Raw Chocolate Chia Pudding
Comments Sep 26, 2011 | Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Raw Food, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian
I love this yummy, guilt-free treat, and I hope you do too. If you like chocolate and you’re cool with the texture of tapioca pudding, then I think you’re about to get hooked!
Raw chocolate chia pudding is packed with omega fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants (raw cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than any other food tested to date). It’s so healthy and tasty that I call it “the dessert you can eat for breakfast” 
It doesn’t get much better than that, right? Seriously, though, I’ve only eaten this for breakfast once or twice (really!), but it’s a great snack and a terrific dessert for those days you just need something sweet.
Ingredients (for a smallish bowl for 2):
- 3 TBSP chia seeds
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk)*
- 1-1/2 TBSP raw cacao
- 1-3 tsp maple syrup
- ground cinnamon, a dash (to taste) OR vanilla extract (to taste)
Ingredients (if you’re ready to make a big bowl to share):
- 3/4 cup chia seeds
- 2 cups almond milk (or milk)*
- 3 TBSP raw cacao
- ~2 TBSP maple syrup
- ground cinnamon (to taste) OR vanilla extract (to taste)
And Here’s What You Do: Simple. Just combine all ingredients in a bowl. I think it helps to whisk it until the cacao is mixed in thoroughly, but you can just use a fork. Set aside in the fridge for ~30 minutes. If you think of it, stir once or twice while it’s setting (not a big deal if you forget — just stir it when the 30 minutes are up). *Optional: If you want a super creamy treat, you can replace ~1/4 – 1/3 of the liquid (i.e., almond milk) with coconut milk. Yum! When you first mix the ingredients, they won’t look anything like pudding (it’ll be pretty soupy), but chia seeds are hydrophillic (they draw in water) and so they will swell up during the 30-minute setting time, thickening the pudding and creating a tapioca-like texture.
