Chocolate Chia Oats Pudding

As much as I like variety in my diet, I could eat this chocolate chia oats pudding every single day of my life… It can be breakfast, dessert or anytime snack. It takes 5 minutes to put together, a tad of patience to let it rest, and a bit of self-control not to eat the whole recipe in one sitting.

I have played a lot with the ratio of ingredients until I came up with the perfect combination for ultimate texture and flavor. Of course, taste is personal, and you can make this pudding thicker or thinner by adjusting the amount of milk or adding a bit more chia or oats. You can adjust the sweetness by playing with the amount of maple syrup. Make it the way you like it, but I stand behind these exact proportions. It’s a guaranteed winner.

The ingredients

Raw cacao powder

A word about raw cacao powder. It is not the same as cocoa powder. I know, it’s tricky… Raw cacao powder is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. This process retains the living enzymes and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa powder looks the same but it’s not. Cocoa powder is raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures. Sadly, roasting changes the molecular structure of the cacao bean, reducing the enzyme content, and lowering the overall nutritional value. Raw cacao powder contains more fiber, calories and antioxidants than cocoa powder since more of the nutrients from the whole bean are still intact. Dutch processed cocoa powder is yet another variety that is even more processed using an alkalized solution to make it less acidic and richer in taste. Bottom line: if you want maximum nutrients make sure you buy raw cacao powder!

Chia seeds 

Chia seeds are a little powerhouse of nutrients: protein, fiber and Omega 3. They are a great addition to anyone’s diet.

Oats

Rolled oats, or old fashioned oats, work best here. You could try this recipe with steel cut oats but they would require a longer soaking time to soften up. You could use quick oats; they are just cut finer and will result in a mushier texture.

Milk

I like to use plain unsweetened almond milk in this pudding. My store carries the brand Simply Almonds, which I like a lot. You can of course use any other plant milk or dairy milk you like. I am also a big fan of plain unsweetened soymilk. There is a lot of debate out there about which milk is better for the environment, but the reality is more research is needed on the subject. All plant milks have their own pros and cons, and all of them are ultra-processed foods, no matter how you look at them. Keep in mind that the nutrition facts below will vary depending on the milk you use.

Maple syrup

Maple syrup of course should be real maple syrup, not a chemical experiment posing as syrup. It is one of the natural sweeteners that contain a few vitamins and minerals and is therefore preferred to refined sugar or brown sugar.

Vanilla

I would put vanilla in every recipe if I could as I love it so much. Here it really enhances the flavor of the cacao though. Seriously. Use a pure and real extract, by all means. Not that lab-produced look-alike. I have been a big fan of Nielsen-Massey for years and keep a 32 oz bottle in my pantry…

How to make chocolate chia oats pudding

All you have to do is measure everything directly into a 4 cup storage container with an airtight lid.

Mix. Wait. Savor.

Now, the waiting part is important! It takes about 12 hours for the chia seeds and oats to absorb the liquid, and the pudding will even continue to thicken for another 12 hours.

This will keep well for a week in your refrigerator. It won’t last that long, though, I promise!

Top with fruit or nuts if you’d like, and enjoy!

Other recipes you may like:

Overnight oats

Healthy Muesli

Healthy oatmeal raisin cookies

Chocolate nice cream

Pumpkin oat and chia pudding