Celebrate June Dairy Month with a true taste of Colorado! Milk is one of our state’s most locally sourced products, usually traveling fewer than 40 miles from family farm to store shelves. Grab a fresh gallon of Colorado milk and treat yourself to a sweet, warm bowl of classic Denver Pudding.
While this pudding tastes like a dream, the Colorado dairy industry is doing some very heavy lifting for our state’s economy. Our local cows aren’t just scenic background noise for your road trips; they are economic powerhouses. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the dairy industry contributes over $3.8 billion annually to the state’s economy and supports nearly 15,000 jobs. With roughly 100 dairy farm families across the state, every splash of milk and dollop of butter in this recipe fuels local businesses and keeps our rural communities thriving. It turns out that indulging in a second helping isn’t just “giving in to temptation”—it’s practically a civic duty.
To make this recipe truly Colorado Proud, you can vote with your fork by choosing ingredients grown and produced right here in the Centennial State. Start by looking for the Colorado Proud logo on your milk and butter from local staples like Royal Crest, Meadow Gold, or Morning Fresh Dairy. You can round out the dish by using flour milled from Colorado-grown wheat via finding a brand near you via the Colorado Grain Chain. Source any seasonal fruit toppings from your neighborhood farmers market. Supporting local cuisine isn’t just about the superior flavor; it significantly reduces food miles — the distance food travels between where it’s produced and where it’s eaten — ensuring your dessert has a smaller carbon footprint than your last gear-heavy camping trip to the Rockies.
Want to bring this harvest home? Find your nearest farmer’s market in our Farm Fresh Directory—available in English and Spanish. Explore Colorado Proud to connect with the producers who grow and craft the food that makes treats like this possible and look for the Colorado Proud label at your grocery store to buy local.
Shared by Food.com
Yield: 6 servings | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 7 tablespoons cocoa, divided
- 1⁄2 cup milk 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
- 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1⁄2 cups cold coffee
- For a topping: whipped cream or your favorite Colorado ice cream
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Coat a baking dish (about 9×9) well with butter.
- Sift together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Melt the butter and 3 tablespoons cocoa in a double boiler, then add the flour mixture.
- Stir in milk and vanilla.
- Pour mixture in the prepared baking dish.
- Over the top scatter (without combining) the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa.
- Pour the coffee on top, again without mixing.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Let stand at room temp for at least an hour before serving.
- Top with whipped cream or your favorite Colorado-made ice cream.
Make it Colorado:
- Colorado is home to lots of milk delivery services such as Longmont Dairy and Morning Fresh Dairy, where you can source both milk and butter.
- Although we do not grow coffee here in Colorado we are lucky to have lots of roasters such as Redemption Road, Boyers, Dazbog, and more!
- Find locally milled flour at Colorado Grain Chain.
- Top the pudding with your favorite Colorado-made ice cream, from brands such as High Point Creamery, Little Man Ice Cream, Sweet Cow, Ice Cream Mill, Josh and John’s, Colorado City Creamery, or whichever local ice creamery is near you.
Pairing Suggestions
May we suggest a wine from Fox Fire Farms, specifically their Aromella. This wine is a recent Cornell release capable of making a top ranked floral to muscat wine. Aromella is similar to that of Riesling and wines are characterized by notes of pineapple, honeysuckle, and citrus peel.
For a non-alcoholic beverage may we suggest using your favorite locally roasted coffee and create this awesome 5 minute homemade latte (without an espresso machine) to enjoy, stay up late and watch the stars.
