What is Chocolate Chia Pudding?
Chocolate chia pudding is made with chia seeds as a thickener, instead of the usual starch and/or egg whites used in most puddings. Chia seeds thicken the pudding without cooking; you just let the mixture stand and the magic happens. Not only are chia seeds great for thickening liquids, they're also healthy and nutrient dense, full of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. These wonder seeds allow you to make a chocolate pudding that's vegan, uses your choice of plant-based milk, and you can add any sweetener that you prefer. That all adds up to a healthy treat you can enjoy without guilt.
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Ingredients for Chia Pudding
The Milk
Any non-dairy milk will work (or even a dairy milk if you're not vegan), but I like using coconut milk because it's very rich, and has a mild sweetness that allows you to cut back on the amount of sugar you need to add to the pudding.
The Sweetener
My original vegan chocolate chia pudding recipe used maple syrup as the sweetener, but lately, I've been using coconut sugar. Maple syrup gives the pudding a bit of a maple taste (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but coconut sugar lends a caramelized flavor that makes this taste a bit like malted milk. Given my affinity for anything with malted milk, the choice is a no-brainer.
As for the amount of sugar, coconut milk is naturally sweet, which is why I don't add a ton of sugar. This makes for a bitter-sweet chocolate pudding that has a grown-up taste. If you prefer something sweeter, feel free to add another tablespoon of sugar.
The Cocoa Powder
For most food products I prefer the ingredients to be as natural and unprocessed as possible, but chocolate is one of those foods that wouldn't be chocolate if it were not processed. Cocoa powder is made by fermenting, drying, and roasting the seeds of the cacao fruit. Then the oil is extracted from the seeds (which is cocoa butter), and the remaining pulp is ground into a powder. This is known as "natural" cocoa powder, and it has a reddish brown color and is slightly acidic.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder goes one step further and uses an alkali to balance the pH of the cocoa powder. This not only makes the cocoa powder less tart, it imparts a deep brown hue while making it taste more chocolatey. That's why I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this pudding.
For reference, the photo above is of a previous batch I made using the same amount of natural cocoa powder. The color and taste just aren't the same.
Cocoa, like coffee, has different flavors depending on where the cocoa comes from and how it was processed, so different brands tend to have different tastes. My personal favorite is Valrhona, and is what I used to make this recipe.
Chia Seeds
So far we have the makings of a really delicious plant-based chocolate milkshake, but it takes the addition of this magical ingredient to turn it into a pudding. Chia seeds are the seed of a plant in the mint family and are native to Central America. The seeds are hydrophilic (i.e., they love water), and can absorb 12 times their weight in water! That's because they contain a compound that forms a gel when soaked in water. This gel is what's able to thicken the pudding without adding any starch or eggs.
Most chia seed pudding recipes just have you mix the whole seeds in with the liquid ingredients, but I like to grind the seeds up for a couple of reasons. Not everyone loves the slimy texture of chia seeds, and by grinding them up into a powder, you can harness their ability to gel, without the mucilaginous texture. The second reason is that the gel coating on the whole seeds helps them slip right through your digestive tract intact. This means your body isn't able to absorb all the nutrients that this superfood has become famous for. Grinding them up allows your body to take advantage of all the fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals contained in every seed.
How to Make Chia Pudding
To get the creamiest chocolate chia pudding possible, I grind the seeds in a coffee grinder first. If you don't have a coffee grinder, you can spin the chia seeds in the blender before adding the other ingredients, but they don't get ground quite a finely as in a coffee grinder.
Then you just toss the ground chia seeds into a high-speed blender, along with the other ingredients. I use a Vitamix Vita Prep 3. It's the commercial model which has a powerful 3 horsepower motor, but the home models should work fine as the blades spin at the same rate. With blade speeds in excess of 22,000 RPM, these things will obliterate skin, seeds, and fibers, making smooth purees out of just about anything.
Serving Chocolate Chia Pudding
This vegan chocolate pudding is one of those unique desserts that gets better with age. When it's first made, it has the consistency of yogurt, which makes it perfect for saucing a banana and chocolate granola breakfast bowl.
Leave it in the fridge for a day, and it will thicken to the consistency of smooth chocolate pudding. This makes for an indulgent dessert on its own, but topping it with a dollop of whipped coconut cream takes it to the next level.
Finally, if you somehow manage not to eat all of it in the first two days, the pudding really sets up, giving it the texture of a mousse or pot de creme. The possibilities here are endless, and it would be great spread between layers of a cake, or it could be poured into a tart shell to make a chocolate cheesecake.
How would you eat this magical minute pudding? Let me know in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients
- 30 grams chia seeds (~3 tablespoons)
- 30 grams cocoa powder (~4 tablespoons)
- 30 grams coconut sugar (~3 tablespoons)
- 1 ⅔ cup coconut milk (1 can)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put the 30 grams chia seeds in a clean coffee grinder and grind into a powder.
- Add the ground chia seeds, 30 grams cocoa powder, 30 grams coconut sugar, 1 ⅔ cup coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into serving-size cups and refrigerate until set (at least 1 hour)
Kat says
Would love to make this with just my liquid chocolate protein shake and ground chia seeds. Since I would not add the other dry ingredients of 30 grams of cocoa powder and 30 grams of sugar, how much liquid shake do you think would be best to try? I was thinking maybe only 1 cup??
