Chocolate + pumpkin is one of my favorite combos when it comes to indulgent baked treats. This is a weighty dessert for sure, right up there with chocolate pecan pie, or triple chocolate cake – perfect for holiday time or when you want a departure from the usual. As always, I created this recipe with kids in mind who have food intolerances. You can make this with wheat bread, milk, and cream if you like, but if you can’t, there’s a way.
Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Pudding
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Hearty, traditional, a little decadent, and hard to resist. Serve warm with toppings as tolerated by your family - whipped cream, whipped coconut cream, ice cream, or cashew or coconut based ice creams that are dairy free.
Hearty, traditional, a little decadent, and hard to resist. Serve warm with toppings as tolerated by your family - whipped cream, whipped coconut cream, ice cream, or cashew or coconut based ice creams that are dairy free.
Cut bread into half inch cubes, transfer to a large all metal pot, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milks, eggs, pumpkin, coconut sugar, stevia, spices, vanilla and bourbon or rum. If omitting eggs, increase pumpkin by 3 Tablespoons and add 1 Tablespoon tapioca starch + 1 Tablespoon EnerG brand Egg Replacer; whisk in with milks, sugar, spices, and liquor.
Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes in the pot. Add the chocolate, broken into 1/2 inch chunks. On low medium heat, let the mixture slowly melt and blend, stirring occasionally til chocolate is evenly mixed throughout, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the pudding to a baking dish greased with refined coconut oil or ghee, and bake for 25 minutes, or til toothpick comes out clean. You can also bake in individual ramekins; reduce baking time to 15 minutes and check for doneness.
There’s no reason why kids – any kids – can’t eat good, real food. Adapted from a New York Times recipe, this recipe is modified for allergy by omitting all bovine dairy and all gluten sources. Manchego (sheep’s) cheese is the substitute for stronger Parmesan and Gruyere cheeses. The spice is dropped for kids’ palates here too, by omitting Tabasco and using the milder (and less allergenic) Manchego. The result is a pleasing, easy to eat, nourishing meal that kids with feeding or texture issues can enjoy.
Tuna Manchego Souffle
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Your kids can feel fancy and enjoy a truly nourishing, restorative food in this dish. Use straight-sided ramekins for baking; use four 1.5 cup capacity ramekins for four adult servings, or six 1 cup capacity for six toddler size servings. I find that Manchego cheese from Spain is routinely available at my local Costco.
Your kids can feel fancy and enjoy a truly nourishing, restorative food in this dish. Use straight-sided ramekins for baking; use four 1.5 cup capacity ramekins for four adult servings, or six 1 cup capacity for six toddler size servings. I find that Manchego cheese from Spain is routinely available at my local Costco.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using wax paper or paper towel, grease bottoms and sides of your ramekins with ghee. Place them in the refrigerator to chill before baking.
Melt a tablespoon of the ghee in a saucepan, and add onion. Cook on medium heat til softened, 2-3 minutes. Add finely minced tuna and stir til warmed through. Remove it from heat and set aside on a plate or cutting board. Don't let the tuna onion mixture dry out by overheating.
In a 1 quart sauce pan, bring almond and coconut milks to barely a simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan and add GF flour blend. Stir rapidly with a wire whisk to smooth, blended texture. Then add warm milk, and whisk rapidly until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Blend the starch (tapioca, potato, or arrowroot) with the water to an even smooth blend in a small cup. Add it to the simmering mixture. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire, cayenne, salt and pepper. The mixture should be thick and smooth but not sticky. If it is too thin, remove a half cup of mixture to a small dish and add a half teaspoon more starch. Blend to thicken, then add this back to the pot, and stir steadily on medium high heat until it thickens.
Add egg yolks and continue briskly whisking the mixture for a few seconds, then remove it from heat.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Stir grated cheese into the warm mixture, then add about a third of the beaten egg whites. Stir quickly until well blended. Then add the rest of the egg whites and fold them in gently with a rubber spatula.
Fill chilled souffle dishes to about 3/4 full. Arrange dishes on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake 20 minutes, until well puffed and golden brown on top. Serve immediately.
Have you tried butter in your coffee? Not just any butter – check this recipe for the original, BulletProof grass-fed butter coffee story. It is delicious – and here’s an even better way for your kids to try it too. This is a good hot-day start before school, or an alternative to cocoa. Instead of hooking your kids on sugary, syrupy coffee drinks filled with GMO junk and weird fats, make this one at home. I use organic water-processed decaffeinated coffee, with other ingredients organic too. Kids can enjoy this luxurious treat that gives them protein and healthy fats without sugar – NOW brand organic stevia drops take the place of sugar.
Bullet Coffee - For Kids? Try This Creamy Almond Version
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Creamy, fast, nutritious and it feels like a special occasion just to drink it.
Make some strong decaf coffee. I happened to use an old Farberware percolator for this - it was on hand in a friend's kitchen when I made this recipe - and it made super delicious, dark coffee - fast!
Pour 12 ounces (1 and 1/2 cups) of the hot coffee into a wide mouth glass that can accommodate an immersion blender. Add the butter and Brain Octane and blend. You can also use a regular blender.
Add the almond butter, almond milk and collagen and blend til creamy. Stevia is optional - most kids enjoy a little sweet touch, and organic stevia drops easily accomplish this without added sugar.
Adjust levels of any of the ingredients to your desired taste - for more dark coffee flavor, more almond flavor, or more sweet. Versatile and easy!
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
I keep these on hand in my kitchen - they work well in so many recipes, and are well tolerated by kids with allergy and sensitivity. Even for kids with coconut sensitivity, Brain Octane is often workable, and is an excellent fuel for brain, gut, and growth. If you can't find these products online, they are always in stock at our office - just call to order.
