I know what some of you were thinking yesterday.
“It’s almost Valentine’s Day. The blog world is bursting at the seams with decadent, luscious chocolate, and what does Angela give us? A salad recipe! What is wrong with this girl?”
I know, I know. That salad (although a very delicious one) is probably not what you’re dreaming about this week. But don’t worry, because I’m going to make it up to you today. With chocolate.
You may remember that a little while ago, I asked you guys if you had any recipe requests. One of the requests I received was from one of my lovely long-time readers, Lynn. She asked for a pudding and criteria was as follows:
- dairy-free
- thick
- chocolatey
- yummy!
Immediately, the ideas started floating through my head. I’ll admit (although many of you chocoholics will likely think I’m crazy) that I’ve never really been one to experience chocolate cravings. I’ve never also been one to “do” Valentine’s Day, because I’m of the mind that you should tell your loved ones that you love them every day. However, I realize that for many, chocolate goes with Valentine’s Day like PB goes with jelly, so I’ve got something chocolatey for you today. It’s also super nutritious, and I’m not just referring to the antioxidants.
Chia seeds aren’t something I talk often about on the blog but they really do deserve more attention. They contain even more omega-3s than flax seeds, provide 5g of fiber per tablespoon, and like dark chocolate, are packed with antioxidants. Chia seeds also contain lovely minerals like magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc, and iron.
In addition to chocolate and chia seeds, there’s one more key ingredient in this recipe.
Something about eating raspberries – or any berry – at this time of year feels so indulgent. I’ll admit that the taste certainly isn’t the same as the sun-kissed summer ones, but nevertheless I was super excited to dig into the little container that I bought this weekend.
Ok, we’ve got 3 superstar ingredients, and you might have already guessed where I’m going with them. If your thoughts are pudding, you’re right.
Chia seeds have a very distinct nutty flavour, which is definitely noticeable in this recipe. Be sure to leave enough time (about 40 minutes) for the mixture to sit in the fridge because when chia seeds come in contact with liquid, they get all jelly-like and give the pudding a thicker texture. If the quantity of almond milk stated below seems too low, feel free to gradually add a little more to thin out the consistency.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Prep Time: 5 mins (plus 40-50 mins inacti
Cook Time: 0 mins
Keywords: no-cook raw dessert snack gluten-free low-sodium nut-free soy-free vegan vegetarian dairy-free chia seeds pudding
Ingredients (1 serving)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp protein powder (optional)
- 1-2 packets stevia (depending on how sweet you want it)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or other milk alternative)
- raspberries, roughly chopped dark chocolate or cacao nibs, and mint leaves, to garnish
Instructions
In a bowl, combine chia seeds, cocoa powder, stevia, almond milk, and vanilla. (If you’re adding protein powder too, add this here.) Stir well until all ingredients are well incorporated and cocoa has dissolved in the liquid. Be sure to scrape up any chia seeds on the bottom of the bowl.
Place the bowl in the fridge for at least 40 minutes. The chia seeds will create a jelly-like consistency, making the liquid become gelatinous. If you’d like a thinner pudding, drizzle in a bit more almond milk, stir, and let the mixture sit for longer.
If you want to make the pudding look pretty, top it with raspberries, flaked chocolate or cacao nibs, and mint leaves. Serve chilled.
Nutrition per serving (entire recipe, without protein powder and toppings): 102 calories, 8g fat (0g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 139mg sodium, 11g carbs, 7g fiber, 2g sugar, 5g protein.
On second thought, with nutrition stats like that, maybe you should make yourself two. π
Happy Valentine’s Day!
happy valentine’s day, angela!
i share a similar feb 14th philosophy: i like to do little, fun things in honour of the day, but $100 bunches of flowers, expensive jewellery and dinner out are not my demands!! i, too, think we should be affectionate and kind every day of the year! and eat chocolate whenever you want!
the pudding looks great! chia seeds were new to me before i started reading blogs – i really like them sprinkled on salads!
I love this recipe! What a cool way to eat chia seeds π
It’s a day of extra “I love you”s, which is never a bad thing. π I haven’t made chia pudding for so long.
oh yum! pinning this π
I love chia seeds! I actually did a whole post a while back on all their health benefits. They really are a superfood!
WOW that looks good! I recently bought my first bag of chia seeds, and now I know the first thing I want to do with them!! Thanks!
Enjoy them Meredith! I’ve got another chia recipe coming up soon so stay tuned! π
Happy Valentine’s Day! I love chia pudding! π xo
Your chocolate pudding looks wonderful! It’s amazing what Chia Seeds can do!
You are too cute!! What a great recipe! I definitely am going to have to try this out. I am not a huge chocolate person either, but this looks too good to pass. I always forget about Chia seeds when I’m at the store but keep meaning to get some. Do you ever put them in your smoothies?
Yep I do! I just had some this morning actually. Their taste really isn’t noticeable at all (at least in the smoothies I’ve been making), but I like knowing that they’re there! π
Happy Valentine’s day! Beautiful pictures, beautiful food! Yum, yum, yum! π
Hope you have a great day girl!
fantastic! Thanks for this recipe Angela… will definitely be making this today… can’t wait to try it…
No problem at all Lynn – still working on the others. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Just read your guest post over at the healthful pursuit and really enjoyed it!!! then jumped over here and saw this recipe. I’m officially drooling haha. Thanks for the recipe and happy valentine’s day π
Thanks Sarah, and I’m glad you popped over to visit. Enjoy the pudding, and Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!
great recipe love! I LOVE chia seeds and using them to make a pudding π
I just wanted to say that I also loved your guest post on Healthful Pursuit xoxoxoxo
I just added you to my google reader π you are such an inspiration you know!
Aww thank you Meg! And thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed my post on Leanne’s blog. I can’t wait to see what she gets up to in India!
Congrats on your Foodbuzz Top 9 feature today – awesome!
Congrats on your Foodbuzz Top 9 feature today – awesome!
Thanks Preena! π Happy Friday!
Hey Angela! I’m doing a healthier V-Day recipe round-up and would like to include this recipe, with all credit given to you and a link back to your site of course! Please let me know if this isn’t okay and I’ll take it out. It will be posted on Friday π
That’s no problem at all, Ariana. Thank you so much for including me!
[…] You can flavor it however you like (simply add ingredients to the food processor or mixing bowl), but here are some recipes to give you more guidance: Chocolate Chia Breakfast Pudding by The Food Hound and Chocolate Chia Pudding by Eat Spin Run Repeat. […]