Aunt Rocky’s Milk Chocolate or Vanilla Protein Pudding (Sugar Free)

Set out 6 half-cup serving containers (I use small Mason jars with lids), or a bowl large enough to hold the entire pudding if you don’t want to store as individual servings.

In a small bowl, either whisk or sift powdered Swerve and cocoa powder together to remove any lumps. Set aside.

Pour protein shake into a 2-cup measuring cup. Fill to the 2-cup mark with heavy cream. Pour into a medium sauce pan, but do not turn on the heat yet.

Add eggs and whisk very well, until there are no more pieces of egg white floating around. If you see some bits of egg white globs that will not whisk in, remove them from the pan.

Add powdered sweetener and cocoa, and whisk well again. Some bits of cocoa powder may float to the top, but should eventually mix in as the pudding is heated.

Turn on the heat to medium. Slowly whisk or stir until small bubbles appear around the edges. You don’t want the pudding to boil, so at this point reduce the heat to medium-low. If at any the pudding begins to boil, remove it from the heat immediately and lower your stove temperature. Return the pudding to the heat and continue. Keep stirring for about 3 more minutes or so until the pudding visibly thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon or spatula. The pudding will thicken a lot more when chilled.

Remove from heat, and add the vanilla extract and the Choc Zero syrup if using. Whisk again until everything is incorporated and the pudding is smooth. Pour into containers. Allow to cool on the counter, then put the lids on and move to the refrigerator to completely chill and set. Freezing not recommended.

Yields 6 servings of approximately 1/2 cup.

Notes:
• If you have an aversion to pudding skin, stir the pudding every little while as it cools, and when cool enough to transfer to the refrigerator, cover the pudding with cling wrap, right down on the pudding itself. That will keep a skin from forming.
• For a vanilla pudding, use a Vanilla Premiere Protein Shake and omit the cocoa powder and Choc Zero Syrup.
• Premier Protein shakes contain whey protein. If you need a dairy free pudding, look for a dairy free protein shake, then substitute coconut cream for the heavy cream.
• Nutrition estimates are based on My Fitness Pal’s online recipe analyzer. Brand names are included only to assure more accurate estimates. The recipe is stored on and available to MFP users for logging in their food diaries. Sugar alcohols, Allulose, and liquid Sucralose are not absorbed by the body and rate zero on the glycemic index, so are excluded from nutrition counts.
• For more Atkins/low carb/Keto recipes and cooking tips, look for Aunt Rocky’s Low Carb Recipes & Tips Group on Facebook, or follow me on Pinterest at auntrocky2.

Per serving: Calories 165, Total Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Sodium 106 mg, Potassium 167 mg, Total Carbohydrate 2 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Net Carbs 1 g, Sugars 1 g, Protein 9 g. Macros: 75% fat, 23% protein, 2% carbs.

© August 9, 2019 Roxana Lopez for Aunt Rocky’s.