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This Chocolate chia seed pudding is made with coconut milk and cocoa powder and is perfect for a healthy and filling breakfast or snack. Deliciously sweet but good for you, and so easy to make ahead of time! Vegan and gluten-free.
Ditch store-bought pudding. Make this Chocolate Chia Pudding, with chia seeds that expand 9 times in your stomach to help you feel fuller longer. Talk about feel good food for dieting! I make the regular 3-ingredient Chia Pudding on the regular! But sometimes, I love adding cocoa powder to turn this healthy snack into a dessert. It’s rich, decadent and chocolatey, so it always hits the spot!
What are the health benefits of chia seeds
Chia seeds are a superfood because they are loaded with nutrients and have scientifically proven health benefits. Here are the key benefits:
- Loaded with antioxidants, which is an essential part of any healthy diet.
- Good source of high quality protein (more than most plant-based foods) to help you feel satiated.
- High in good fats, like omega 3 fatty acids, more than even salmon!
- Made largely of fiber. In fact, almost all the carbs in chia seeds are fiber. If you’re on a low-carb diet, I think you can pretty much ignore the 12 grabs of carbs in an ounce of chia seeds. That’s because 11 of those 12 grams are fiber!
How do you make chocolate chia pudding
This is based on an older recipe I made, but I adjusted some measurements to double the recipe. And I realized in the process that doubling the recipe in a bowl required less liquid. You can play around with the ratio that makes sense for you. After a few tries, I think I landed on the perfect balance.
To start, you’ll want to sift the cocoa powder so it’s smooth without any clumps.
Next add maple syrup and vanilla extract to the cocoa powder. Mix it until the cocoa clumps with the sweeteners.
Finally, add the coconut milk, followed by the chia seeds. Mix very well. Let it set for a few minutes. Then mix again. It’s important that when you set it in the fridge, there are no clumps of chia seeds. You want them evenly dispersed so they can expand and absorb the liquid equally.
If you think it’s not going to thicken, just wait a few hours and it will look like this! Chia seeds expand up to 9 times! So be patient and allow it to absorb the liquid.
Best part of biting into this chocolate chia pudding for me – the added mini chocolate chips! It breaks up the tapioca consistency and gives a crunchy sweet surprise. Feel free to add other mix-ins like cacao nibs, peanut butter chips or crushed nuts. Or you can reserve that all for the topping the pudding.
Tips for making chocolate chia pudding
- Adjust the ratios to suit your preferences. I like to have a thicker chia seed pudding so I opt for 1:4 chia seeds to milk ratio. In this case though, I added slightly more chia seeds to make it even thicker. If you prefer a thinner version, feel free to use only ¼ cup of chia seeds instead of ⅓ cup.
- Stir multiple times. It’s not enough to just stir the chocolate chia pudding once and then set in the fridge. I recommend to stir it, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then stir it again, making sure there are no clumps. And then it’s ready to set in the fridge.
- Use a blender to blend the mixture for a smoother consistency. This is especially true if you’re not a fan of the tapioca-like texture of chia seed pudding. It’s not necessary, but it will create a more creamy texture.
- Freeze any leftover chia pudding. Did you know you can freeze chia pudding and thaw it for a few hours or overnight in the fridge? Just make sure to freeze it in individual servings and use a freezer-safe ziplock bag or glass mason jar.
Frequently asked questions
Chia pudding is a perfect option for meal prep and make ahead breakfasts. Make a big batch and it will last for up to 7 days in the fridge, although it is best within 5 days of mixing.
Chia seeds don’t have any flavor, but they take on the flavor of the liquid they are soaked in. I opted for coconut milk in this recipe as it works so well with the cocoa powder. If you would like a lighter snack, you can use water instead, or replace it with dairy, soy or almond milk for a different flavor.
Eating chia pudding for breakfast is a great way to maintain or lose weight. It helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and is high in protein. Chia seeds are an amazing source of fiber, so it will help to keep you full for longer, meaning that those mid morning snacks aren’t quite so tempting!
It’s no secret that the chia seeds have been in the foodie spotlight for a while now, so I’m all about chia seed recipes. This chocolate chia pudding recipe is going to be a great partner for you if you’re dieting or trying to pick smart snacks. It’s so versatile that this basic pudding recipe can be altered to fit your most eclectic pudding desires, whatever those may be!
It’s vegan, gluten-free and filling. And it’s as simple as simple gets with only 5 ingredients and a time to prep of only a couple minutes. Make up a bunch of individual puddings in small wide mouth mason jars, pop ’em in the fridge and have snacks for the kids for the next week!
More chia seed recipes
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
I created this recipe first on December 7, 2017. I am updating it today to tweak the recipe slightly include improved new step-by-step images and a video tutorial! An ode to the original coconut chocolate chia pudding photo 🙂
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut milk carton refrigerated kind
- 1/3 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Sift cocoa powder into a medium deep mixing bowl. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Whisk to combine until smooth.
- Add the coconut milk on top and whisk to combine. Pour the chia seeds on top of the mixture and whisk to combine one more time.
- Cover and refrigerate until the mixture thickens, and becomes pudding like, at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Enjoy with fresh coconut whip cream and berries, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Instead of coconut milk, you can use any other plant-based milk or regular milk.
- Replace maple syrup with honey, agave syrup, granulated sugar or another sweetener or choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Super easy. I used suger free maple syrup instead of regular. And unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I also just put all the ingredients into my blender instead of a bowl and it was ready to eat in seconds. Using the blender/magic bullet made it thick instantly.. thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you! I am glad it worked with that substitution. You are so welcome!!
I’m on a calorie controlled diet – do u know what the calories are per serve using the sugar free alternatives you mentioned, as I always use sugar free, unsweetened etc
Thank you
Sooo good!!! I’ve tried a different recipe and yours is so much better. Thank you! May be I don’t hate chia seeds now. 🙂
Thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe!
Could also use almond breeze chocolate milk to use in your chocolate pudding
Yes, for sure!
Simple, easy and delicious! Thank you!
You’re so welcome!
Very very tasty
Thank you!
Made this twice now, its amazing! Thanks for sharing! I add raw honey to sweeten
and some peanut butter as well! Its great!!
Thank you so much! That sounds delicious.