Vegan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Recipe

Having a hard time finding time to make breakfast? You're not alone — many Americans rush out the door without eating or grab an unhealthy pre-packaged item at a coffee shop. But there's a delicious and nutritious breakfast just waiting to be made at night so it's ready to grab as you head out the door in the morning. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for vegan chocolate chia seed pudding and says, "Whether you eat vegan or not, this chocolate chia pudding is so rich and creamy that you will fall in love with breakfast all over again. Chia seeds are a great source of plant-based protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and magnesium. When added to liquid they expand and thicken and provide a satisfying and filling meal. They're even handy to have in the fridge when you need a little something sweet after dinner."

To make this recipe, we'll need some soy milk or another type of plant-based milk. "I have made this with all types of plant-based milks and it will work fine with any of them," Hahn shares. Then we'll need some chia seeds, cacao powder, maple syrup, and cinnamon. "If you have old chia seeds laying around you'll want to discard those and get some new fresh ones. If they are not fresh, they won't expand and that is a key thing we're looking for in this recipe," Hahn explains. "Also," Hahn goes on to say, "you can use cocoa powder instead of cacao. It's a little more processed, so you'll get more health benefits with cacao if that's what you're going for." For topping your creamy creation, you may want to pick up some fresh strawberries, blueberries, vegan chocolate chips, slivered almonds, or coconut whipped cream.

Our first step is to pull out your container of choice and pour in the milk and chia seeds. "You can use a wide mouth mason jar for this or a glass Tupperware container. Just make sure it has a lid and you have a jar big enough so you have room to add toppings. That way you can dump in a few extras, put on the lid, and head out the door," Hahn shares. Go ahead and stir the chia seeds and the soy milk making sure that any clumps that form are broken down. If you have a leak proof lid on your container you can shake the jar to do the stirring for you.

Once the milk and chia are combined, add the cacao powder and stir well with a whisk to get it good and blended. Then add the maple syrup and stir again.

Now we just need to secure the lid and place the jar in the fridge. "Even though we often call this an overnight breakfast, it really only takes an hour at most for the chia seeds to do their thing and firm up. Have fun adding toppings or eat it as is. Once made this chia pudding will last well in your fridge for up to two weeks (if you have used plant-based milk) and if you make several jars full, that makes for lots of smooth mornings ahead. In fact you may have so much extra time, you may want to whip up this oat milk chai latte.