Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

This chocolate chia seed pudding recipe combines two of my favorite things, coffee and chocolate, to create a healthy breakfast that tastes like a decadent dessert. All you need is a few simple ingredients like chia seeds, cocoa powder, coffee, and maple syrup to whip it up at home – perfect for chocolate lovers!

Post Originally Published: January 2016; Updated January 2023

Chia pudding definitely isn’t a new recipe for my blog, but I haven’t yet created a chocolate version with two of my all time personal favorite foods – coffee and chocolate! It’s easy to see why chia pudding has become so popular. You can whip this chocolate chia pudding recipe up the night before you want it for breakfast in a matter of minutes.

Plus, chia seeds (yes – the chia pet ones!) are a good source of fiber, Omega-3 fat, and protein – so chia pudding is a great way to get in a bunch of extra nutrition! Make a big batch and you could have a healthy breakfast all ready to go for several days in a row.

Speaking of breakfast meal prep, here are a few other meal-prep friendly breakfasts I love: vegan protein overnight oats, carrot cake baked oatmeal, healthy pumpkin granola, and vegan breakfast cookies.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

A simple but delicious chia pudding perfect for satisfying that chocolate craving that can be served for either breakfast, healthy snack, or a healthy dessert!
Just 6 ingredients and one bowl. Waiting for it to firm up is the hardest part. This easy recipe is also a great option for meal prep since you can double/triple the batch and have a tasty breakfast option ready for several days.
This recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, and egg free.

Ingredients You’ll Need

chocolate chia seed pudding ingredients in small bowls with text overlay for each ingredient.

Chia seeds: the key ingredient for this pudding! Chia seeds are like little sponges and can absorb up to 3 times their weight in liquid to create that pudding-like texture.
Non-Dairy Milk: I prefer to use unsweetened, plain soy milk for my pudding since it is high in protein. However, you can use any plant-based milk such as almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: adds the rich chocolate flavor to this chia pudding.
Coffee: enhances the richness of the chocolate flavor. If you don’t like coffee, you can just use more milk.
Maple Syrup: I like to use pure maple syrup to sweeten this pudding. However, you could also use agave if you prefer. Granulated sugar or brown sugar would work too.
Sea salt: add just a pinch of sea salt to enhance the flavors in this chia pudding.

Step by Step

cocoa powder and hot coffee in a bowl with a whisk.

Step One: Combine the cocoa powder and hot coffee in a large bowl. Give it a good stir with a whisk until no clumps of cocoa powder remain.

chia seed pudding mixed together in a bowl before chilling.

Step Two: Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to remove any clumps. Transfer to an airtight container or small mason jars and refrigerate until thickened. (Stir occasionally during the first 5-10 minutes of chilling as the chia can clump a bit.)

Expert Tips

Bloom the cocoa powder: mixing together the hot coffee and cocoa powder to “bloom” the cocoa gives this chocolate chia pudding a more rich cocoa flavor. Some of the flavor compounds in the cocoa are enhanced by adding heat so it’s worth mixing the coffee and cocoa together first before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Chilling time: Although it’s easiest to chill the chia pudding overnight, I find that it usually set within a couple of hours of chilling (about 2 hours).
For smooth texture: Don’t like the lumpy, tapioca pudding texture of chia pudding? Simply add your chia pudding to a blender before chilling and puree until it reaches a silky smooth texture. This recipe blends best in a single serving smoothie cup. For best results, double or triple the recipe is you want to blend in a high-powered blender pitcher.

Is chia pudding healthy?

Chia seeds are a great source of plant-based omega 3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid). Although current research notes that the long-chain forms of omega-3 fatty acid (EPA and DHA) have a positive effect on heart disease, the ALA form may also have some benefits. The body is able to convert ALA to the other forms, but more research is needed to know if the amount converted from one from to another is sufficient to provide positive benefits for heart disease.

Chia seeds are also a good source of protein (2 tablespoons has 6 grams of protein) and fiber (2 tablespoons has 10 grams of fiber!), mainly soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is really good at absorbing water so that it forms a thick gel in the intestines to help soften stool, but also bind up cholesterol so that less is absorbed.

To learn more about the health benefits of chia seeds, check out my other post flaxseeds vs chia seeds: which is healthier?

Love chia pudding? Here are some of my other favorite recipes: blood orange chia seed pudding, mango chia pudding, strawberry rhubarb chia pudding, blueberry acai chia pudding, vanilla chia seed pudding.

chocolate chia seed pudding in a glass garnished with berries and chocolate shavings.

How to Serve Chocolate Chia Pudding

This healthy chocolate chia seed pudding needs only 5 ingredients and the toppings you choose to add are totally up to you. Here are a few of my favorite toppings:

Fruit: top with fresh fruit like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or banana. You could also use thawed frozen fruit as a topping.
Chocolate shavings or chocolate chips: lean into the chocolate flavor by adding some chocolate shavings or even chocolate chips to the top.
Cacao Nibs: if serving for breakfast and you don’t want to add chocolate shavings, you could also add a sprinkle of cacao nibs for flavor and a bit of crunch.
Granola: add some crunch to your chia pudding by topping it with some granola. This homemade vegan granola or this chocolate granola would be great options!
Nuts or Seeds: add chopped nuts for some texture as well as healthy fats. Try chopped peanuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds.
Nut Butter: creamy nut butters make a delicious addition to this chia pudding! I love some melty peanut butter or even a chocolate almond butter like the one from Justin’s.
Cookies: for an indulgent dessert, add some crumbled sandwich cookies on top of this pudding. (Oreos are accidentally vegan!)
Vegan Whipped Cream: add a dollop of vegan whipped cream to serve this chia pudding dessert style.

Recipe FAQs

What does chia pudding taste like?

Chia seeds have very little flavor on their own so chia pudding made with just chia seeds and milk will not taste like much. Add flavor with other ingredients like vanilla extract, cocoa powder, peanut butter, fruit, etc.

How long does chia pudding take to thicken?

Although it will be thickest when chilled overnight, chia pudding usually starts to thicken well within 1-2 hours of chilling. (So you can mix it up in the morning and have it as an afternoon snack the same day!)

What do I do if my chia pudding is too thin?

If your chia pudding is too thin, just add another teaspoon or two of chia seeds. Whisk them in and allow to chill for another 1-2 hours so they have time to thicken.

Looking for more healthy breakfast recipes? Here are some of my favorites!

Did you love this recipe? Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and tag #dietitiandebbie on instagram!