Chocolate Chia Pudding is a creamy and decadent dish made from chia seeds, cocoa powder, milk, and sweetener, chilled until thickened into a pudding-like consistency. Simple, nutritious, and oh-so-satisfying, it's the perfect guilt-free indulgence for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
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Chocolate chia pudding is a decadent recipe that combines the superfood qualities of chia seeds with the irresistible taste of chocolate. It's creamy and smooth, with nutty chia seeds soaked in a rich cocoa base.
It can be a great dessert substitute if you're watching your carb intake, but it feels like a real treat. One serving has 5 grams of net carbs and 5 grams of protein. Once you discover it, it'll become a staple in your home, just like mine. Let's get started!
Why We Love This Recipe
Here's why we love this chocolate chia seed pudding recipe:
- A healthy-ish, wholesome recipe that's gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly.
- Quick, easy, and meal-prep-friendly recipe with a 5-minute prep time.
- A versatile dish that can be enjoyed as breakfast, snack, or dessert.
- Each serving contains 11 g of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fat (5 of which are omega-3s!)
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
Here's what we need to prepare this delicious Chocolate chia seed pudding:
- Chia Seeds: Black or white chia seeds both work. Look for them in major grocery stores in the cereal or baking aisle, or purchase a bag online (see FAQs).
- Milk: Unsweetened almond milk is my go-to choice for it's low-carb count, but other options include 2% milk, whole milk, or another plant-based milk like oat, cashew, or coconut milk.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder provides a rich chocolate flavor, so use your favorite. You can also use cacao powder for an extra-rich flavor punch. Top-quality brands include Ghirardelli and Whole Foods 365.
- Sweetener: I love maple syrup here, but other sweeteners like raw honey, agave syrup, or granulated sugar will all work. If you are watching your carbs, go for monkfruit maple syrup instead.
- Flavor Enhancers: Ground cinnamon adds warmth and natural sweetness, while espresso powder highlights the chocolate. You have the option to use both, one, or omit altogether.
- Toppings: Add pops of color and sweetness with fresh raspberries or any variety of berries. Nuts and seeds add a delicious crunch factor.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chocolate Chia Pudding
Here are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make chocolate chia pudding:
Step 1: Steep Chia Seeds in Warm Milk
Add chia seeds to a mason jar or bowl. Now add warmed milk, maple syrup (or sweetener of choice), cocoa powder, and cinnamon or espresso powder (if using).
Using a fork, give it a good mix to combine everything. Wait about 5 minutes, stir again to break the chia seed clumps and mix again.
Texture Tip
Chia seeds tend to stick together in clumps when mixed with a liquid, so it's important to stir the mixture once more before storing. If you skip this step, all the chia seeds will not absorb the liquid, resulting in a clumpy chia pudding.
Step 2: Soak
Close the lid or cover tightly using food storage wrap. Now set it in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. The chia pudding will get thicker the longer it sits.
Step 3: Enjoy Cold or Warm
When ready to consume, add a splash of milk if it appears too thick. Enjoy it cold, or warm it up for 30 seconds in the microwave. Top with berries or nuts, and enjoy this treat for breakfast or a snack.
Serving Suggestions
Overnight chocolate chia seed pudding can be a healthful breakfast, a decadent afternoon snack, or an indulgent dessert after a meal.
Whatever way you choose to enjoy, here are my best serving suggestions:
- Breakfast: Top with fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries. Or try sliced bananas, apples, or mango.
- Snack: Give it a crunch with nuts or seeds, such as toasted almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.
- Protein Boost: Swirl in your favorite nut or seed butter, mix with protein powder, top with Greek yogurt, or finish with high-protein granola.
- Dessert: Give it a special touch with whipped cream, cacao nibs, shredded coconut flakes, or chocolate chips.
How to Store
Leftover chocolate chia pudding can be refrigerated in a large mason jar or airtight container for up to 5 days.
The mixture will thicken the longer it sits, so feel free to add a splash of milk to bring it back to its original consistency.
Freeze: Transfer cocoa chia pudding to individual freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw for at least 6 hours, or overnight, in the fridge.
