Saturday, January 09, 2016

Experimenting with a 'good for you' chocolate pudding

Back in the summer of 2014 I had an opportunity to learn first-hand how chia seeds will swell up and thicken any liquids into which they are poured. They are high in protein, and an excellent way to thicken your shakes and smoothies, or to make puddings. They have other nutritional benefits. A one ounce (28 grams) serving (two tablespoons) of chia seeds contains: 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fat (5 g of which are Omega-3). They're also packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

When I was drinking freshly squeezed vegetable juices, my diabetic partner at the time would add chia seeds to our drinks so that she'd get the extra protein she needed. It's really a good thing, hence the name Superfood in this recipe.

Chocolate Chia Seed Superfood Pudding

Chocolate chia pudding
Ingredients:
  • 1¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond or coconut)
  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder
  • Dash of pink Himalayan sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon organic raw honey
  • Dark chocolate shavings for garnish
Instructions:
  1. Add all of the ingredients to a large glass jar with a lid, give it a quick stir, then put the lid on.
  2. Shake it like crazy to mix it all up.
  3. Refrigerate until very thick and pudding-like, at least 4 hours or overnight, shaking or stirring occasionally.
  4. Serve the pudding chilled with whatever topping you’d like.
Other optional toppings: crystallized ginger, goji berries, nut butter, coconut, fresh citrus, bananas, nuts, pomegranate seeds, whipped coconut cream.

2 comments:

Chris said...

If it's easier, you can substitute a 13.5 oz can of coconut milk and a cup of water for the almond milk. Just blend it until smooth before mixing to avoid little lumps of coconut fat. Of course, you can use stevia instead of raw honey if you prefer.

Unknown said...

Have you tried this pudding yet? I have packets and packets of chia seeds in my cupboard but not got round to trying them. I buy the seeds when I'm abroad because they're so so expensive here in SG.