Chocolate Chia Pudding

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Chocolate chia pudding is so simple and amazingly delicious. It’s the easiest healthy dessert recipe you can make with no baking. It’s creamy, chocolatey, indulgent and yet, loaded with nutrients. A winner of a dessert recipe that you’ll make again and again.

Two glasses of chocolate chia pudding

I almost hesitate at calling this chocolate chia pudding a dessert or labeling it as indulgent, because really, it’s probably healthier than the average breakfast or snack. There’s just one tablespoon of maple syrup per serving. So feel free to enjoy it any time of day!

But want to know why I really love this recipe? It’s so darn easy to make and you probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already. Long story short, you really can’t beat chia pudding, whether you’re whipping it up for breakfast or dessert!

Ingredients for chocolate chia pudding

What’s in Chocolate Chia Pudding?

There’s only 5 ingredients in this easy recipe and that includes:

  • Cacao Powder: Cacao powder is typically less processed than cocoa powder, but either one works in this recipe.
  • Maple Syrup: One of my favorite all natural sweeteners. You could also use honey or another liquid sweetener.
  • Vanilla Extract: To enhance the sweet flavor.
  • Milk: Choose your favorite one, whether dairy or dairy-free, they all work beautifully.
  • Chia Seeds: The omega-3 packed seeds that combine everything together into a creamy, dreamy dessert.
Chocolate chia pudding ingredients in a bowl

How to Make Chocolate Chia Pudding

All you have to do is whisk together the cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, nut milk and chia seeds. Chill it for a few hours (or overnight). And voila – chocolate chia pudding. I’ve topped mine with raspberries and chocolate shavings today, but feel free to get creative.

Pro tip: If you don’t like the tapioca consistency of chia pudding and want a smoother texture, you can blitz it all together in a high-powered blender to create a chocolate chia pudding mousse.

Mixing chocolate chia pudding in a bowl

Are Chia Seeds Healthy?

They sure are! Chia seeds have a ton of health benefits. They’re on my list of 8 anti-inflammatory foods to eat every week since they’re so high in antioxidants and loaded with fiber. In fact, they may be the best source of fiber on the planet.

What Kind of Milk Can I Use in Chia Seed Pudding?

This chocolate chia seed pudding will work with all types of dairy and dairy-free milks. Today, I’m using my cashew milk recipe (my personal favorite). But you could also use almond milkoat milk, or even banana milk.

If you make this recipe with canned full-fat coconut milk, it will likely be thicker than the previously mentioned options. You could always add more milk or water to thin it down, if desired.

A glass bowl of chocolate chia pudding

How Long Will the Pudding Last?

Chocolate chia pudding can be left in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days. This makes it an easy treat to make in a large batch and enjoy over the course of a week.

If you have leftovers you can even freeze it! It will last for up to 3 months in the freezer. Then simply thaw as needed when those chocolate cravings strike. Meal prepped chia pudding for dessert? Oh yes. You’re welcome!

Chocolate chia pudding with fruit

More Delicious Chia Seed Recipes

Here’s more chia seed recipes you’ll love as well:

Want two more simple chocolate dessert recipes? Make sure to check out my Chocolate Mug Cake and Chocolate Avocado Pudding. They take less than 5 minutes to make!

I hope you enjoy this chocolate chia pudding as much as I do! If you make it, let me know how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help others in this community!

Cups of chocolate chia pudding

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

4.92 from 110 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
wait time: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding is a light dessert when you’re having a chocolate craving. There's only 5 ingredients and it's easy to make. Watch the video below to see how quickly it comes together!

Video

Ingredients 
 

Garnish

Instructions 

  • In a medium-size bowl, add the cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, dairy-free milk and chia seeds. Whisk together until all ingredients are combined.
  • Leave the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes without stirring for the chia seeds to gel. After 15 minutes, whisk it together one more time. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight or a minimum of 4 hours. 
  • Remove the chocolate chia seed pudding from the fridge and stir together with a spoon. Serve into small dessert sized glasses. Top with your favorite fruit, chocolate shavings or other garnishes.

Lisa’s Tips

  • If you notice your chia seeds aren’t starting to gel and thicken after 10 minutes, you may have dud chia seeds. This can happen in they’ve been sitting in your pantry a while. Just grab a new bag of chia seeds
  • If you want that frosted look on your berries, here’s how you do it. In a single layer on a plate, freeze fresh berries that have been washed and are completely dry. Once they’re frozen, add them to the chocolate chia pudding. About 2 to 3 minutes later (as they come to room temperature) they’ll have that frosted look. But serve them up quick because it doesn’t last long! 

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 313mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Chia Pudding, Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe, Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted May 2019, but updated to include new information.

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.92 from 110 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




308 Comments

  1. Would it be ok, tho not pretty pic possibly, with using Ground Chia? Worried about eating nuts & seeds personally. But I know I’d love this and want the benefits of Chia. Will try it today.

  2. Amazing recipe! My sister has tried some other recipes but we always come back to this one, love it! Thanks for sharing :) 5 stars

  3. Do you have any diabetic recipes  with more low sugar content I guess I could go light on everything love your video food  is great can’t wait for your book next year

    1. Hi Kathy – I don’t have geared specifically for diabetics, but you can always reduce the sugar content in specific recipes.

  4. I chilled mine in the refrigerator over night and it didn’t set, it’s still liquidy. I’m not sure why it didn’t turn out. 5 stars

  5. Ah-mazingly delicious, made twice this week already. It’s a great recipe for my 10 and 8 year old to make on their own. Thank you for posting :) 

  6. Made this for my kids and was very disappointed. 1tsp of vanilla was way too much. Tasted more like alcohol than anything else. I used regular store bought organic vanilla. Might try again with half the vanilla or less. None of us enjoyed this as is.

