Chef Deepak’s Speke Resort Inspired Chocolate Brownie Pudding with Coconut Cream Ganache
A Sweet Memory from Speke Resort: Deepak’s Chocolate Pudding Reimagined
A rich, gooey brownie pudding soaked in silky coconut cream ganache and topped with toasted almonds and coconut. This dessert is built in two layers: a deep soak of ganache before chilling, and a warm drizzle just before serving — perfect for impressing guests one portion at a time.
You can read more about my first (and hopefully not last!) trip to Uganda, but long story short: one of the highlights of my time at Speke Resort, where I stayed for a conference, was a surprising and unforgettable dessert served during our farewell party by the poolside.
The night my team hosted a closing dinner, there was a gorgeous buffet of grains, salads, grilled vegetables, proteins fresh off the fire — and of course, a dessert station.
One of my colleagues returned to our table raving about a chocolate dessert he’d just tried. “It’s incredible,” he said, “but I’m not quite sure what it is.” Curious, I walked over to the dessert table, read the label, and saw it was simply titled “Chocolate Pudding.”
I served myself a scoop alongside some fresh fruit (no need for ice cream — Uganda’s fruit is impeccable), and took a bite. What I tasted was unforgettable: rich, warm, gooey, chocolatey, and deep in flavor — like a fudgy brownie swimming in silky chocolate ganache. It wasn’t overly sweet, and there were hints of brown sugar, caramel and nuttiness that made it absolutely irresistible. Most of us went back for seconds.
A day or two later, during our final luncheon, I mentioned the pudding to the resort staff — and to my surprise, the chef himself, Chef Deepak, came out to meet our group. He generously shared how he developed the dessert, which was originally inspired by classic pudding recipes but made with thoughtful East African twists.
Since food writing is one of my passions, I made sure to jot down his notes — and even snapped a photo with him to remember the moment.
My Adaptation
Back home in the U.S. weeks later, I recreated the pudding in my own kitchen. To make it my own — and to accentuate the almond flavors and add another tropical element, coconut — which I coconut at multiple levels and is common in castle parts of neighboring Kenya and Zanzibar:
Toasted coconut on top
Coconut sugar in the batter
A lush coconut cream-based ganache poured over the cooled brownie pudding
I also added almond extract to the batter to enhance the almond flour, and toasted slivered almonds for the topping to bring extra texture and depth.
What I ended up with is a layered, rich, satisfying dessert with fudgy depth, nutty warmth, and creamy tropical sweetness. I like to think of it as a tribute to that night in Uganda — and to the kindness, generosity, and talent of Chef Deepak.
This pudding is not overly sweet, and great with some tropical fruit such as papaya, berries, pineapple, pears, and passion fruit.
General Tips:
Make sure you use the highest quality ingredients possible! It will make all the difference.
To enhance the flavour, warm up your single serving for about 30 seconds.
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Chocolate Brownie Pudding with Coconut Cream Ganache
A rich, gooey brownie pudding soaked in silky coconut cream ganache and topped with toasted almonds and coconut. This dessert is built in two layers: a deep soak of ganache before chilling, and a warm drizzle just before serving — perfect for impressing guests one portion at a time.
Ingredients
- 500g unsalted butter (about 4.5 sticks), melted
- 2⅓ cups coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 2 cups chocolate melting wafers
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cans (13.5 oz each) coconut cream
- 20 oz chocolate melting wafers
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped almonds, toasted
- ½ cup shredded coconut, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and line a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Stir in melted butter, vanilla, and almond extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
- Pour into the baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. If browning too quickly, tent with foil and bake another 15–20 minutes.
- Let cool 20–30 minutes.
- Make the soaking ganache (Part 1). Heat 2 cups coconut cream until hot (not boiling). Pour over 2 cups chocolate wafers. Add vanilla and honey if using. Sit for 2–3 minutes, then stir until smooth, then cool.
- Break the pudding into large chunks to expose the soft interior.
- Chill the dish for at least 1 hour, or even overnight.
- Toast chopped almonds and shredded coconut in a dry pan or oven at 325°F (165°C) for 5–7 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool then place in air-tight containers until ready to use.
- Take similar steps as before. Heat the cans of coconut cream until hot (not boiling) and pour over the chocolate wafers, and let the ganache sit 2–3 minutes, then stir until smooth. Add the vanilla and honey.
- Make the drizzling ganache (Part 2). About 10 minutes before serving, heat 1 can of coconut cream until hot (not boiling).Pour it over 10 oz chocolate wafers, and let it sit 2–3 minutes, then stir until smooth. Add vanilla and honey. Warm the rest when ready to use and repeat for each serving.
- In four smaller serving dishes, add ¼ of the broken brownie pudding to each.
- Pour ½ batch of soaking ganache over each portion (keep in the fridge otherwise). The texture should resemble wet, rich soil after heavy rain.
- Drizzle with fresh ganache and top with toasted almonds and toasted coconut. Serve each dish slightly warmed or at room temperature.
I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on dontmissmyplate.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Red Velvet Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
This recipe is part of a two-part 3-course meal menu. Start with this Avocado and Strawberry Salad, followed by a Roasted Veggie Sheet Pan with Pan Seared Salmon.
Are you a brownie fan? Do you like red velvet? Enjoy the occasional spread of cream cheese? Pairing red velvet and cream cheese is one of the dream teams in the realm of desserts and sweet things.
I have done this numerous times with pumpkin bread, and often favour brownie's' with creamy swirls when I see them in coffees shops. For a social occasion or to treat yourself, you can do it at home!
All you have to do it make your batter and the cream cheese mix - which will add some texture and another flavour element - to your red velvet, chocolate, pumpkin, or whatever goodness you are baking. The cream cheese will also make the brownies moist, which is great for those of us who like our brownies a little sturdy but not dry!
Since these were for a special occasion i.e. Valentine’s’ Day, I used cookie cutter shapes, but you can just cut them into squares once cooled!
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
Pinch of salt
Powdered sugar (optional)
Cream cheese mixture:
1 (8-ounce) packet Greek yogurt cream cheese
1 egg yolk
Splash of lemon juice
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
2-3 drops red food coloring
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In a small microwavable bowl, melt the butter - about half a minutes should do. You can also do it quickly over high heat in a saucepan. Transfer to a large bowl, then add the salt, baking powder, sugar, salt, cocoa powder, vanilla and almond extract, and red colouring. Mix until combined but don't over mix.
In another small bowl beat the eggs, whisk them into the main batter, and then gently fold into the flour until fully incorporated - you don't want lumps of dry flour!
Pour your brownie mix into a parchment-lined, lightly oil sprayed baking pan (I used one 8 inches by 8 inches). Use a spatula to even out your batter. You can set aside 2-4 tablespoons to drizzle on top of the cream cheese, depending on how much of it you want visible once baked.
Now make your cream cheese mix. In a medium-sized bowl add the cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla, a few drops of colouring, lemon, almond extract, and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Spoon dollops of the cream mixture on top all over the top, then add your remaining brownie batter. Use a fork or knife and move it along the batter and cream cheese layers to create the swirl effect in an 'S' motion.
Bake at 400F for about 35 minutes, and make sure the centre comes out clean with a toothpick to check the doneness.
Set aside to cool before cutting, then sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and enjoy!
Store in the fridge in an airtight container and consume in 3-5 days!
