A healthy and delicious Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding, made with almond or coconut milk to keep it dairy free and vegan! This pudding is delicious for breakfast or dessert, with your choice of fun and nutritious toppings.
If you adore chia pudding and want to try different variations, try this Whole30 Chia Pudding (cinnamon spiked!), or a Keto Vanilla Chia Pudding if you’d prefer sugar free!
Contents
A Delicious Dairy-Free and Vegan Chocolate Pudding
If you’re a chocolate fan like me, you probably find ways to justify eating chocolate for breakfast!
This delicious Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding recipe is the perfect healthy, high fiber breakfast option. It’s rich and chocolatey, creamy, and has the delicious “pop” texture of tapioca pudding.
I sweeten this version by blending dates with coconut milk — it helps make it uber creamy and lightly sweet. See notes for variations if you’d prefer a different sweetener or milk option!
What You’ll Need:
- Coconut Milk
- Chia Seeds
- Natural Cocoa Powder (or raw cacao powder)
- Vanilla extract
- Dates (I use medjool dates)
Topping Suggestions
- Fruit (berries, bananas, peaches)
- Nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews)
- Seeds (sesame, hemp, pumpkin, or sunflower)
- Nut Butter (I love SunButter and almond butter)
- Dark Chocolate or Chocolate Chips
- Greek Yogurt (to add protein)
- Unsweetened Coconut
How to Make Chocolate Pudding
Step 1: Add coconut milk and dates to a blender, and process until the dates are fully broken up and have sweetened the coconut milk. If your dates are old or have hardened, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes and drain before using.
Step 2: Add the water, chia seeds, cocoa powder, and vanilla to the blender, and pulse 4-5 times to combine. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, and pulse again. Repeat 3-4 times, until the seeds have broken up and are thickening the pudding evenly.
Step 3: Refrigerate the pudding for at least an hour, or overnight, to allow it to fully thicken.
Step 4: When ready to serve, optionally add toppings to make a fun chia seed breakfast or dessert bowl!
Is Chia Seed Pudding Good for You?
Chia seeds are a healthy option for everyone!
They are rich in nutrients, including omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and fiber. A serving of this pudding contains half of your daily fiber requirement and 7 grams of protein. You can up the protein by topping this pudding with hemp seeds, nuts, or nut butter, or even blending in some scoops of collagen powder.
I recently updated my Whole30 Breakfast Chia Pudding, because in January, it becomes crazy popular.
While it’s a great option for those with dietary restrictions, it’s also just delicious and great for anyone looking for a healthy breakfast that can be prepped ahead.
Can you Make Chia Seed Pudding with Almond Milk?
You can make chocolate chia seed pudding out of pretty much any liquid! I use coconut milk in this recipe because coconut milk is delicious! I love it’s creamy and rich flavor.
To lower the calories in this recipe, use unsweetened almond milk. You can also try oat milk, soy milk, or hemp milk, depending on your dietary needs.
This recipe mixes water with the coconut milk to thin it out. You can use all coconut milk for an even creamier pudding.
Is Chia Pudding Good for Breakfast?
Chia seed pudding makes an excellent breakfast, as long as it doesn’t contain too many sweeteners. Chia seeds are high in fiber, and contain important nutrients including calcium, zinc, and phosphorus.
They contain ALAs, which have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, and raise HDL cholesterol. In addition, they have anti inflammatory properties.
Chia seeds absorb 8-20 times their weight in water, meaning they should be eaten along with plenty of liquids, and help aid with weight loss because they cause a feeling of fullness.
Top your chia seed pudding with low sugar fruit like berries, and nutrient dense nuts (and dark chocolate!), for a satisfying and healthy breakfast.
Tips for Chocolate Chia Pudding
No Blender? No Problem!
If you want to make chocolate chia seed pudding without a blender, sub 1/4 cup date syrup or honey in place of the dates. Use a whisk and mix quickly as you add the chia seeds. You will need to let them sit, and whisk again, and repeat several times prior to refrigerating your pudding. This method works fine (and I use it often!), but it’s more difficult to get a smooth texture because it’s hard to prevent the chia seeds from sticking together.
Make it Paleo
As written, this chocolate chia pudding recipe is paleo.
Add Protein
I like blending 2-3 scoops of collagen protein into my pudding (add along with the cocoa powder) to add some protein to this pudding.
Make it Vegan
As written, this recipe is vegan.
Top this pudding with delicious toppings, like fresh fruit, coconut, chopped nuts, nut butter, or even my Raspberry Chia Seed Jam or Strawberry Chia Seed Jam.
Other Chia Seed Pudding Recipes:
- Keto Chia Pudding, by Blissfully Low Carb
- Cookie Dough Overnight Chia and Oats, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Whole30 Breakfast Chia Pudding, by Sunkissed Kitchen
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Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup coconut milk canned, full fat
- 4 ounces dates soaked in hot water and drained
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder natural
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup chia seeds
Topping Suggestions
- fresh fruit
- nuts
- unsweetened coconut
- nut butter
- chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- Soak pitted dates in hot water to soften. After they’ve soaked for 1-2 minutes, drain well and set aside.
- In a blender, add coconut milk and dates. Process until the dates are fully broken up and you have a thick, sweetened coconut milk.
- Add in water, chia seeds, cocoa powder, and vanilla, and pulse 3-4 times to mix it well.
- Allow chia seeds to soak for about 5 minutes, and then pulse again. Repeat 3-4 times for the best textured pudding (to keep the chia seeds from clumping).
- Pour chia pudding into an air tight container, and allow to thicken at least 1 hour. If your pudding is too thick, add more water and thin it out until the desired consistency is reached.
Video
Notes
- Blender? No Problem!: If you want to make chocolate chia seed pudding without a blender, sub 1/4 cup date syrup or honey in place of the dates. Use a whisk and mix quickly as you add the chia seeds. You will need to let them sit, and whisk again, and repeat several times prior to refrigerating your pudding. This method works fine (and I use it often!), but it’s more difficult to get a smooth texture because it’s hard to prevent the chia seeds from sticking together.
- Make it Paleo: As written, this chocolate chia pudding recipe is paleo.
- Add Protein: I like blending 2-3 scoops of collagen protein into my pudding (add along with the cocoa powder) to add some protein to this pudding.
- Make it Vegan: As written, this recipe is vegan.
- Top this pudding with delicious toppings, like fresh fruit, coconut, chopped nuts, nut butter, or even my Raspberry Chia Seed Jam or Strawberry Chia Seed Jam.
Nutrition
I’ve never made chocolate chia pudding before but it looks so delicious, I need to try this asap!
It is delicious — such a great texture! If you like tapioca, this is so similar.
This looks amazing. I love all the colors and textures you have here!
Love your photos and the pudding looks and sounds delicious!
It is delicious! Thank you 🙂
This looks like a scrumptious breakfast! Love the spoon too.