Flavor Additions & Variations
Here are some fun and creative flavor variations to put your spin on chocolate chia seed pudding:
- Raw Cacao Powder: Replace the cocoa powder with cacao powder for more nutritional content and flavor. Cacao powder is cold-pressed raw cacao beans containing more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and has a deep, rich, dark chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder is processed at a much higher temperature, which results in a mildly sweet chocolate flavor. If you are a dark chocolate lover, cacao powder is the way to go.
- Extract: Enhance those chocolate notes with a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Fruit Puree: Give the chocolate a tangy bite by swirling in some strawberry jam or your favorite preserves.
- Nut Butter: Swirl in a tablespoon or two of your favorite nut butter, like almond, cashew, or peanut butter. The extra richness creates the most luxurious texture.
Recipe Tips & Notes:
- Warm the milk: Cocoa powder mixes well in warm milk, so don't skip this step.
- Avoid clumping: Stir vigorously, wait 5 minutes, then stir again to avoid clumps and ensure a smooth, creamy texture.
- Sugar-free: For a sugar-free, lower-carb variation, skip the maple syrup altogether, or use monkfruit maple syrup instead.
- Cinnamon or Espresso: Cinnamon powder adds a natural sweetness to the pudding, whereas espresso enhances the chocolate flavor, so pick your preferred flavoring. Feel free to add both, or skip altogether.
- Toppings: I like to top this chia pudding with assorted berries including blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries due to their low glycemic index. Feel free to use other fruits like bananas, apples, or mango. You can also top it with your granola of choice.
- Protein-boost: To add a protein boost to this chia pudding, stir in 1 tablespoon of nut butter of choice per serving, or protein powder, or top it with 1 to 2 tablespoons of high-protein granola.
- Blend: If you are not a fan of the tapioca-like texture of the seeds, you can blend the mixture for a smooth texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chia seeds need at least 1 hour to absorb the liquid and create a pudding-like consistency. For best results, I recommend overnight soaking.
The trick is to stir it a few times before storing it. After you initially make the chia chocolate mixture, let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir again to break up any pesky clumps of chia seeds.
Top-quality brands of chia seeds include Navitas, Whole Foods 365, and Bob's Red Mill.
Absolutely! You can skip the sweetener or use a sugar-free substitute.
More Chocolate Favorites
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Chocolate Chia Pudding
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or dairy milk microwaved for 30 seconds
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup regular or sugar-free (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼-½ teaspoon cinnamon powder or espresso powder (optional)
Topping Choices (optional)
- fresh raspberries
- assorted nuts and seeds almonds, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Instructions
- Add chia seeds to a mason jar or bowl. Now add warmed milk, maple syrup (or sweetener of choice), cocoa powder, and cinnamon or espresso powder (if using). Using a fork, give it a good mix to combine everything. Wait about 5 minutes, stir again to break the chia seed clumps and mix again.
- Close the lid or cover tightly using food storage wrap. Now set it in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to overnight. The chia pudding will get thicker the longer it sits.
- When ready to consume, add a splash of milk if it appears too thick. Enjoy it cold, or warm it up for 30 seconds in the microwave. Top with berries or nuts and enjoy this treat for breakfast or snack.
Notes
- Milk of Choice: I prefer using almond milk due to its low-carb content, but any milk you have on hand will work great. Some alternatives include 2% dairy milk, whole milk, and oat milk.
- Warm the milk: Cocoa powder mixes well in warm milk, so I highly recommend warming the milk before starting.
- Sugar-free: For a sugar-free, lower-carb variation, skip the maple syrup altogether, or use monkfruit maple syrup instead.
- Cinnamon or Espresso: Cinnamon powder adds a natural sweetness to the pudding, whereas espresso enhances the chocolate flavor, so pick your preferred flavoring. Feel free to add both, or skip altogether.
- Toppings: I like to top this chia pudding with assorted berries including blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries due to their low glycemic index. Feel free to use other fruits like bananas, apples, or mango. You can also top it with your granola of choice.
- Protein-boost: To add a protein boost to this chia pudding, stir in 1 tablespoon of nut butter of choice per serving, or protein powder, or top it with 1 to 2 tablespoons of high-protein granola.
- Blend: If you are not a fan of the tapioca-like texture of the seeds, you can blend the mixture for a smooth texture.
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