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Healthy Chocolate & Ginger Chia Pudding (Vegan)

April 12, 2019

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy

This easy chia seed pudding pairs cacao with ginger to create a truly irresistible flavour! Not only is it rich enough to pass as a tasty desert, it’s also packed full of nutrition and fibre to keep you full throughout the day. Make it with coconut milk or almond milk – your choice!

3 glass jars of blended chocolate ginger chia pudding topped with nuts and coconut flakes

I love when a recipe feels decadent enough to be dessert, yet it’s healthy enough to eat for breakfast. This blended chocolate ginger chia pudding is just that!

I felt inspired to combine chocolate and ginger together after recently trying one of Four Sigmatic’s mushroom blends.

There’s just something SO good about this combination, with ginger giving the perfect kick of spice to chocolate’s bitterness.

This vegan chia pudding recipe is meant to be made in advance – it’s a perfect option to include in your weekly breakfast or snack meal prep! I hope you love it at much as I do.

Recipe Ingredients Needed

All you need to make this chocolate ginger chia seed pudding are 5 simple, healthy ingredients!

  • chia seeds
  • raw cacao powder
  • ground ginger
  • pure maple syrup
  • milk of choice (e.g. almond milk or coconut milk)

If you need help choosing a plant-based milk, I have a whole post about cow’s milk alternatives that breaks down the nutrition benefits of each variety!

Topping Ideas

Feel free to get creative with toppings, too! Some of my favourites include:

  • chopped nuts
  • coconut flakes
  • cacao nibs
  • granola
bird's eye view of glass jars with chocolate ginger chia pudding topped with coconut flakes and pecans

Tips For Making Chia Seed Pudding

You need to allow at least 2 hours for the chia seeds to soak in the liquid. This causes the chia seeds to swell up and create a “gel,” which is what gives this a pudding-like texture. You CANNOT skip this step!

Chia pudding is best enjoyed chilled – keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it!

Feel free to make a larger batch of chia pudding to keep in the fridge for the week! Simply adjust ingredients to suit your needs – for every 1 cup of milk, you will need 1/4 cup of chia seeds.

If you find that the pudding is too runny for your liking – simply add a few more chia seeds. If it’s too thick – add a splash more milk.

Add toppings just before serving, otherwise they risk getting soggy.

Why Blend Chia Pudding?

If you’re someone who doesn’t love the texture of traditional chia pudding, you might enjoy it blended.

Blended chia pudding has a much smoother, more traditional pudding texture (you can see from the pictures that there’s no visible chia seeds here).

That said – blending is NOT necessary. If you don’t mind the texture of regular chia pudding, then feel free to skip this step!

Looking for a high-quality blender? This Vitamix is my favourite. I’ve used it almost everyday for 5+ years!

3 glass jars of blended chocolate ginger chia pudding topped with nuts and coconut flakes on wooden board

Chia Pudding Nutrition Benefits

You guys know I love my chia pudding, and for good reason! Not only is it delicious, but it’s packed with nutrition and health benefits, such as:

Fiber: there are 10 grams of fiber in 2 Tbsp of chia seeds, which is about 40% of your daily fiber needs.

The soluble fiber in chia allows the tiny seed to absorb about 10 times it’s weight in water. Soluble fiber is what creates that gel-like texture of chia pudding.

This expanded gel in your stomach slows digestion and absorption of nutrients, which is why chia seeds can play a role in satiety, lowering blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, and regulating your digestion.

Omega-3s: chia seeds are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids (ALA). Omega-3s play a role in heart health, brain health, and in reducing inflammation throughout the body.

Protein: 2 Tbsps of chia seeds provide 4 grams of quality plant-protein. Protein provides the building blocks for your body’s tissues, and also helps to slow digestion and keep you full.

Minerals: chia seeds are a great source of minerals like:

  • magnesium
  • calcium
  • iron
  • 2 Tbsps of chia seeds provide 23%, 17%, and 12% of your daily needs, respectively
Close up bird's eye view of blended chocolate ginger chia pudding in glass jar with spoon

Cacao & Ginger Health Benefits

For chocolate, I love using raw cacao powder, which is rich in nutrients like magnesium, iron and flavonoids (antioxidants).

Raw cacao powder is not the same as your standard chocolate milk powder; it has no added sugars and is cold-pressed, meaning its nutrition is preserved during processing.

I’ve linked my favourite brand here – it’s a staple in my pantry!

Ginger is a warming spice that is known to help alleviate digestive distress like nausea, morning sickness, and feelings of an upset stomach.

Ginger contains both anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidant properties, which collectively can help reduce risk for chronic and inflammatory conditions.

