This Healthy Chocolate Chia Pudding is sure to satiate your chocolate cravings…it’s decadent and perfectly sweet with no refined sugar. Bonus: this delicious vegan chia pudding recipe is easy to make with just 5 ingredients and filled with fiber and nutrients!
Calling all chocolate lovers….this healthy chocolate chia seed pudding is a great recipe for those with a sweet tooth. In addition to satisfying your chocolate craving, it provides some healthy fats and essential fatty acids to help keep your blood sugar stable. Decadent, healthy, and perfectly sweet all at the same time! That’s a win in my book!
This post was updated from the original published April 24, 2017.
Jump to:
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- What are the benefits of Chia Seeds?
- How to make this
- Why doesn’t the chocolate powder mix into the milk?
- What to do if your chia pudding has dry hard clumps?
- Can you freeze chia pudding?
- Favorite Vegan Chia Pudding Toppings
- Vegan Chia Pudding Variations
- Debra’s Pro Tips
- Why didn’t my chia seeds turn into pudding?
- More Vegan Chocolate Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
If you’re a chocolate lover, you may have already tried my Silken Tofu Vegan Chocolate Pudding, but if you’re not a fan of tofu, or you prefer the texture of tapioca pudding, this easy vegan chia pudding recipe is for you.
One of my health coaching clients was looking for low fod-map desserts and I immediately knew this easy almond milk chocolate chia seed pudding or the vanilla chia pudding recipe would be great options for her. Because chia seeds are known to be anti-inflammatory and also helpful with IBS.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- There’s no compromise…it’s rich and chocolatey…and also nutritious.
- EASY to make with just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes hands on time.
- Creamy…with a side of texture!
- Make ahead. Enjoy as a decadent dessert or a healthy snack…you decide.
- Versatile. Layer in the nuts or nut butter, and fresh berries and you’ve got yourself a breakfast parfait.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chia seeds: If you’re looking for a substitution, you may want to make my vegan silken tofu chocolate pudding instead because you can’t make chia seed pudding without the chia seeds.
- Maple syrup: I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and it was plenty sweet for us, but you could adjust the amount to taste. Substitute with date syrup or your favorite sweetener. See the recipe card for instructions on how to use dates instead.
- Vanilla extract: scrape the inside of a vanilla bean if you’re looking for a sub.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I used raw cacao powder, but I’ve also used dark cocoa powder with fabulous results. If this is your first time working with cacao powder, see my note below about incorporating any type of chocolate powder into cold milk.
- Plant-based milk: I used unsweetened almond milk, you could also use oat milk, soy milk, full-fat coconut milk, or any non-dairy milk that you know works well for you. See recipe card for directions on how to use whole cashews.
What are the benefits of Chia Seeds?
- Nutrient dense: Just 2 tablespoons of chia seeds provide 8 grams of plant-based protein. Plus, chia seeds have good amounts of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus which all contribute to bone density.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: can help reduce inflammation, enhance cognitive performance and reduce high cholesterol.
- Fiber: Helps with regularity of bowel movements and satiety.
How to make this
Chia seed pudding is easy to make, but if this is your first time, make sure to read all of my tips before you begin. Avoid a couple of common mistakes (chocolate powder that doesn’t mix in or dry hard clumps of chia seeds) for perfect chocolate chia pudding every time!
Start by pouring plant-based milk into a large measuring cup along with the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Spoon in the cacao powder as well.
Why doesn’t the chocolate powder mix into the milk?
Here’s the best tip on incorporating cocoa powder into cold milk. Use an immersion blender. When you mix any type of chocolate powder into cold liquid, it tends to float on the surface and it doesn’t actually mix in.
You can use a whisk and do this by hand, but it’s time consuming and frustrating and first you will get small clumps of chocolate before something resembling chocolate milk.
Seriously, why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?
Once you have vegan chocolate milk, you’re ready to mix in those chia seeds. Once again, the easy way is to use an immersion blender…but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix by hand with a whisk or use a regular blender.
Once you’ve mixed the chia seeds in, you’ll want to mix again after one minute. And then again 3-4 minutes later.
Also, look at the mixture from the side to be sure the seeds haven’t all accumulated at the bottom. This is why I like to use a large pyrex measuring cup, but any glass bowl or container will work well.
Notice the first photo has chia seeds evenly distributed within the chocolate mixture. In the second photo, the chia seeds have gathered at the bottom. If you notice a gathering of seeds a the bottom right away, it is an easy fix…just stir more vigorously. If, the chia seeds at the bottom of your dish have turned into a hard clump that is stuck together, keep reading.
