Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

This may be the most beautiful recipe I’ve shot yet! And it’s not because of my mad photography skills – all the credit goes to the food and it’s natural beauty?? Not to mention, this chia seed pudding allows me to consume chocolate in breakfast form. Now I just gotta work on lunch and dinner.

I’ve made this recipe a handful of times since photographing it and I love it because it’s so simple to make. Simple is good since I’m one of those people that wakes up and refuses to talk or make contact with anyone until I’ve had coffee and breakfast + a substantial amount of time to process the fact that it’s morning and I’m awake. So basically, I’m delightful. ?

However, I can’t take credit for this masterful recipe you are about to read. I adapted it from the Minimalist Baker and I used the word “adapted” loosely because I pretty much just changed the sweetener and added chocolate sauce.

The star of this show is obviously the chia seeds. They are native to South America and were consumed by the Aztecs and Mayans because they provided sustainable energy. Chia seeds are high in fiber, protein, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids.

For this recipe, all you do is mix the following ingredients together in a large bowl:

• 1 & 1/2 cups rice milk (or any non-dairy milk)
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar

The cocoa powder will be clumpy, but continue stirring and it will dissolve. Stir or whisk for a couple of minutes until you have a smooth mixture. Cover and keep in the fridge overnight (recommended) or for a few hours until it gains a pudding like consistency.

I poured some of the pudding into a nice sized glass, followed by a layer of fresh raspberries, then the rest of the pudding until it filled the glass. I topped with a few more berries, a drizzle of vegan chocolate sauce (melted coconut oil and cocoa powder) and a sprig of mint. This makes one portion. You can sub the coconut sugar for maple syrup or vegan honey.

Enjoy this tasty, easy to make recipe packed full of nutrients. You’ll love it if you’re a morning person, and if you’re not (like yours truly), you’ll love the zero effort needed to pull this dish out of the fridge and eat immediately. Even better, double the recipe and have your breakfast for the following day, too. Thank you breakfast gods ??

Jillian ♥