Marc Matsumoto says
I think you could keep the same liquid to chia ratio. It takes a little while for the pudding to set up, but if it doesn't gel, you can always add more chia.
Jan says
Loved the recipe. Didn’t have a grinder so I did as suggested and used a blender, then put it between layers of parchment paper and used a roller to crush down any more whole seeds. ( not perfect but it helped)
I also added a bit more sugar, and a couple drops of coffee flavoring. Made a great mocha pudding.
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Great idea adding some coffee flavor, I'm gonna have to try that next time!
D says
Love it, thank you for all of the wonderful recipes Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm happy to hear it. Thanks!
charlane says
Made with 2% milk and maple syrup for coconut sugar. The best chocolate chia seed pudding.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Charlane, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! This also works with other flavors like vanilla, or fresh fruit like raspberries, blueberry, or mango (you'll want to reduce the amount of coconut milk slightly).
Pamela says
For anyone starting out with pre-ground chia seeds, definitely weigh on a scale. One other thing I noticed, is that my pudding was slightly bitter, but that was masked by adding a little more sweetener and cocoa powder.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Pamela, good advice. The issue with volumetric measurements is that the amount can change based on the stuff like the shape of the spoon or the size of the granules. Weight is definitely more foolproof. As for the bitterness some chia seeds can have a bit of bitterness, so I'm glad you were able to work around it by adding more sweetener and cocoa powder!
Kay says
Extreme constipation from the pudding. Never had that issue in my life. Read seeds swell and cause blockages. Wish I knew this. One of the worst experiences of my life. I only used two tablespoons.
birdie says
Did you grind the seeds first? If you don't mill your seeds or use preground, you really need to let them sit overnight to fully hydrate.
Ursula says
Made this with half whipping cream and half milk and the extra tablespoon of sugar, and turned out lovely. Was ready to eat in about 5 minutes, maybe my Chia seeds are extra strong!
Marc says
Hi Ursula, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Jackie says
Really love this one thank you
Marc says
You're welcome Jackie, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Jan says
What a great recipe! We had it for Valentines Day dessert. I think next time I will add just a little bit more sugar if I am making it for dessert. But it is amazing how decadent it tasted and it's all made from healthy ingredients!
Thank you for posting this. Definitely a keeper!
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this Jan! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I kept the amount of sugar down to keep it healthier, but it's definitely flexible!
Lynn Hoogenboom says
I've refrigerated the pudding overnight, and it has not set. What I have is cocoa soup. Any explanation? (I used Navitas organic chia powder for the chia. But I can't see how that would make a difference.)
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Lynn, sorry to hear it didn't work out. Chia powder should work, but did you weigh it or measure it with spoons? The reason why I ask is because 3 tablespoons of chia seeds does not equal 3 tablespoons of chia powder. Powdered chia is more fluffy and will fill more spoons, this is why I generally recommend using weight measures (30 grams of chia seeds is equal to 30 grams of chia powder). The other possibility is that your blender doesn't spin fast enough to fully break down the chia powder (the mixture should not be gritty). Either way, you should be able to get it to thicken by adding more chia powder and blending it again.
Lynn Hoogenboom says
I measured it (3 tablespoons; I don't own a scale that measures grams), so that may be the explanation. The other possibility is that I didn't put it through a blender, since the chia seeds were already well-ground. But it sounds as if you think it was necessary.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Lynn, that's most likely what happened. The seeds fluff up when you grind it into a powder so you're going to need to increase the volume if you're using pre-ground seeds. The better options would be to use the unit conversion function in the recipe card which will convert grams to ounces so you can use weight measurements with your scale. As for the blender, it's required. Powdered chia seeds are more like a meal than a flour (I suspect grinding it too fine releases the oils in the seeds making it cake up), to get the smooth texture, and to take full advantage of the thickening powder of chia, it needs to be blended in a high speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec.
Marietta Shadel says
Is that 1 and 2/3 Cup, or 2/3 Cup of milk?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Marietta, it's 1 cup plus 2/3 cup of coconut milk.
Daiana says
Amazing recipe!! Love it 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Daiana, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Lana says
What a wonderful idea for a delicious yet nutritious dessert recipe including ground chia seeds! It is so important to grind up the chia in order to absorb the omega 3 and other good stuff. I was just wondering how long this pudding lasts in the fridge? 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Lana! I haven't tried to keep it until it spoils so it's hard to say, but we usually have it around for a few days in the fridge.
Diane says
I do not have whole chia seeds in my pantry, but I do have ground chia seeds. How much would you add if using already ground chia seeds? Thank you
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Diane, volumetric measurements change when you grind things (which is why it's a bad way to measure anything other than liquids), but mass measurements won't change. So 30 grams of whole chia seeds, is equal to 30 grams of ground chia seeds.
Diane says
Thank you
Vivy says
Love it, I didn’t know the chia seed could be turn into powder. Excellent idea!!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Vivy, whether you use them whole, or ground into a powder, chia seeds make for a great room temperature gelling agent. I also use chia seed powder to thicken my salad dressings without adding any oil (just be careful not to add too much or it will get too thick to pour).