Black Sapote, Seedling (Diospyros nigra)

Chocolate Pudding Fruit Tree

Common Names: Black Sapote, Chocolate Pudding Fruit, Zapote Negro, Tropical Persimmon
Family: Ebenaceae
Origin: Mexico, Central America

Black Sapote (Diospyros digyna), also known as the Chocolate Pudding Fruit, is a tropical fruit tree prized for its unique fruit that has a rich, sweet flavor and a creamy, pudding-like texture. This seedling-grown variety of Black Sapote is an excellent addition to any tropical garden, known for producing abundant, large, green fruits that turn dark brown and soft when fully ripe.

The inner flesh of the fruit will amaze you with its thick and custardy texture and warm and fruity cacao-like flavor. It really tastes just like Chocolate Pudding, making it a healthy and delicious dessert option. Black Sapote trees are fast-growing and thrive in warm, tropical to subtropical climates, making them perfect for home gardeners in frost-free zones.

Distinctive Features, Uses, and Nutritional Value

Fruits: The Black Sapote produces large, round, green-skinned fruits that turn soft and dark brown when ripe. The flesh inside is smooth, sweet, and custard-like, with a taste often compared to chocolate pudding. Black Sapote is rich in vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber, making it a nutritious and guilt-free dessert.

Foliage: The tree features glossy, dark green, leathery leaves that give it a lush, tropical appearance.

Growth Habit: Black Sapote is a medium to large evergreen tree that can grow up to 30-40 feet tall in ideal conditions, but it can be pruned to maintain a smaller size in home gardens.

Culinary and Ornamental Uses

The fruit of the Black Sapote is perfect for making healthy desserts. Its sweet, custard-like texture makes it an ideal substitute for chocolate in smoothies, puddings, and baked goods. The fruit can be eaten fresh, spooned out of its skin, or mixed with sweeteners like honey or maple syrup for an extra treat. The tree itself is an attractive ornamental plant, with its dark green foliage adding a tropical feel to any garden.

Harvest Black Sapote fruit when the shade of the outside of the fruit turns from bright green to a muddy green color.  It can be prepared raw for use in fresh desserts, cooked into pies and pastries, or blended into a fresh drink.  We simply love to eat it fresh with a spoon!