This healthy chocolate chia pudding recipe is perfect for a quick, nutritious breakfast or dessert. It only takes five minutes of prep, so you can spend your mornings doing other things.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich: This chocolate pudding has a deep, rich flavor that can satisfy any chocolate craving.
- Dessert-like: You can enjoy this tasty pudding for breakfast or dessert!
- Nutritious: Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein. This healthy treat is as good for you as it is delicious.
Nutrition For Mental Wellbeing
When I was in graduate school for my Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, I was drawn to how our diet can impact mental health. So, here at Raepublic, we share extra info on this topic (which is always backed by science).
Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 11.9g of carbohydrates, 9.8g of fiber, 8.7g of fat, and 4.7g of protein. They are an excellent source of antioxidants, magnesium, phosphorus, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. Chia seeds are a good source of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B1, and vitamin B3.
A prospective follow-up study found that higher ALA consumption (from plant sources, not fish) reduces the risk of depression.
Ingredients + Notes
Four simple ingredients bring this recipe together.
- Cacao powder: Opt for unsweetened cacao powder. It’s perfectly rich but without added sugar.
- Oat milk: Unsweetened oat milk is naturally super sweet, so you’ll use less added sweetener than other recipes.
- Maple syrup: My favorite sweetener to use. Start with one teaspoon and go from there.
- Chia seeds: These tiny seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and create the perfect pudding-like consistency.
Substitutions
Enjoy this healthy vegan pudding as is, or make adjustments as needed.
- Milk: Swap oat milk with coconut milk, soy milk, or unsweetened almond milk.
- Vanilla: Add a splash of vanilla extract for extra flavor.
- Sweetener: I recommend maple syrup or agave, but stevia is a great sugar-free option.
- Chia Seeds: I 100% recommend using chia seeds in this recipe. However, if you don’t have any and want to make a chocolate treat, I recommend checking out Easy Substitutes For Chia Seeds.
How To Make Healthy Chocolate Chia Pudding
Follow these simple steps for the best chocolate chia seed pudding recipe.
- Add cacao powder and oat milk to a jar and whisk until thoroughly combined. (A hand-held frother or immersion blender works really well for this.)
- Pour in maple syrup and chia seeds and stir together. (Alternatively, add the jar lid and shake.)
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- Serve with your favorite fruit or berries on top.
Servings Ideas
Here are some serving ideas as well as tasty topping suggestions.
- Toppings: Serve with fresh berries like raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries. Another tasty topping is nut butter. Stir in a tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter for added richness. Finally, chocolate chips or cacao nibs can add the perfect crunch.
- Sides: This chocolate pudding recipe is delicious, paired with Banana Nut Scones, Raspberry Scones, Pumpkin Spice Scones, or Vegan Blueberry Muffins.
- Drinks: Enjoy with a glass of Matcha Bubble Tea, Coffee Boba, or Turmeric latte.
Storage Tips
If you make chia pudding in a jar to start, then you have your storage container taken care of. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. This makes it perfect for meal prep!
Keep in mind that the chia seeds will continue to soak up liquid. So, if you store it for longer than a day, I recommend stirring in another tablespoon or so of oat milk before enjoying it.
FAQ
Yes, it’s a great way to incorporate healthy fats and fiber into your daily diet.
Chia pudding is very healthy, especially if you are vegan. It is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein. However, if you are purchasing prepared chia pudding, keep in mind it most likely has a much higher amount of added sugar, which is not ideal.
The texture of chia seed pudding can be a little crunchy if you chew it, but it shouldn’t be super crunchy. It might need more soaking time or liquid if it’s too crunchy. Alternatively, you can always blend it for a short time to make it even smoother.
Yes, using too many chia seeds can result in an overly thick pudding. I always do ¼ cups of chia seeds to one cup of liquid.
If you tried this Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 cup unsweetened oat milk
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Add cacao powder and oat milk to a jar and whisk until thoroughly combined. (Using a hand-held frother works really well for this.)
- Pour in maple syrup and chia seeds and stir together. (Alternatively, add the jar lid and shake.)
- Serve with your favorite fruit or berries on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Reference
Lucas, M., Mirzaei, F., O’Reilly, E. J., Pan, A., Willett, W. C., Kawachi, I., Koenen, K., & Ascherio, A. (2011). Dietary intake of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and the risk of clinical depression in women: a 10-y prospective follow-up study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 93(6), 1337–1343. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.011817
This is soooo good! I have it for dessert!
So glad you like it!