Chocolate Chia Pudding

Name: Chocolate Chia Pudding
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 245 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup chia seeds; 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 ½ cups almond or coconut milk (vanilla-flavored is fine); 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Optional toppings: sliced bananas (chocolate chips, coconut flakes, berries, toasted almonds)

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I love how rich, creamy, and satisfying this Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding recipe turned out. It is made with only 5 simple and pantry staple ingredients and takes just about 5 minutes to put together. Perfect to serve as dessert, breakfast, or a snack.

top view chia pudding in a jar topped with fruits

If you’ve never made chia pudding then you are in for a nice treat. It is the simplest recipe to put together and can take anywhere between 3-6 ingredients to make it depending on what you have in mind. They are very easy to make and you can get as creative as you like! This Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe is one of our favorite recipes because of how rich and creamy it is. You will love how smooth, delicious, and satisfying this chia seed pudding is. Especially if you love chocolate 🍫. Have it for breakfast, snack, dessert, or a late-night snack, and you will be happy that there won’t be any guilt.

Why you will love this chia pudding

Simple and easy: You need a handful of simple pantry staple ingredients to make this chia pudding and it takes no longer than 5 minutes to put it together and just refrigerate.
Versatile: You can top it with any of your favorite fruits, enjoy it as is, or serve with granola.
Tasty: you will want to have this chia pudding all the time after you try it out. Rich, creamy, and delicious.

chocolate chia pudding in a jar topped with berries and a gold spoon in the jar

Ingredients you will need

Chia seeds: use your favorite brand
Unsweetened cocoa powder: You can use normal or dark cocoa powder.
Milk: you may use almond or coconut milk, vanilla-flavored is fine. I used almond milk
Sweetener: honey, maple syrup, or agave.
Vanilla extract
Optional toppings: sliced bananas, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, berries, toasted almonds

ingredients to make chocolate chia pudding

How to make it

In a medium bowl add the cocoa powder and chia seeds and then mix.
Using a separate bowl, add the almond milk, honey or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix these ingredients together.

Pour the liquid milk mixture into the other bowl that has the chia seeds and cocoa powder. Whisk well until you get a smooth consistency and no clumps.

chia seed and cocoa powder mixed in with the milk n a clear bowl

Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours for the chia seeds to form the pudding-like texture.
Serve the chia pudding in individual cups and top with your favorite toppings
Note: if you would like to store them in individual servings, after step 3 please the bowl in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, remove, whisk again, and pour the thick liquid chia mixture into individual serving jars or containers and store them back in the fridge for 3-4 hours or until it’s thickened. Then serve and enjoy.

two jars of chocolate chia pudding topped with berries

frequently asked questions

When should you eat chia pudding?

Once the chia pudding is mixed, it will be a bit watery. You have to store it in the fridge or let it just sit for at least 3-4 hours to thicken up into a pudding-like texture. Once it is thick enough, you can serve it with your favorite toppings. Chia seed pudding can be enjoyed any time of the day as a breakfast, mid-day snack, breakfast, or dessert.

Are you supposed to chew chia seeds or just swallow them?

Chia seeds are best served soaked or incorporated into recipes like chia pudding, salads, salad dressings, overnight oats, and baking. Many ways to incorporate it into your diet. But we feel like you do not need to chew chia seeds and they can be swallowed without chewing. They are tiny enough and do not need to stress over chewing them first. Unless you plan on just putting a tablespoon of chia seeds in your mouth then you would need to do some chewing.

Do you need to soak chia seeds before eating?

NO. Chia seeds can be added over smoothie bowls, oatmeals, salads, and so on. In those cases, they do not need to be soaked. It all depends on what you are making. The quick answer is no. You do not need to soak chia seeds before eating.

top view chia pudding in a jar topped with berries

More recipes with chia seeds

Notes and tips

You may use dark cocoa powder but it might be a bit more intense and darker in color.
Allow the chia pudding to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
Toppings can be anything from fruits to nuts or not anything at all.
Any milk will do: use your favorite like 2%, while milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk.
We used honey, but you can use maple syrup or agave.
If you do not like the texture of chia pudding you can blend it a bit befor allowing it to set.
Vegan option: use dairy-free milk like almond, cashew, or coconut milk. As for the sweetener, use maple syrup or agave.

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close up top view of chocolate chia pudding

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