Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding – The richest and creamiest!

This Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding is crazy thick and creamy and has a decadently rich and intense chocolate flavor. Yet, it’s loaded with wholesome ingredients and is actually good for you! Oh, and did I tell you it was stupid easy to make? I think I’m in love…

A quick search on Google will probably yield hundreds of results for Chocolate Chia Pudding. So why on earth would I want to add another one on top of that pile? (or well, probably at the very bottom, but hey…)

Quite simply because I like to rethink and reinvent recipes… And while there are indeed hundreds of variations on this very subject, I think that no two are the same, and none uses the ingredients that I chose to use…

Quite frankly, this combination resulted in the richest, creamiest, dreamiest chocolate chia pudding that I’ve ever eaten. It’s so heavenly, there is simply no way that while eating it, you may ever imagine, let alone realize, that this actually is healthy and good for you.

But really, it is… so much so that you could totally have it as a snack, or even as part of breakfast…

It’s most fantastic as a dessert, though, if you ask me. And one that’s so easy to whip up, you’ll want to make it all the time…

So what exactly what ingredients go into the making of this chocolate chia pudding?

Only a few simple, wholesome ingredients, most of which you probably have in your pantry, and that you can easily swap if you don’t…

• Chia Seeds — These are a given… sorry, no substitution possible here. They are the actual magic ingredient that will make it all happen and transform that syrupy chocolate mixture into a thick, rich and creamy pudding.
• Non-Dairy Milk — I used my new favorite, cashew milk, but feel free to use your own personal favorite, as they all work perfectly well for this.
• Date Paste — It truly is the ultimate best sweetener for this dessert! It adds much depth, sweetness and richness to the flavor while doing a great deal of good for the overall thickness and creaminess of the pudding. I strongly recommend whipping up a batch if you don’t have any on hand.
• Cacao Powder —  Use the best quality raw cacao powder that you can get your hands on. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder will also do, but it’s a bit more processed than the raw cacao powder. As for the Dutch Processed variety, while it will give your pudding a milder, sweeter flavor and a deeper color, I’m not of fan of the alkalizing process that it undergoes, so I steer clear. Instead, I add a little bit of carob powder…
• Carob powder — This super food will add a little bit of sweetness and richness to the chocolate flavor, as well as deepen the color of your pudding. If you didn’t have any on hand, simply replace it with more cacao powder.
• Pure Maple Syrup — Will make your pudding just a tad sweeter. Feel free to sub your favorite sweetener… and to add more or less, to taste.
• Pure Vanilla Extract —  Adds a very distinct aroma that is said to set and enhance the flavor of any and all sweet dishes. A must add!
• Pure Almond Extract — Confers a mysterious hint of nutty sweetness to the pudding. Substitute your favorite extracts or essential oils to slightly — or completely — modify the flavor profile of your pudding. Try coffee, mint, orange, raspberries, black licorice, lemon… let your imagination run wild!
• Salt — Acts as a flavor enhancer. By all means, don’t leave it out!

Alright, now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, let’s get going. This will only take a few minutes!

In a large mixing bowl, combine the date paste, cacao powder, carob powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt. Mix with a whisk or large spoon (the spoon might be a better option, honestly…) until evenly combined and a thick paste forms.

Now add about 1/2 cup of the milk…

Whisk delicately until the mixture becomes smooth and completely free of lumps, which should take about 30 seconds.

See how incredibly rich and chocolate-y this looks? My, my… Try not to eat this all by the spoonful, alright?

Add the rest of the milk as well as the chia seeds and mix until well combined.

The mixture will be really thin at this point and will look absolutely nothing like pudding. You’ll probably even doubt that this pudding thing is ever going to happen. But trust me, it will… resist the urge to add more chia seeds or anything to make the mixture thicker at this point.

However, if you notice that your chia seeds aren’t starting to gel and thicken after 15 to 20 minutes, you probably have dud chia seeds on your hands. This sometimes happen when your chia seeds have been sitting in the pantry for too long. If that’s the case, you’ll need to get a fresh bag of chia seeds if you’re hoping to make puddings, but you can still use the dud seeds to sprinkle on your cereal, or for any other purpose that doesn’t require them to gel.

Cover that bowl and refrigerate your pudding overnight, or at least 8 hours, giving it a quick stir from time to time, as you watch the magic unfold… See? I told you this pudding thing would happen!

Once your chia pudding has reached the desired consistency, divide it between 4 to 6 bowls and garnish it with chopped pistachios and goji berries, or your own choice of nuts and dried fruits, and serve.

Any leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 3-4 days.

That’s if you manage to keep them that long, and not get up in the middle of the night to indulge…

Source: Food - thehealthyfoodie.com