Super Creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding

My husband and I love pudding, but we can't handle all the dairy. So, I was super excited when I started to see chia seed pudding start to trend all over Pinterest.

Here's my adaptation of the recipe for Chia Pudding via Chocolate Covered Katie. I was just going to make her version, then I realized I was out of almond milk. I realized I had cashews and yogurt on hand, so I got creative.

Here's what I came up with. My version is vegan, but you could use regular milk and yogurt if you aren't vegan. I give you several choices on ingredients and amounts so you can tailor it to suit you. I love to play with my food to make it fit my taste, and I encourage you to do the same!

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Milk Yogurt Alternative but you could use regular plain yogurt if you aren't vegan)
  • 1 cup cashew milk (Or, use whatever milk you have on hand. See my Tips and tricks section below the recipe for a note on using milk other than cashew. Cashew milk how-to: Blend 1 cup cashews with 2 cups water in a high speed blender like a Vitamix or Magic Bullet until smooth. Don't have a high speed blender? Use a regular blender, but soak the cashews in some water for a couple of hours prior to making.)
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter (add a bit more for a more "peanutty" taste)
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut sugar (Amount depends on how sweet you like your desserts. If you use regular sugar, I'd stick with 1 tablespoon, as it tends to be a bit sweeter than coconut sugar).
  • 1 tablespoon chocolate chips

How-to:

  1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl (or I use a glass mason jar) and mix very well.
  2. Allow to chill in the fridge for 1-3 hours. The longer you let it chill, the bigger the chia seeds will swell. Bigger chia seeds=thicker pudding.
  3. Eat and enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? Leave me a comment below! I love to hear how people made my recipes their own! Or, post it to social media and tag it #carolynsdailydishes

Tips and Tricks:

  • If you use a milk other than the cashew milk, I recommend letting the pudding sit for 2-3 hours You'll be able to eat it at the one hour mark, but it will be on the thin side. Cashew milk tends to have a very creamy and thicker consistency, so that 's why I liked it for this recipe.
  • Chocolate Covered Katie had a great tip on her site. She said if you don't like the consistency of the pudding after it's chilled (it'll have a bit of a "bumpy" texture from the seeds), you can blend it in a blender (after the chilling process) to smooth it out. In my experience, you may need to add a tiny bit more milk to the pudding if you chose to do this.
  • Don't like peanut butter? Use another nut butter instead OR remove the nut butter completely. I added it only for flavor. Try adding some vanilla or almond extract instead of the nut butter. If you omit the nut butters, you could also omit the cocoa and add in fruit. See how many versions you can come up with!
  • If you make the cashew milk, you'll have some leftovers. It tastes great as a coffee creamer! I also used it as a cream base for a white pizza I made recently.)
  • I love my Vitamix! I bought a refurbished model and it's done wonderful things for me in my kitchen. It's worth the investment. If you click the link to the one on this page (see below) and purchase it, I'll receive a tiny bit of the proceeds from Amazon.
  • Consider making any purchases using the links I have posted on my website so I can keep the free content flowing!
  • I also love my Magic Bullet. I bought mine new and have used it for so many things, I've lost count!
  • Consider adding more chia seeds to your diet. They are easy to digest and full of nutrients. Check out this article about chia seeds and their benefits via Dr. Axe.
Food and Photography by Carolyn J. Braden

Food and Photography by Carolyn J. Braden