The Easy High-Protein Costco Dessert You'll Make on Repeat
Costco is where you go to stock up on mealtime staples like meat, eggs, bread and fresh vegetables. But if, like me, you are your household’s primary grocery shopper, you can also view a trip to the wholesale grocery store in a new light, sparking inspiration for new meals and recipes to try in the kitchen.
A tub of Greek yogurt, a jar of manuka honey and a bag of cacao powder can be seen merely as grocery items to scratch off your shopping list, or they can be combined to become a simple high-protein dessert that you rely on every day to hit your macronutrient goals. The latter perspective is what content creator @costcofindsnortheast took when they shared a genius and ridiculously easy recipe hack using all the ingredients they picked up at Costco.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make High-Protein Chocolate Pudding
This high-protein, healthy dessert is ready in under five minutes and doesn’t taste like it’s good for you (as in, it doesn’t have that chalky taste or texture you typically run into with “desserts” chock-full of chalky protein powders). Instead, it’s creamy, rich, and so chocolatey without being too cloyingly sweet. To make this pudding, you need just three ingredients, each of which you can find at Costco:
- Kirkland Signature Organic Greek Nonfat Yogurt: A cult-favorite high-protein Costco grocery staple, you can find this three-pound tub in the refrigerated dairy aisle. One serving packs in 18 grams of protein.
- Navitas Organics Organic Cacao Powder: This is what delivers the rich, chocolatey flavor to the chocolate pudding without added sugar. Unlike cocoa powder, this cacao powder is less processed and packed with nutrients like fiber, minerals and antioxidants.
- Manuka Health Raw Manuka Honey: Manuka honey sweetens the dessert while providing the body with natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
How to Make the Best High-Protein Chocolate Pudding
Here’s the recipe, if you can even call it that: in a medium bowl, add 2/3 cup of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of cacao powder, and 1 tablespoon of Manuka honey. Mix until smooth and well-combined. Eat immediately, or chill in the fridge for a few minutes until the yogurt firms up and has the texture of a chocolate mousse.
The chocolate pudding is delicious and super nourishing on its own. But if you want some extra flair, you can top the pudding with whatever you have on hand in your kitchen, like fresh-sliced bananas, raspberries, granola, or a drizzle of peanut butter. “Totally optional, but I love topping it with Seven Sundays Chocolate Cereal for a little crunch,” says @costcofindsnortheast in their Instagram video.
Looking for a nondairy version? Replace the Greek yogurt with your favorite plant-based Greek-style yogurt. Alternatively, you can place the cacao powder and honey in a blender with silken tofu, blend, and be rewarded with a different but equally delicious, high-protein vegan chocolate pudding.
Related: How to Make High-Protein Egg Salad That Lasts All Week