Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seed pudding has become a summer favorite in my house these days!

For many people with food allergies or dietary restrictions summer fun events can feel limiting or isolating.  Or, sometimes you just want to have a summer alternative to eating ice cream… This dessert is great to share with everyone with and without dietary restrictions. There seem to be plenty of recipes out there for this but I wanted to create a recipe that is easy and simple to make with basic ingredients you most likely have lying around the house…. except for maybe chia seeds.  I also created this recipe to compliment all of the delicious seasonal fruit around us. This pudding can be sweetened to taste but I recommend  not making it too sweet so you can really taste the summer fruit you pair it with.

First let me tell you a bit about chia seeds

They are an ancient seed indigenous to Mexico and are said to be a staple of the Mayan and Aztec diet. They are extremely high in readily digestible fiber and have a really nice flavor. On top of all of that, they are high in Omega-3s, which is one of the most essential fats we need and usually don’t get enough of. Sooooo not only is this dessert delicious it has nutritional value as well. Chia seeds are roughly $10.00 for a 12 oz. bag. This bag will go a long way! You can add chia seeds to almost any dish for a great crunch, to act as a thickener of sorts for baking or for a beverage. My point is, if you are buying a bag for the first time it will last you a long time even though you will be finding uses for them in many dishes. I have also seen then available in bulk bins at local health food stores. Feel free to ask any more questions about where to order, brand etc… in the comments section.

And NOW! The recipe!

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (Serves 6)

1.5-2* cups Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any other milk you like. I always prefer unsweetened to control the amount of sugar I am

consuming as well as to avoid refined sugars) I wish I had home made almond milk on hand at the time…..

1 cup canned coconut milk

1/2 cup chia seeds

1 1/2 cup unsweetened coco powder

4-5 tablespoons Maple Syrup (grade B)

a pinch of sea salt

pinch of cinnamon (optional)

*important note! the amount of milk  seems to vary a bit and depends on how much the chia seeds soak up. Start with a 1.5 cups of the almond milk and you can add more if needed to get the pudding consistency you want. Also, the more coconut milk you use the thicker the pudding gets.

For this post I made this recipe using the super, duper fast way by starting the chia seeds soaking  before making the flavor slurry that makes this so delish.  This way if you don’t have time to make it ahead of time you can make it in a pinch and will be ready to eat for dessert. In total the pudding should soak for at least 2 hours. The longer it sits though the better the flavors meld and the more puddingy the consistency becomes.

Step by Step:

Add 1/2 cup chia seeds to 3/4 of a cup almond milk and let sit for about 45 min in the refrigerator.

Put coco powder into a small bowl with high sides and add a small amount of the coconut milk. Mix together making a chocolatey paste with no lumps.

Add maple syrup, cinnamon and salt along with the rest of the liquid.

Slowly add the chocolate mixture into the pre-soaked chia seeds. Make sure to break up any existing chia seed clumps that may have developed. Mix with a big spoon or whisk to incorporate all ingredients, evening out the consistency. It should still be liquidly at this point  but the chia seeds will still be sucking up moisture.  Let the mixture sit for about half an hour longer in the fridge to let the chia seeds soak up more liquid. At this point if it seems to be more chunky than the smooth you can add more liquid. Let the pudding sit for another hour. If it still seems like it needs more liquid you can add more.

Serve with fresh fruit. Ta dah! Enjoy!

I hope to post a savory recipe soon! I don’t ever follow recipes so it’s a lot harder to make up savory foods recipe. I am looking forward to posting regularly again.

Thanks!