Chocolate chia pudding. Is it a breakfast? A snack? Dessert? Arguably all three. This chocolate chia pudding is built on a thick Greek yogurt base with plenty of powerhouse chia seeds, maple syrup to sweeten things up, and enough cacao powder that you don’t feel like you’re skimping on the chocolate. I give it a quick pass with the hand blender to smooth out the texture, then finish things with a generous layer of granola for much-loved crunch.
Why I love Chocolate Chia Pudding
I love this sort of thing – a bowl of something that feels indulgent, but is actually quite nourishing. Chia seeds bring fiber and omega-3s, Greek yogurt delivers a nice amount of protein, and the cacao powder shows up with deep chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. It’s filling, make-ahead friendly, and easy to adapt.
It also works for vegans, just swap in a non-dairy yogurt and you’re all set. As a savory breakfast person, I usually like this as an afternoon snack, but it also works just as well as a dessert.
Tips for Great Chocolate Chia Pudding
There are a couple things I’ve found that help here, especially if you don’t love the tapioca-like texture of puddings made with chia seeds:
- Use a hand blender. Use a hand blender rather than a food processor. A food processor tends to chase the chia seeds around the bowl, while a hand blender smooths everything quickly and evenly. A high-speed blender works as well, but the hand blender is faster and easier to clean.
- Fully hydrate the chia seeds. Chia seeds need time to fully plump up. Mix the chia and yogurt together, preferably the night before, then add the rest of the ingredients and give everything a quick pass with the hand blender.
- Splurge on good cacao powder. I like to raw, natural cacao powder here. The chocolate flavor is deep, direct, and intense, and since it’s the main flavor note in the pudding it’s worth sourcing a good one.
- Play with sweetness. Feel free to adjust the amount of maple syrup. I usually land somewhere between 2-3 tablespoons. The recipe calls for 3, but you can dial it back or swap in another natural sweetener if you like.
- Don’t skimp on the crunch. Clusters of crunchy granola are what really make this bowl for me – they add needed contrast to the pudding vibes. If granola isn’t your thing, try toasted nuts, toasted coconut, toasted pumpkin seeds, or freeze-dried berries. This peanut butter granola is really good with here, or if you want to double down on the chocolate, try this low oil and naturally sweetened granola.
More Chia Recipes
- Chia Breakfast Bowl
- Chia Pudding (with mango)
- Watermelon Raspberry Breakfast Bowl
- Glowy Beauty Bowl
- all Chia Seed Recipes
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