Today I have a very simple, yet beautifully decadent, chocolate rich pudding for you – Chocolate Amaranth Pudding with Cardamom Poached Pears. A little treat for cozy nights in during the upcoming cooler months.
This recipe is another gluten-free, vegan and nut-free recipe from my collaboration series with Amore di Mona chocolate. Yes, I am a very lucky girl receiving all of this yummy chocolate to play with. I’ve picked amaranth because of it’s creamy texture and nutty flavour and how beautifully it pairs with chocolate.
You can choose to serve this pudding with or without the pears, it tastes wonderful just on it’s own, but I wanted to give you more options. The cardamom poached pears soften and enhance the flavour of the rest of the ingredients and beautifully compliment the chocolate and amaranth. No wonder chocolate and pears are often paired together.
You will need ripe, but hard pears so they keep their shape while poaching. I poached them whole and then halved them to serve. You can serve this pudding warm or well chilled, it’s really up to you. I love it both ways.
Special thank you to Amore di Mona for sponsoring this post.
Chocolate Amaranth Pudding with Cardamom Poached Pears (gluten-free & vegan)
Ingredients
Chocolate amaranth pudding:
- 120g amaranth (1/2 cup)
- 480ml rice milk or other plant milk (2 cups)
- 100g dark vegan chocolate (3.5oz)
- 1tbsp maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
Poached pears:
- 4 pears
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla bean, open
- 2tbsp raw sugar
- 1l water (4 cups)
Instructions
- Rinse amaranth and place into a small pot, add rice milk and bring to boil. Leave to simmer for about 35 minutes. Once the milk has almost evaporated towards the end of the cooking time, give it a stir once a while. Take off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
- Finely chop the chocolate and stir into amaranth until completely melted, add maple syrup to taste and optional pinch of sea salt.
- Place into a serving dish. Serve right away topped with poached pears and chocolate shavings or chill in the fridge for at least an hour until ready to serve.
- To make the poached pears, place the spices, sugar and water into a medium pot and bring to boil.
- Carefully peel pears from top to bottom and place into the pot, simmer for about 25 minutes or until soft when tested with a knife.
- Serve warm with the pudding or chill until ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
This looks amazing Hana! Anything with chocolate and pears is a winner ;-)
Thank you so much Michelle! So true, chocolate and pears are fabulous together! xx
This is right up my street – I’m a lover of all things chocolate! I love the idea of using amaranth. I’ve never tried it but it always intrigues me when I see it in the health food shop. I might have to buy some one of these days! xx
Hi Sasha, Yes, you have to try some, it’s so different from the other grains. I’m sure you love it! xx
Oh that looks so tasty Hana!!! Cardamom is one of my most loved spices and it goes beautifully with pears AND the chocolate! Great pictures, love it all! x
Thank you so much Anna for this lovely comment! Same for me, I adore cardamom and it works beautifully with pears and chocolate:) xx