Chocolate chia seed pudding recipe - THM S

Considering how often I make this chocolate chia seed pudding recipe for breakfast, it's surprising I haven't posted it here before now. Better late than never, right?

I love eating chia seed pudding for breakfast because it's delicious, filling and healthy. This recipe is vegan, dairy-free, sugar-free and gluten-free, so it pretty much suits any dietary requirement you can think of.

Chia seed pudding is full of healthful Omega 3 fatty acids from the chia seeds. As I'm sure you know, Omega 3 fatty acids are essential because we need them, but can't make them in our bodies. We have to get them from our diet. Not only are chia seeds an easy source of Omega 3 fatty acids, but they're also a good protein source with about 17 grams of protein per 100 grams. 

And then there's the magic x-factor of chia seeds. They absorb water and thicken whatever they're added to in a matter of minutes. This makes for a wonderful pudding-like texture that is satisfying to eat.

I like to throw all sorts of other healthful ingredients into my chia seed puddings, depending on what I have in my pantry at the time. Think, any random powder you've ever bought from a health food store, like maca or boabab powder. This pudding is a good place to incorporate them.

Also, don't be afraid to customise this chia seed pudding recipe to suit your taste buds. This is a very forgiving recipe. It's hard to screw it up. 

I've split the ingredients list into Base Ingredients and Extra Ingredients, so you can simply take the base recipe and add your own twist to it. Maybe you're a fan of strawberry or lemon flavours - see what you can find to create healthy and delicious versions of this recipe with those.


Base Ingredients

• 3Tbsp coconut cream from a can
• 150mls water 
• 3Tbsp chia seeds
• 1Tbsp Natvia (or other stevia-based sweetener)

Extra Ingredients

• 1.5Tbsp cocoa
• 1 scoop protein or collagen powder (vanilla, chocolate or plain)
• 1 tsp maca powder
• 1/4tsp cinnamon
• 1/2tsp vanilla extract
• 1Tbsp sugar-free peanut butter
• Frozen berries to top, eg. raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or blackberries

Method

1. The night before you want to eat this recipe (or up to three days before), mix the coconut cream with the water until smooth and incorporated. (Mix it directly in the bowl you're planning to eat it out of.) *As an alternative to coconut cream and water, you could use 200mls of any milk of your choice. 
2. Stir through the chia seeds until they're all coated in water.
3. Stir through the Natvia.
4. Add the cocoa, protein powder, cinnamon and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
5. Add the peanut butter and stir it through, but leave it a bit chunky so little pockets of peanut buttery deliciousness can surprise you.
6. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. 
7. In the morning, remove the cover and sprinkle the top of your chia seed pudding with frozen berries. 
8. Dig in and enjoy.

There you have it. My go-to, chocolate chia seed pudding recipe. This recipe would be considered a Trim Healthy Mama "S" meal.