More Chia Pudding Recipes

  • Chocolate Banana Chia Seed Pudding
  • Key Lime Pie Chia Pudding
  • Coconut Chia Pudding With Honey & Lime
  • Maple Kefir Chia Pudding
  • Blended Raspberry Chia Pudding

Did you give this Blended Chocolate Ginger Chia Pudding Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

3 glass jars of blended chocolate ginger chia pudding topped with nuts and coconut flakes
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Healthy Chocolate & Ginger Chia Pudding (Vegan)

This delicious chia pudding is rich in fiber, omega-3s, and antioxidants! Nutritious, but good enough to eat for dessert? Yes, please!
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword breakfast, chia pudding, chocolate, dessert, gluten free, snack, vegan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Refrigerate 2 hours
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 3 servings
Author Carrie Walder

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 4 Tbsp raw cacao powder
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 cups milk of choice (e.g. almond or coconut milk)
  • Optional toppings: nuts, coconut flakes, cacao nibs, granola, etc.

Instructions

  • Add chia seeds, cacao powder, and ginger to a large bowl or jar. Mix ingredients together before adding milk and maple syrup.
  • Mix wet and dry ingredients well, then cover and keep in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours until mixture has solidified.
  • Remove from fridge and add mixture to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth (~1 minute).
  • Serve and add topping as desired. Best enjoyed cold!

Notes

*NOTE: Blending is OPTIONAL! If you don’t mind the texture of traditional chia pudding, feel free to skip this step! If you prefer something smoother, then you might enjoy it blended 🙂
*TIPS:
  • You need to allow at least 2 hours for the chia seeds to soak in the liquid. This causes the chia seeds to swell up and create a “gel,” which is what gives this a pudding-like texture. You CANNOT skip this step!
  • Chia pudding is best enjoyed chilled – keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it!
  • If you find that the pudding is too runny for your liking – simply add a few more chia seeds. If it’s too thick – add a splash more milk.
  • Add toppings just before serving, otherwise they risk getting soggy.
  • Recipe keeps well in the fridge for a few days – feel free to make a larger batch! For every 1 cup of milk, you will need 1/4 cup of chia seeds. 
Did you make this recipe?Be sure to tag @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!

Pin it for later:

Blended chocolate ginger chia pudding in a glass jar with spoon pinterest graphic

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy

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10 Comments
Filed Under: Breakfasts, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Meal Prep, Recipes, Snacks & Sweets, Vegan, Vegetarian
Tagged With: chia seeds, nuts

Comments

  1. Laura says

    April 13, 2019 at 8:23 am

    This looks absolutely amazing! I’m interested in making it! Do you have a nutritional list for each recipe? Cal, carb,fat,etc?

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      April 15, 2019 at 1:02 pm

      Hi Laura,

      Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it 🙂

      I try not to calculate the exact nutrition or calories of any of my recipes; rather I just focus on high-quality, nutrient-dense ingredients. If you’re interested in having a nutrition breakdown, feel free to enter the recipe here (just be sure to divide by number of servings!) – https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator

      Reply
  2. Cather says

    April 19, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    Made these but the coNsistency was almost gummy. I think you need to eat right away. I put in fridge for a out 2hours while making rest of meal

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      April 19, 2019 at 1:27 pm

      Hi! Hmm I’m not sure what you mean by gummy. It’s supposed to be a thick pudding-like texture (which is a little gummy?). If you were to eat this right away it won’t thicken at all as the chia seeds need to sit in the milk to absorb the liquid! If you found it too thick, then perhaps a little more milk is the answer!

      Reply
  3. Adina says

    September 2, 2019 at 11:41 am

    Hi! I love this, is there any way you could substitute the maple syrup for something else?

    Reply
    • Carrie Walder says

      September 2, 2019 at 11:52 am

      Hi Adina,

      Thanks so much!! You can totally swap the maple syrup for any sweetener that you like! While it may affect the flavour a little, it shouldn’t affect the texture too much 🙂

      Reply
  4. Charlene says

    September 7, 2019 at 9:29 am

    I have a little fresh grated ginger in my fridge. Could i SUBSTitute that for the ground ginger? If so, how much would I use? Thanks! Recipe sounds yummy!

    Reply
    • Carrie Walder says

      September 9, 2019 at 8:57 am

      Hi Charlene,

      Thanks so much! I haven’t tried the recipe with grated ginger myself, but I think it should work! It seems that the recommended amount for substitutions is 1 Tbsp of fresh ginger for every 1/4 tsp of ground ginger. In my opinion, that may be a bit strong for this recipe (I find the flavour of fresh ginger much more powerful)! I would maybe start with a smaller amount (e.g. 1 tsp) and taste test, and then adjust from there 🙂

      Reply
  5. Liane @ foodiedigital says

    January 26, 2020 at 1:32 pm

    5 stars
    it isn’t easy to find a good-tasting, healthy alternative to ice cream to offer my kids after dinner once and in while. thank you for this recipe, my kids loved trying something new!

    Reply
    • Carrie Walder says

      January 27, 2020 at 10:59 am

      Hi Liane,

      So happy to hear that your kids enjoyed this one!! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply

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About Me

Hi, I’m Carrie Walder, MS, RD! I’m a Registered Dietitian in both Canada and the United States. Here, and on my Instagram (@walderwellness), I share ways to add more whole foods into your everyday life in a simple, realistic, and nutritionally balanced way. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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