Can I just say, I think chia seeds are an amazing food? Put them in a liquid and they create a thick gel all on their own! In fact, chia seeds can absorb up to 10x their weight in water which is perfect for creating puddings and jams. Since they don’t have much flavor, chia seeds can be easily adapted in a lot of different recipes. Over the weekend, I was craving chia pudding, but didn’t want to make my usual vanilla variety with fruit topping. So, I decided to put the fruit in the pudding. I divided the recipe in half and flavored one with fresh strawberries and the other with some cocoa powder, because we all know chocolate and strawberries are a match made in heaven!
Curious about all the hype surrounding chia seeds? Here are a few reasons why they are so healthy:
- Chia seeds, like most seeds, are packed with protein. Incorporate them into your diet by sprinkling on granola or salads and blending in smoothies for a little extra protein.
- Chia seeds are great for your GI tract as they add bulk and soften stool. Just 2 tablespoons provides 10 grams of fiber.
- Chia seeds are a good source of heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
Feel free to substitute a non-dairy milk in this recipe to make it vegan. This pudding is one of those foods that’s healthy enough to eat for breakfast, but sweet enough to serve as a dessert too. If you are looking to impress Mom with brunch, this chia pudding is perfect because it is incredibly easy to make and looks gorgeous served in a glass with additional strawberries and a bit of coconut.
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This delicious layered chocolate and strawberry chia pudding works as a healthy breakfast or elegant dessert –> you decide!
Ingredients
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk (lite or full-fat both work!)
- 1/4 cup almond milk (OR dairy milk OR any plant-based milk)
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 6 strawberries, halved
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, almond milk, chia seeds, and maple syrup.
- Halve the mixture. (Each half should be about 1 cup.)
- Place one half of the mixture into the blender. Pour strawberries into the blender as well. Puree until smooth and place in a tupperware container and chill for about 1 hour.
- Place the other half of the chia mixture into the blender and add the cocoa powder. Blend until smooth and place in a tupperware container to chill for about 1 hour.
- Once chia pudding is chilled, spoon half the chocolate and half the strawberry mixture into a serving dish. Top with additional strawberries, coconut, or chocolate chips.
- Repeat for the last half of the mixture in a second dish. Serve chilled.
Jessica's Dinner Party says
May 12, 2014 at 8:15 amChocolate, strawberries, coconut, and chia seeds! My favorite ingredients all wrapped up in one. Yum!!
Hannah says
May 17, 2014 at 6:04 pmLooks delicious! At what point do I add the chia seeds? Before or after blending? Thanks:)
DietitianDebbie says
May 17, 2014 at 6:28 pmBefore. 🙂 Thanks so much for catching that Hannah!
Emma says
May 17, 2014 at 9:44 pmThis looks so wonderful! I adore coconut cream. Way to kick up a chia pudding 😀
Andrea says
May 18, 2014 at 11:16 pmThe coconut cream is different from canned coconut milk, right? I have trouble finding the cream, where do you get it?! This looks great.
DietitianDebbie says
May 18, 2014 at 11:28 pmGreat question, Andrea! There is actually a slight difference between coconut cream and coconut milk. The milk has a bit less fat – but could work equally well in this recipe. I usually buy coconut cream from either Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, but I am sure other stores carry it as well. For a more detailed description of the difference between coconut milk and cream, check out this helpful post from The Kitchn. 🙂 http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-coconut-m-75446
Jeanne says
May 8, 2017 at 5:48 pmIn the ingredient list you have “1 – 13.5 ounce can coconut milk”. Did you mean coconut cream?
Dietitian Debbie says
May 8, 2017 at 11:56 pmNo, I used canned coconut milk for the recipe. You want it to be a liquid so that the chia seeds can absorb it to make the pudding. The canned coconut cream is usually a solid so it wouldn’t work very well in this recipe.
Jeanne says
May 9, 2017 at 1:10 amIn the instructions, you say to combine the coconut cream, milk etc. Where do we get the coconut cream?
Dietitian Debbie says
May 9, 2017 at 1:22 amSorry! That was a typo. The directions should say coconut milk, milk, etc. I’ve updated them. Thanks for pointing it out!
Kim says
October 23, 2018 at 5:45 pmDebbie;
Hi,your layered chocolate strawberry chia seed looks so good and tasty and i am going to make it at my house after i buy the ingredients.I am a type 2 diabetic so i can’t have maple syrup or honey in your recipe.Can i use liquid stevia or agave in your recipe?i love chocolate and strawberries together in puddings.How long will this pudding last in the frigerator?I am going to make some of your delicious recipes at home over several weeks because there are a lot of recipes on your website that i want to make starting with your pudding.
Kim
Dietitian Debbie says
October 25, 2018 at 12:47 amHi Kim,
Yes! You can definitely use stevia or agave in place of the maple syrup, you just want to adjust how much you add since you’ll likely need less of those than maple syrup. Usually the pudding lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator after making. Hope that helps! 🙂