This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Indulgent and decadent, these chocolate pudding parfaits are sure to be your next favorite dessert. Layers of chocolate pudding, raspberry compote, coconut whipped cream, and a chocolate cookie crumble make this oh soooo good. Paleo and AIP friendly!

So I know these can be used at any time of year because they're just that delicious and easy to make, but something about the combo of chocolate and raspberry really say Valentine's Day to me.

Anyone else agree?

And while a good piece of chocolate is amazing, sometimes you can't have that – like if you're currently on the AIP diet.

That's where this dessert comes in – layers upon layers of goodness that can be customized to be AIP-friendly with carob powder instead of cocoa powder but yet still taste just as amazing.

What's in this chocolate pudding parfait?

There are several elements to this chocolate pudding parfait, but none of them are difficult to make and they come together quite quickly. The entire dessert is based on my Pumpkin Pudding Parfaits (Paleo, AIP), just translated into a chocolate version instead.

The chocolate pudding layer

This is a simple chocolate avocado pudding. You may have had this several times already as it's a common and popular egg-free, dairy-free Paleo pudding recipe. The ingredients for the pudding are:

• Avocados – this is the base and what makes it so creamy. The beauty of it is that you can't taste the avocados at all once everything is mixed together!

• Cocoa or Carob Powder – this is what gives the pudding its chocolatey taste. Use carob powder if you're on the AIP Diet, otherwise you can use cocoa/cacao powder. The taste changes slightly based on cocoa or carob but not really that much!

• Dairy-free Milk – if you're on AIP use Coconut Milk, Tigernut Milk, or Banana Milk. If you're not on AIP you can use any dairy-free milk you'd like. This helps thin the pudding out and give it an even creamier texture

• Maple Syrup – this is my sweetener of choice for this as it's already in liquid form and gives a subtle flavor, but you can also use honey, which you may taste more. If you don't happen to have either of these, maple sugar or coconut sugar could also work, but they may make the pudding a bit grittier.

• Sea Salt – Salt in a dessert? Trust me on this one – the pinch of salt really brings out the chocolate flavor and tastes great

• Vanilla Bean Powder or Vanilla Extract – This is an optional ingredient but I love the flavor it brings to this pudding. Some people don't do well with vanilla extract though, so if that's you, leave it out or use the powder (and yes, vanilla bean powder is AIP-compliant as the “bean” is not actually a bean in the traditional sense. And the vanilla seeds are so teeny tiny that you probably won't break them down as you eat them, much like seeds in berries – so they're fine on AIP)

The Raspberry Layer

The raspberry layer is just a simple compote made of raspberries, water, and an optional dash of maple syrup. They're cooked down to a point you can mash them into a chunky syrup-like mixture.

The Coconut Cream Layer

I'd call this a whipped coconut cream layer but I don't bother whipping it. So it's a coconut cream layer instead, haha.

It's just coconut cream – which you can either buy separately in cans or cartons by itself or by refrigerating a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The solid stuff that rises to the top is the cream.

The Chocolate Cookie Layer

This is my favorite layer because it gives the parfait a nice, sweet crunch. For this you'll need:

• Cassava Flour or Coconut Flour– these are the grain-free, AIP-friendly flours that work well in this recipe. Not familiar with either? Read more about cassava flour and read more about coconut flour

• Coconut Oil or Avocado Oil – this binds the flour and other ingredients together to make the cookie base. I specifically don't use olive oil in here because it has too much distinct flavor. Instead I recommend using either refined coconut oil (the one with no flavor) or avocado oil as they don't have much flavor and won't overpower the cookie taste

• Maple Syrup – again, for sweetening

• Cocoa or Carob powder – again for that chocolate flavor

• Sea Salt – and again to enhance that chocolate flavor

How do you make this pudding dessert?

Despite what may seem like a long list of ingredients, this dessert is pretty easy and quick to make – all together it should take around 15-20 minutes to make!

First you'll make the cookie layer:

• Mix the ingredients together

• Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet

• Bake for 12-15 minutes

Then you'll make the chocolate pudding:

• Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl with an immersion stick blender or hand mixer, or in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. If you don't have any of these you. can also mash the avocado with a fork and then mix the ingredients together. This won't get as creamy but it'll do the job.

Then you'll make the raspberry layer:

• Put the raspberries in a microwave safe container or a small saucepan with the water and maple syrup. Either microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until the raspberries are soft and can be squished with a fork into a chunky sauce – or cook in the saucepan over medium heat until they can be squished into a sauce.

Then make the coconut cream layer:

• Mix the cream and maple syrup together with a spoon

Making this dessert ahead of time:

You can make this dessert up to about 3 days ahead of time. However, don't put the layers together if storing in the fridge.

The avocado pudding may start to separate a bit, getting a little liquid on top, but this is ok. Just pour the liquid off and then mix the pudding again with a spoon.

Keep the cookie crumble separate in an airtight container at room temperature.

Assemble just before serving (or that day if putting it in a container to go for instance).

How to make this coconut-free

Most of these parfaits can be made easily without coconut. See the recipe card below for the substitutions.

However, the coconut cream part is harder to make coconut-free. So you can either omit the whipped topping or make the “cream” from these cream parfaits with tigernut milk, 1 tsp of maple syrup, 1 tsp of gelatin, and no pumpkin or spices (so just tigernut milk, sweetener, and gelatin).

It won't be exactly the same, but it'll still be delicious.

Other Paleo and AIP desserts:

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth and love to make desserts – also try one of these!

• Pumpkin Pudding Parfaits (Paleo, AIP) – these are similar to these chocolate pudding parfaits, only with pumpkin spice and all the fall deliciousness

• Chocolate Orange Truffles (Paleo, AIP) – super easy to make, these no-cook little bites will satisfy that sweet tooth

• Ginger Baked Pears (Paleo, AIP) – a simple yet elegant dessert, these are naturally Paleo and AIP friendly so they are wonderful to serve guests as well!

More Helpful AIP & Paleo Resources in the Freebie Library

If you find this recipe helpful, you may really enjoy the resources in my Paleo & AIP Freebie Library! There's a “dump” freezer meal plan, a list of AIP-compliant breakfast toppings, and so much more. Plus, you'll get even more ideas sent to your inbox! Get the password here.

Chocolate Pudding Parfait Recipe

If you make this dessert, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!