    1. Hi Teresa – it sounds like the problem was more with the brand of vanilla that you used. Next time I’d recommend you purchase an alcohol-free vanilla extract. The brand Simply Organic has one!

  7. WOW! I had a craving for some chocolate pudding last night but I had to wait until today to eat it because of the chia seeds. It was so worth it! It was so hard not to eat both servings at once, haha. Lisa, you amaze me with all your delicious recipes.5 stars

  8. Lovely recipe.
    Made with 1/2 coconut milk and 1/2 almond milk.

    Topped with toasted pecans and 92% Dark Chocolate shavings. Yeah!5 stars

  9. Just made it and it tasted delicious.
    Can’t wait to dig in tomorrow morning.

    I threw in some count shavings and will top with coconut whip cream in the morning.5 stars

  10. Thanks sharing this to good recipe and good blog such a great chocolate chia pudding thanks sharing this article5 stars

  11. Such a great idea about the chocolate chia pudding this is wonderful recipes thanks share this article

  12. Tasty!  But you should buy chia seeds that are already cold split or blend this because the seed is like a sesame seed, with the “shell” or outside not digestible, so your body doesn’t get the nutrition inside the seed unless you open it up. They come out whole just like sesame seeds. 5 stars

    1. That is the case with flax seeds.
      The surface of chia seeds is delicate and easily breaks apart when exposed to moisture, so they are typically prepared with liquid foods. In this way, they are absorbed and digested well in their whole form, unlike flax seeds.

    2. I just grind them up like I do flax seeds. I don’t care for that tapioca like texture and I have Crohn’s, so I’m supposed to avoid seedy things.

  13. I haven’t tried pudding before but your recipe looking yummy will try it now absolutely
    Thanks for sharing

  14. this chocolate chia pudding is soooo good!!! I had mixed feelings about chia pudding but I had some recently at a resort breakfast and I decided I needed to try this. it’s such a great healthy dessert, as is the chia pudding mousse. keep it in the fridge for the week and it’s perfect for cravings! even if you just have a bite. thanks Lisa! 4 stars

  15. I am looking forward to making this – at what point do you put it in the high power blender?  I want a smooth pudding.  

  16. I love your content. This chia seed pudding was so delicious. A definite add to my meals. I had this for breakfast was awesome to enjoy. 4 stars

  17. this seems lovely, I am a pudding lover, I will try it this weekend.
    Please also make chocolate cookies recipes for my 8 years old child.

    1. Hi Dany- I actually have a few cookie recipes on my website, including the best chocolate chip cookies!

  18. Great! I wonder for how many days I can keep it deep freezer? Can I hold it for a a few weeks? I expect the taste remains the same!

  19. I’ve developed an addiction this pudding! It is sooo yummy. I used dark chocolate cocoa powder because it’s what I had in my pantry and I mix it with almond coconut granola and bananas. My new go-to breakfast.5 stars

  20. Hi, can I substitute the maple syrup for xylitol sweetner? I use xylitol all the time as I have pre diabetes now, I used to be diabetic, so trying to stay as low sugar as possible.

  21. I love Chocolate and this new Chocolate Pudding recipe with raspberries it’s really delicious
    is your any app for new recipes?5 stars

    1. Glad you enjoyed this Roger! You can get notified about new recipes if you subscribe to my email list, which you can find on the homepage :)

    2. The recipe was so easy and amazing tasting.
      I replaced the maple syrup for a sweetener.
      Chocolate Craving was gone after this.5 stars

  22. Amazing article I really love this tasty recipe and I hope all the readers will enjoy this tasty recipe and I t will be the best article for all mothers who want to bake these kind of delicious recipes with us..
    Thanks for sharing this article to us5 stars

  23. Wow I love this article because it is my favourite chocolate chai pudding.. I really love this recipe and I hope it will be the best recipe ever..
    Thanks for sharing this article to us..5 stars

  24. Love this! Could I use ground chia seed and if so, how much of the ground seed would be equal to the whole seed in this recipe?5 stars

  25. Wow this is very interesting and useful article for all mothers whose parents love chocolate recipes.. Infect to only for mothers it is also specific article for all chocolate lovers..
    Thanks for sharing this article to us..

  26. Wow its just amazing and yummy recipe of chocolate pudding.. I love chocolate and the most favourite thing is that I am mad for freeze strawberries.. I always use these frozen strawberries to decor my food items and to enhance its taste.. I must try it soon in my own kitchen
    Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe…5 stars

  27. I have never had chia seed pudding, so this was my first time trying and making it. Personally, I would prefer it a bit sweeter. However this can be easily tweaked next time so no biggie. I just added some cherry flavoured yogurt as a topping. Very nice, simple recipe, will make again. Thank you.4 stars

  28. I reeeeeally wanted to like this recipe because my niece is allergic to everything and my husband is dairy free, and it’s hard to make deserts that suit everyone. Unfortunately no matter how much I tinkered and added more liquid and flavourings, I couldn’t get rid of the gritty seed texture (including after blending) nor the strong chia flavour.  Maybe the chia I am using is a different variety. Keen to hear any suggestions for softening the chia and masking the seedy flavour.

    1. Hi Samantha – if you still have a gritty seed texture, it might be that your blender is not powerful enough to fully blend it. As I don’t have a gritty texture in mine. But as for the flavor, yes, there is some chia seed flavor. The only solution to that would be masking it with more sugar or flavorings.

  29. Could you add a little coffee to it ? Maybe if it needs thinned out some ? That just sounds good to me.