What to do if your chia pudding has dry hard clumps?
First of all, don’t panic. This is fixable. Totally fixable….you just have to know the easy way out, and I’m here to help….because I’ve been there, done that and I know how frustrating this is. Your chia seeds just need more liquid, and it’s already there, just inaccessible at the moment.
The easiest solution is once again to use an immersion blender. I know I must sound like an advertisement for them, but trust me an immersion blender will solve this problem instantly. Alternately, transfer the mixture to a regular blender or food processor.
Remix the chia seeds into the liquid using your immersion blender. Check after one minute to be sure the seeds aren’t sinking to the bottom again. Within 5 minutes, the pudding will start to thicken and the seeds will be suspended in the chocolate milk. Then you can cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
Can you freeze chia pudding?
Yes! Freeze chia pudding in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Sometimes I make a triple batch (there’s a button on the recipe card that will do the math for you) and leave them in the fridge overnight, then transfer to smaller containers. I like to use 4-oz. mason jars for single serving freezer containers.
Favorite Vegan Chia Pudding Toppings
Set up a toppings bar and let everyone make their own. Super easy and so much fun!
- Nuts or Seeds: Chopped pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans are super tasty. Sprinkle on some hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds if you have nut allergies.
- Berries: Fresh blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or sliced strawberries are colorful and add antioxidants to this nutrient dense dessert.
- Pomegranate seeds are colorful and add to the decadence when they’re in season.
- Chocolate: For the extreme chocolate lover, provide dark chocolate shavings, mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs.
- Salt: A sprinkle of maldon sea salt flakes on the top is just the extra touch I love the most.
Vegan Chia Pudding Variations
Take my basic chocolate chia pudding recipe to the next level with any of these added flavors
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding: Either mix in ¼ cup peanut butter (or any other nut butter) to the basic recipe, or layer the finished chia seed pudding in a small mason jar with layers of peanut butter in between chia layers.
- Chocolate Mint Chia Pudding: Use a high speed blender to make your chia seed pudding and add in a handful of fresh mint leaves. If you’re mixing by hand, swap mint extract for the vanilla extract in the recipe.
- Banana Chocolate Chia Pudding: Use an immersion blender and add 1 small banana or ½ larger banana to the ingredient list.
- Smooth Chocolate Chia Pudding: Use a high-speed blender like a vitamix. Throw in all ingredients and mix on high power for 2 minutes, until chia seeds are broken down.
Or, if you’d prefer non-chocolate pudding, use my vegan vanilla chia pudding recipe.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Take the coaching and use the immersion blender. First to blend the cocoa powder and later to blend in the chia seeds. You’re welcome.
- The texture of chia seeds is my favorite part of this recipe. Reminds me of my grandmothers rice pudding. But if you’d rather a smoother, pudding-like texture, place all ingredients into a high-powered blender until creamy.
- Make a parfait with layers of pudding and toppings in mason jars. They’ll stay good in the fridge all week.
Why didn’t my chia seeds turn into pudding?
The two most important things needed to turn chia seeds into pudding are liquid and time. The best ratio of chia seeds to liquid for chia seed pudding is ¼ cup chia seeds to 1 cup liquid. Also, it takes about an hour for the chia seeds to absorb the liquid and to gel into pudding. If your chia pudding is too thin, you may need more chia seeds or more time.
Also check the bottom of your bowl. It’s possible you didn’t mix the chia seeds into the liquid well and there may be super thick clumps on the bottom. If it’s too hard, you will struggle to break those clumps up with a fork. I recommend a blender or an immersion blender to mix those in well and then give it some time to gel.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons cacao powder
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Place almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla and cacao powder in a bowl or tall measuring cup. The cacao will resist mixing into the liquid so you'll have to use some elbow grease to mix until well incorporated. For best results, use an immersion blender.
- Mix chia seeds into milk mixture. Wait 2-3 minutes and mix again, making sure to dig to the bottom of the bowl to get all seeds mixed into the liquid.
- After 5 minutes, stir again. Chia pudding will have begun to thicken and will continue to gel as the seeds absorb more liquid.
- Cover well and place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight. Stir well before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Barbara
I love this recipe. I made it every week. Delicious. Absolutely delicious.
Debra Klein
Thank you! Totally agree.