Chocolate Chia Pudding is a no-bake, easy-to-make superfood recipe that is filled with nutrients and loaded with fiber to help you feel full. Deliciously thick, creamy, and sweet, but tastes like a treat, this gluten-free and vegan pudding is a quick way to create a healthy breakfast or smart snack that’s deliciously decadent enough for dessert!
No-Bake Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding
With its smooth and creamy consistency, Chocolate Chia Pudding may taste like a cross between a tapioca pudding and a dark chocolate mousse, but because chia seeds are loaded with nutrients with scientifically proven health benefits, this recipe makes it perfectly acceptable to eat pudding for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.
I love adding a hint of citrus to this pudding for a bright and refreshing flavor that combines beautifully with the bitter cocoa powder that’s balanced with vanilla coconut milk and sweet honey–it’s deliciously nutritious.
It is so quick and easy to combine 5 simple ingredients and refrigerate them in mason jars or individual containers overnight before consuming for a ready-to-eat, grab-n-go treat when you are on the run. Filled with healthy fats, complex carbs, fiber, and plant protein, this Chocolate Chia Pudding is perfect on its own, but can also be a fun base for breakfast add-ins or a more sophisticated dessert.
Did you know that chia seeds expand 9 times in your stomach so you feel fuller longer from eating them? No-bake, no guilt, no reason not to try this Chocolate Chia Pudding! Even your kids will love this recipe!
Why We Love This Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare in 10 minutes.
- Great for a clean eating.
- Only uses 5 ingredients that are simply combined and chilled.
- Healthy, nutrient-dense recipe that tastes indulgently delicious.
- Creamy, chocolatey, and rich vegan, and gluten-free sweet treat.
- Loaded with antioxidants, plant-based protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber.
- Versatile recipe with countless flavor combinations so you can customize it according to your preferences.
- Great for meal-prep because it will stay fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Perfect for a nutritious breakfast, snack, or decadent dessert!
Ingredients
- Vanilla coconut milk: You can easily replace this with vanilla almond milk for another healthy choice, or use any other type of milk that you particularly enjoy.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder: Dutch pressed is darker and earthier than other cocoa powders, but feel free to use another type.
- Chia seeds
- Honey or agave: If you feel the need to add more sweetener, you can. This is a less sweet dessert with the cocoa powder, so people who don’t like dark chocolate may need extra sweetener.
- Orange juice: Lemon and Lime juice is an option as well. You can use either fresh juice, or juice from concentrate.
- Raspberries (optional garnish)
- Chocolate shavings (optional garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- Milk: This recipe will work with all types of dairy and dairy-free milks. Cashew milk, almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, and coconut milk are all non-dairy options with different flavors.
- Swap Your Sweetener: Instead of honey, you can use agave or pure maple syrup for other healthy sweetener options, or use granulated white sugar, brown sugar, or any other common sweeteners.
- Tasty Toppings: Feel free to add some toppings or mix-ins to your pudding, like cacao nibs, chocolate shavings, crushed nuts, mini chocolate chips, raspberries, blueberries, or coconut flakes.
Recommended Tools
- 4 ounce wide rim mason jars or other glass containers
- Measuring tools
- Whisk
- Medium bowl
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How to Make Chocolate Chia Pudding (1-2 Hours or Overnight Recipe)
Chocolate Chia Pudding is so quick and easy to prepare by simply whisking together your ingredients and letting them chill in the fridge for just a few hours or overnight. It’s the deliciously nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert that makes eating pudding feel like a healthy treat any time of day.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, cocoa powder, chia seeds, honey, and orange juice.
Pro-Tip: Use a whisk to stir the pudding. For some reason, the whisk does a better job of breaking up the chia seeds and makes sure the seeds get evenly coated with the liquid so that they can gel and expand.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 1-2.
- Serve and garnish with raspberries and chocolate shavings, optional.
Pro-Tip: You can serve your pudding in 4 ounce mason jars or other glass containers for easy, on-the-go eating! - Enjoy!
Tips
- If you have a runny chia pudding, you can always add more chia seeds to help it thicken up!
- If you don’t like the texture of chia seeds, you can blend the pudding to create a smooth consistency. Just add all of the ingredients to a blender, including the chia seeds, and blend until smooth.
Storage Tips
- To Store: These puddings are best if stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 4-5 days. You can eat it for a couple more days after that, but it won’t be as delicious.
- To Freeze: You can freeze this pudding for about 2 months, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator when ready to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chia pudding is a perfect option for meal prep and make-ahead breakfasts. Make a big batch and it will last for up to 7 days in the fridge, although it is best within 5 days of mixing.
This Chocolate Chia Pudding contains omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals, is a complete source of protein with all the essential amino acids, and has more fibre than flaxseed!
Cocoa powder has natural antioxidants, can help reduce blood pressure, can improve blood flow and decrease cholesterol, can promote calmness, and can aid with weight control. (SOURCE).
Chia seeds are very nutritious, contain many antioxidants, may help with weight loss, may decrease heart disease, and can help with blood sugar levels and be good for bones. (SOURCE)
Honey has many antioxidants, is better for blood sugar levels than regular sugar, can improve heart health, and helps with wounds and coughing. (SOURCE) Any honey that is highly processed will lose its nutritional benefits, so it’s important to get unprocessed honey whenever possible.
Coconut milk has a lot of nutrients like iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, manganese, selenium, and Vitamin C. It is lactose free, which is fortunate for a lot of people that can’t digest lactose, and can also help with cholesterol and reduce inflammation. (SOURCE)
Other Easy Healthy Snacks
- Healthy Breakfast Cookie
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Cloud Bread
- Stuffed Celery
- Fruit Popsicle Recipe
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Banana Chia Pudding
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla coconut milk
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 6 tbsp honey or agave
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- Raspberries, optional garnish
- Chocolate shavings, optional garnish
Instructions
- Combine the vanilla coconut milk, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, chia seeds, honey, and orange juice in a medium bowl and whisk together thoroughly.
- Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1-2 hours or overnight.
- Serve in 4 ounce mason jars or other glass containers with raspberries and chocolate shavings, optional.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: These puddings are best if stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 4-5 days. You can eat it for a couple more days after that, but it won’t be as delicious.
- To Freeze: You can freeze this pudding for about 2 months, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator when ready to eat.
- If you have a runny chia pudding, you can always add more chia seeds to help it thicken up!
- Use a whisk to stir the pudding. For some reason, the whisk does a better job of breaking up the chia seeds and makes sure the seeds get evenly coated with the liquid so that they can gel and expand.
- If you don’t like the texture of chia seeds, you can blend the pudding to create a smooth consistency. Just add all of the ingredients to a blender, including the chia seeds, and blend until smooth.
