Chocolate Chia Pudding

By: Leah Lizarondo Shannon, Chief Veghacker, The Brazen Kitchen

Its that time of year! My oven starts to take a break and I get more and more into un-cooking. I also like to spend more time outdoors so “quick and easy” are paramount. And I would like to share with you one of my family’s favorite spring/summer dessert: Chocolate Chia Pudding! Chock-full of good fat, protein and yummy, creamy chocolate! My kids saw Giada DiLaurentiis on TV when we were in a waiting room somewhere and they wanted to do their own cooking show, so….here it is!

Yes, its the same Ch-ch-ch-chia pet that you grew up with (food grade though!). Its a potent seed from the plant Salvia Hispanica. And according to Dr. Andrew Weil, “In pre-Columbian times they were a main component of the Aztec and Mayan diets and were the basic survival ration of Aztec warriors. I’ve read that one tablespoon was believed to sustain an individual for 24 hours.”

So consider sprinkling it in your kids’ morning cereal (I do). It transforms what I consider a relatively nutritionally bereft breakfast (often lacking in fiber, protein and has way too much sugar) into something that will actually sustain your kids not only through to lunch but the whole day! I also put it in my morning smoothies.

I like it better than flax because it has a much milder flavor as well. “Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don’t deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Another advantage: when added to water and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, chia forms a gel. Researchers suggest that this reaction also takes place in the stomach, slowing the process by which digestive enzymes break down carbohydrates and convert them into sugar.”

Hence this dessert. This is a perfect dessert, and a great option for diabetics. Again, desserts typically don’t have protein nor much fiber. This puts ooomph in your chocolate pudding. And I think the texture is fun, kind of like miniature tapioca.

So enjoy this recipe and start experimenting!

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Serves 4

1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 T maple syrup
1 T cocoa powder
1 t vanilla (optional)

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate until it sets (about an hour). Enjoy!

Leah Shannon is Chief Veghacker at The Brazen Kitchen where she blogs about food and food policy. She also holds wildly healthy cooking classes at Wild Red’s Farm in Stanton Heights. Her blog is at The Brazen Kitchen and you can follow her on Twitter @brazenkitchen.