The 3-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding That You Have To Try Frozen

Freezing a simple blend of cottage cheese, cocoa powder, and sweetener creates a high-protein frozen dessert that really tastes great. To be honest, you might not instantly think of cottage cheese for a chocolate pudding because of its frequent savory role, but when you blend it thoroughly, it transforms the lumpy curds into a smooth base that becomes excellent for freezing. Unsweetened cocoa powder brings that deep chocolatey punch, while your choice of sweetener — like maple syrup, honey, agave, or sugar — cuts the cocoa's bitterness and balances the slight tang from the cheese.

Taking that creamy three-ingredient pudding mixture and putting it in the freezer creates a cottage cheese ice cream treat. You just pour the pudding into a container, cover it, and freeze it until solid. This usually takes a few hours since cottage cheese is fairly water-heavy, but once it's done, it makes an icy dessert. Picking cottage cheese with more fat and adding enough sweetener helps make the frozen result creamier, fighting some of that iciness.

Once the cold cottage cheese pudding is a tad thawed out, you can scoop it like traditional ice cream or sorbet. After it softens a bit, the texture becomes quite creamy. You might still notice tiny ice crystals, but this is normal for these types of homemade desserts.

Get creative by incorporating additions to your cottage cheese chocolate pudding before freezing or scattering them over the top once it is set. Mixing in extra ingredients brings different tastes and mouthfeels, changing it from a one-note chocolate treat into your own unique concoction. Go for some of the best ice cream toppings, like sprinkles or fudge sauce. Fold in tiny chocolate chips for a little extra crunch of chocolate, chopped nuts like almonds or peanuts for an earthy taste, or bits of a buttery shortbread for texture. For even more depth and texture, add in pieces of chopped candy bars, like peanut butter cups, Butterfingers, or Crunch bars.

You can also tweak the flavor profile directly in the blender before you even freeze it. Add a pinch of ground cinnamon for spiced warmth or a bit of fancy instant coffee to create a mocha vibe. Splashing in a little nutty amaretto or a cream-based liqueur like Baileys Irish Cream will make a smoother pudding that tastes like a boozy dessert shot. Keep in mind that since alcohol has been added, the freezing might take a little longer, and the overall cold pudding will be slightly softer. Putting in these extras makes this simple frozen dessert even more interesting, and you can tailor it to exactly suit your dessert cravings.