Cocoa Chia Pudding
We all love chia pudding in our household - or correction, have learned to love it. That last part is meant for my husband who has a lukewarm relationship with it, but Edie and I have always been all in. I've made several different variations of this pudding, both with chocolate flavored soy milk, almond milk and also a version where you add the raw cocoa yourself. If you don't have a huge sweet tooth, you'll probably like the latter version, and your kiddo will too - although it will depend on how much she/he can tolerate. Mine happens to be an equal opportunity chia eater, and I've seen her polish off an adult size portion in minutes.
Cocoa Flavored Chia Pudding (serves 3)
Prep time - 5 minutes. No cooking time. Resting time - overnight.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of unsweetened almond milk (or soy milk) - alternatively, you can use chocolate flavored almond milk
1/3 cup of chia
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
2 tbs of maple syrup or other sweetener
Directions:
Add all ingredients together except for the maple syrup. Whisk until fully incorporated and add in the maple syrup at the end, according to your preference. You can also top with almonds, sliced banana, craisins or whatever you like. Put in individual containers (ramekins) in the fridge and let sit over night.
Kid wins:
- It's fun to say... - Chia! Mama laughs when I chant it with her, "chhhiiiahhh!"
- Messy - Kind of like a smoothie but softer, chia is fun to eat!
- Treat - Even though mama says it's healthy, chia tastes so good - and, I always want more of it.
Grown-up wins:
- Prepare ahead of time - This is a dish you can leave overnight and have ready first thing in the morning. So convenient!
- Creative - You can get creative by embellishing the chia pudding with your toppings of choice. They can be as healthy or as decadent as you like.
- Healthy - I love that this simple dish packs a lot of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
