This chocolate chia pudding is made with just a handful of ingredients, but it’s so satisfying and delicious. With 9 grams of protein and over 15 grams of fiber, it keeps me full all morning long.
I’ll be honest, it took me a while to get on board with chia seed pudding, but this chocolate version totally changed my mind. It’s the ultimate make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings, and it tastes so good, it feels like you’re having dessert for breakfast! I really do look forward to it.
You can serve this chia pudding just as it is (like in our photos), or you can blend it up for a super smooth texture! If you’re not sure about the texture of chia seeds, definitely give the blended version a try. I think it might just win you over!
Key Ingredients
- Chia Seeds: These little black seeds are a nutritional powerhouse, with their fiber content being my absolute favorite benefit. My perfect chia pudding ratio is 3 tablespoons of chia seeds to 1 cup of liquid. If you prefer a thicker pudding, you can easily increase it to 4 tablespoons of seeds.
- Milk or Plant-Based Milk: The type of milk you choose for your chia pudding is entirely up to you. I love using my homemade oat milk when I have it on hand. Almond milk, coconut milk, and cashew milk are also excellent options, and for an added protein boost, soy milk is a great choice.
- Cocoa Powder: I always reach for unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder for this recipe, then I sweeten the mixture with a small amount of maple syrup to taste.
- Maple Syrup: I love how easily maple syrup blends into the milk, but I’ve also had great results with honey or agave nectar.
- Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Salt: Since chia seeds don’t have much flavor on their own, we love adding vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Extras: As you can see from our photos, you can add berries, sliced bananas, toasted coconut, nut butter (like homemade peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter), chopped nuts, and more. It’s also really good with this berry salad and a spoonful of whipped coconut cream!
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Tip 1: Make the chocolate milk first. To make perfect chocolate chia pudding, whisk together the milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and spices, then mix in the chia seeds. This allows you to remove any lumps from the cocoa and mix the sweetener throughout before adding the chia seeds.
Tip 2: Overnight is best, but 4 hours will do. For the thickest chia pudding, I like leaving it in the fridge overnight. That said, it should be thick enough after 4 hours if you’d like to enjoy it sooner. If you can, go into the fridge once or twice and stir the chia pudding a few times during the first few hours to make sure all the seeds are well mixed with the chocolate milk.
Tip 3: Serve as is or blend it. Our photos show the pudding’s consistency after it has been in the fridge overnight. The chia seeds get much larger, and the milk around them is more like a pudding than a liquid. If you are not a fan of chia seeds, transfer your pudding to a blender and blend until thick and smooth (you can also blend the mixture before refrigerating, see our tips below the recipe).
Tip 4: Add extras to taste. I love berries with my chia pudding and almost always add a spoonful of peanut butter for extra protein. Feel free to experiment with toppings!
More Make-Ahead Breakfasts
Chocolate Chia Pudding
- PREP
- TOTAL
This is my favorite chia pudding with cocoa powder, a little maple syrup, and creamy non-dairy milk. You will love this healthy treat that’s perfect for breakfast or dessert. It is healthy, vegan (when you use non-dairy milk), and gluten-free.
You Will Need
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, like almond or coconut milk (236 ml)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, or more to taste, if your milk is sweetened, use less
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons chia seeds (28 g)
Berries, sliced bananas, toasted coconut, or chopped nuts for topping, optional
Directions
1Make chocolate milk: In a small mason jar or bowl, whisk together the milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Taste, and then adjust with more cocoa or maple syrup to your liking.
2Add the chia seeds: Stir in the chia seeds. Let them sit for 1 minute, then stir again to make sure they’re well mixed and don’t clump together at the bottom.
3Refrigerate: Cover the jar or bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until the chia seeds have fully gelled and absorbed the liquid. For the most even results, stir the pudding once or twice while it sets.
4To serve: Before digging in, stir the pudding a few times to break up any potential clumps of chia seeds. Top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy! (See tips below for blended chia pudding.)
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store chia pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Before serving, I like to give it a good stir and top it with some extras, such as berries or sliced bananas.
- Thicker chia seed pudding: I like the consistency when using 3 tablespoons of chia seeds, but for an even thicker pudding, add 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon more chia seeds.
- Blended chia seed pudding: You can blend it before or after the pudding has set. To blend before refrigerating, add all the ingredients to a blender and blend on high speed until very smooth. Pour into a jar and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. To blend after, scrape the thickened pudding into a blender and blend until it reaches the consistency of chocolate pudding. Then, scrape it back into a bowl or jar and enjoy!
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
This chocolate chia pudding looks absolutely delicious—can’t wait to try it as a healthy breakfast that feels like dessert!
Had this for breakfast today with fresh blackberrys and coconut. It was good. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for another great recipe!
You are so welcome! 🙂
This is perfect! Tastes better than what I would have expected. I am going to have to make this every day. I love plain chia seed water as well.
Yay! We are thrilled you loved it 🙂