love then you can make a homemade pudding. You will need the following:

Avocado Chocolate Pudding Ingredients

2 avocados

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy. If you like it a little sweeter feel free to add extra honey or pure maple syrup. 

How To Assemble Your Chocolate Dessert

Once your crust has cooled, layer the pudding on top of the crust. I use a spatula and just spread it all over the crust. It’s a thin layer so if you’d like it to be thicker then just double the pudding recipe.

Next spread the cool whip all over the top. We like to use So Delicious brand dairy free cool whip found in the freezer section at almost all grocery stores. Cool whip made from creamy coconut milk! Yes please!

Once you spread out the cool whip and have everything layered nicely you can top with anything you like. Some examples of toppings are chocolate chips, walnuts, toasted coconut chips, etc.

Cover and place in the freezer. Let freeze for at least 1-2 hours. I think it’s best if it sits overnight. Take out of the freezer and immediately cut and serve. If the chocolate dessert sits out for awhile it will start to unfreeze. It’s still yummy but much better frozen! You can eat it frozen or just cold from being in the fridge.

How To Help Kids Expand On Eating A Variety

As a pediatric feeding therapist I can’t help myself. Every time I’m writing a post I’m thinking about how to help parents feed their kids more variety. So I thought I’d put a little tip in here. If your child likes this dessert then next time it may be great to add a new kind of nut to the batter.

You can also make it the same for the first couple of times you try it then start to switch it up. Also, if your kids are at least toddler age let them help or pick out a new ingredients. Think of ingredients you want to try and offer them a choice so they feel involved.

You could even switch up the chocolate chips to a different kind or use a different nut butter. This way you are keeping the texture very similar but just changing up the taste a little at a time.

From there you could try using different crusts. There are many different store bought ones to try or you can try just adding different ingredients to this one. Many of the grocery stores carry dairy/gluten free pie crusts too. There are also ones like a regular pie crusts, oreo crusts, chocolate crusts, etc. The goal is to get your child eating a dish but in a variety of ways!

Think about it like this. If you give your child an apple cut and they never see it another way it may be harder for them to eat a different kind of apple, apples mixed into foods, or even apples cut in different ways. When kids see food presented the same way over and over it makes it harder for them to branch out and try it when it’s finally presented in a different way.

Kids need to learn that an apple is an apple whether it’s presented in slices, whole, or cubed shaped. Serving foods in a variety of ways is key to helping your kids eat more variety.

For more fun, amazing recipes, hacks for helping kids eat more variety, and health education based on science join me HERE and receive my gift to you…A mega list of healthy snacks for kids (and adults). 

Let me know how you like this healthy vegan and gluten free chocolate dessert below in the comments!