One of my joys in life is finding a deliciously chocolate dessert for myself that I can indulge in guilt free because it is vegan! It feels like I’m cheating on my lifestyle when I take that first bite, but then I remember that it is totally safe 🙂

Let’s talk chia. To me, chia is  a super-food, but I’m not entirely sure if it’s technically classified as one. The word “chia” is the ancient Mayan word for “strength.” If that doesn’t scream super-food then I don’t know what else would!! Chia contains large amounts of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, essential minerals and antioxidants.

So why wouldn’t you want to cook with it??

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Let’s get started!

There are many things you can add to this recipe, and two different ways you can make it.

*You can sweeten your pudding with either dates, or maple syrup. If you choose dates then you should blend your whole pudding instead of mixing it by hand like you would if you used maple syrup. 

I am choosing to make my pudding without dates, even though I have them pictured above.

First combine all ingredients in a bowl, except your maple syrup.
You will want whisk your mixture vigorously, but be careful because it can easily splash.

*I added 1tsp of vanilla extract 

Next, add the maple syrup one tablespoon at a time, adding as much as you desire.

I ended up only adding 3tbsp of maple syrup because I really love the bitter aftertaste.

The word “chia” is the ancient Mayan word for “strength.”

Whisk in your maple syrup. 

*I added crushed strawberries to my mixture
*If you decided to use dates, blend them in at the end.
*I garnished my pudding with raspberries, blackberries, and dark chocolate shavings, feel free to garnish as you please. My husband would also have loved to have some whipped cream on there, but unfortunately I forgot to pick some up for him!

Once blended/whisked, place in freezer overnight, or 3-5 hours.
Keep in the freezer until it has the consistency of pudding. This will stay good in your fridge for one week, but is best served fresh!

 

Ingredients;

1. 1.5 cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk
2. 1/3 cup Chia seeds
3. 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
4. 2-5 tbsp maple syrup (or 5-9 dates, pitted)
5. 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon –optional
6. 1/4 tsp sea salt
7. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract –optional