Who says healthy isn’t tasty! This chocolate pudding has all the rich flavor with none of the fattening ingredients. And no cooking required.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds aren’t just for mini-topiaries anymore. This fantastic seed is full of fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. It goes in smoothies, breads and other baked goods, and thickens whatever it is added to (it’s the fiber). In other words, chia was made for pudding!
Homemade Pudding
I am a Luddite who has always made pudding from scratch. The purchased kind comes with too much sugar, too many preservatives, and too little flavor for my liking. As a teacher in the early 1990’s, I had my students make pudding while studying food science. After all, they were much more invested if they got to eat their experiments!
But cooking pudding takes time. And it doesn’t work if the day is too humid; you can stir for hours and it won’t thicken. While homemade pudding is healthier than packaged pudding, no one would ever call it health food. Which is why it’s a little crazy that I now start my day with a bowl of pudding. Crazier still – I eat this pudding to keep my blood sugar under control. No, it’s not old-fashioned pudding, it’s chia pudding.
As you can see in the chart below, chia pudding has few calories, less fat, more fiber and much less sugar than regular pudding. This version is vegan and requires no cooking time, just a rest period in the refrigerator.
Tasty Pudding Tips
- Use the highest quality baking cocoa you can find. I use Double Dutch Dark Cocoa from King Arthur Flour.
- Use any unsweetened milk. I prefer almond or macadamia nut milk, but you could use coconut milk or even regular milk.
- A little goes a long way. Because it is so full of fiber, chia pudding will fill you up quickly. Don’t be tempted to eat a cup of it at a time. I start my day with about ¼ cup of pudding plus toppings, although the nutrition facts below are based on a standard ½ cup serving.
- Top your chocolate chia pudding with fresh or frozen strawberries or raspberries, sliced banana, chopped nuts, whipped cream, flaked coconut, or chopped cherries.
- Chia pudding is a good way to sample some of your homemade jam specialties too. Try topping it with a spoonful of marmalade or orange curd, cherry or raspberry jam.
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir well. Alternatively, add all ingredients to a blender and mix for a few seconds or to a large jar and shake well.
- Pour mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Stir before serving.
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