Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe (High Fiber + Vegan!)

This chocolate chia pudding recipe is equal parts delicious and nutritious. It combines chia seeds with almond milk, cocoa powder, and some sweetener to give you a whopping 10 grams of fiber and 5 grams of plant-based protein.

Why You’ll Love This

I’ll admit that chia pudding isn’t my first thought when I think of a sweet treat or even a meal. If there was ever a recipe to challenge that though, this chocolate chia pudding recipe is absolutely it!

This chocolate chia seed pudding recipe is both delicious and packed with nutrition. Thanks to the chia seeds, it’s a great source of fiber with an impressive 10 grams of fiber per serving. Most Americans don’t get nearly enough fiber on a daily basis. This chocolate chia pudding recipe is a delicious way to ensure you get enough fiber! Fiber is crucial for stable blood sugar levels, gut health, and heart health. 

Chia seeds also provide a good amount of calcium, magnesium, iron, and omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are healthy fats that can help lower inflammation, androgen levels, and improve insulin resistance – all important for those of us with PCOS or insulin resistance!

Did I mention this is delicious too? Substituting this chocolate chia pudding recipe instead of a candy bar is a smart way to handle that mid-afternoon chocolate craving. You don’t need to sacrifice taste for your health. 

Since you really need to let this recipe sit for at least 4 hours (or ideally overnight) in the refrigerator, it’s perfect for meal prep. Make a double batch and enjoy this chocolate chia pudding recipe all week as either part of a healthy breakfast or as a mid-day snack. 

Chocolate Chia Pudding Ingredients

This chocolate chia pudding recipe uses simple ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need to make it. 

• Chia seeds – these tiny seeds are the star ingredient of this recipe. They pack a lot of great nutrients, fiber, and plant-based protein into them. 

• Almond milk – you’re going to need a liquid to soak the chia seeds in. I love using unsweetened almond milk because it’s light and refreshing. You can easily substitute your milk of choice. Cow’s milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or cashew milk would all work well here. I’d just be sure to either choose an unsweetened milk or adjust the honey in this recipe.

• Cocoa powder – I choose an unsweetened cocoa powder because I like to be in control of adding how much sweetener I want to. You can also use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder – they’re both going to give you that rich chocolate flavor you want!

• Honey – I’ve made this recipe several times with both honey or maple syrup and they both work extremely well! You could also substitute your preferred sweetener of choice. 

• Vanilla extract – vanilla adds another flavor dimension and compliments the natural sweetness of the cocoa powder and honey. 

• Cinnamon – I love sneaking cinnamon into any recipe I can! This warm spice actually has some impressive health benefits such as its ability to lower blood sugar levels.

• Salt – you’ll just need a little bit of salt…a pinch of salt to be more precise.

How To Make Chocolate Chia Pudding

This best part: this is an incredibly easy recipe to make! 

First, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Let it sit for 5 minutes then stir it all together again. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Divide the mixture between two bowls or mason jars. 

Chia pudding is usually consumed cold. Add your favorite toppings such as fresh berries, chopped nuts, almond butter, peanut butter, chocolate shavings, or dark chocolate chips. Enjoy!

How To Store

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days until ready to eat. 

Tips, Variations, and Substitutions

• Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to make it a spicy chocolate chia pudding
• Use coconut milk and add unsweetened coconut flakes to make it a chocolate coconut chia pudding
• Add ½ cup greek yogurt to make it creamier and higher protein (if not dairy-free)
• Add your favorite toppings such as fresh fruit like fresh raspberries or medjool dates, Greek yogurt, dairy-free yogurt, a drizzle of nut butter, chopped nuts, pepitas, cacao nibs, or dark chocolate chips
• Use your preferred milk of choice instead of almond milk
• If your chia pudding is too thick, add more liquid to create a thinner consistency. Alternately, if your chia pudding seems too liquidy or soupy, add some more chia seeds and wait 30 minutes. If it’s then too thick, add more milk and stir.
• Swap cacao powder in place of cocoa powder
• Add a scoop of protein powder or unflavored collagen peptides to the mixture for extra protein. If you’re using traditional protein powder, you may need to increase the amount of liquid you’re using. I’d recommend mixing the protein powder in with milk before adding chia seeds.
• If you don’t like the texture of chia pudding, you can blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender to get a smooth pudding-like texture.
• Enjoy it as part of a healthy breakfast with these cottage cheese egg bites or as a sweet snack in the afternoon or evening.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

Creamy Chia Pudding with Greek Yogurt

High Protein Chocolate Pudding

Healthy Brownie Batter Dip

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

If you make this Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and review at the end of this blog post. This is incredibly helpful to me, my small business, and to other readers!