Sugar-free Chocolate Chia Pudding (Vegan & Keto)

This decadent keto chocolate chia pudding is rich and delicious, plus it's vegan, dairy-free, and sugar-free. It's so healthy, you can have a rich dessert-like treat for breakfast anytime!

Plus, you only need five ingredients to make this!

Who doesn’t love Chocolate Pudding? I loved it as as a child: either the yumminess that came out of those small white boxed mixes or even the small snack packs. But those ingredients—yuck!

I'm older now (much!), and while I still love chocolate pudding, I needed to find a recipe for my family that fit our lower-carb healthy eating lifestyle. Sugar-laden boxed mixes just don't belong in my kitchen anymore.

While I hope to develop a traditional style keto chocolate pudding soon, this chocolate chia pudding really fits the bill for the rich chocolatey goodness that I love.

What Makes Us Love Chocolate So Much?

Chocolate makes everyone happy: myself included. One bite (or several!) can totally turn your mood around.

There's actually a scientific reason for the warm and fuzzy feelings you get from indulging in chocolate. Chocolate contains psychoactive components (notably tryptophan and phenylethylamine) that trigger endorphins and serotonin in the brain. So it literally makes us feel good! 

There's nothing wrong with wanting to feel good, but this pudding can get you all the good feels without all the sugar and carbs.

Why You'll Love This Keto Chocolate Chia Pudding

There are lots of ways to love this chia pudding. It's

• fast
• budget-friendly (have you seen the price of those boxed pudding mixes?!)
• nutritious and
• delicious

In facIt's nutritious partially because you can make it without sugar but also because its main ingredient is—chia!

Chia is an amazing nutritional powerhouse that you really should get to know.

Benefits of Chia

Chia seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin A, calcium, protein, and more.

Just 2 tablespoons of chia makes the medicine go (er–ahem) has:

• 4 grams of complete protein
• 4.5 grams of omega 3 oils
• 5.5 grams fiber
• 9% RDA calcium
• 7% RDA iron (source)

In fact, just 3 tablespoons of chia seeds have 233 mg of calcium, almost as much as a glass of milk (299 mg)!

And it's super filling. And these are just the nutritional basics of chia. Believe me when I tell you that chia has been underrated over the last twenty-five years.

No longer is chia the focus of late-night commercials for goofy house plants (think ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-……..I better not finish that because on this bag of ground chia, it says that lawyers have said not to finish the song, so I won't either!)

Chia is now a superfood we’ve only just begun to take advantage of!

Ingredients Needed

Only five ingredients needed:

• coconut milk (or any dairy-free alternative like almond milk or cashew milk)
• chia seeds (white or black)
• cocoa powder (carob can also be used, but you'll want to reduce the sweetener a bit)
• low-carb sweetener (or other sweetener, as desired. 1/8 teaspoon of stevia extract is another good option, or use 1/4 cup low-carb sweetener and 1/16 teaspoon stevia)
• vanilla extract
• salt (optional)

Equipment Needed

Blender / Food Processor

While you can use a standard blender, a high-powered blender like a Vitamix is preferred for a truly ultra-smooth texture.

If you don't have a higher-end blender, you can still mimic that silky smooth pudding mouth feel by buying ground chia or grinding your chia really well before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.

Grinder

You can grind chia in a coffee grinder (this is the one that I have) for a finer powder or you can use your food processor or a standard blender. Just make sure that whatever container you use is dry before grinding or you'll have chia mash stuck to the container.

Jars

Of course you can use whatever you like, but if you like the jars in the photos, here is where to get them.

How to Make Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Here are two ways to make this pudding:

For Typical Chia Pudding

Add all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

Stir until well-combined.

Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Stir again and put in serving bowls, topping as desired.

For Blended Chia Pudding

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Process thoroughly until well-blended.

Add more sweetener to taste, and more dairy-free milk if your mixture is too thick.

Spoon the pudding into serving bowls or a storage container (preferably glass.)

When serving, add toppings like coconut shreds, chopped nuts (preferably soaked), regular or coconut whipped cream, berries, cocoa nibs, or store bought or Homemade Sugar-free Chocolate Chips.

Here's what a blended chocolate chia pudding looks like:

More Chia Pudding Recipes

Chia pudding is so easy and nutritious (and filling), I think you'll love serving it often. Here are some other great recipes to try:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding: a fun parfait-like treat.
• Pumpkin Chia Pudding: like pumpkin pie in pudding form.
• Mixed Berry Chia Pudding: make this with double, triple, or quadruple berries.
• Blueberry Chia Pudding: a single-berry chia pudding with great flavor.

Recipe Notes, FAQs, and Substitutions

Do I Have to Use a Vitamix to Make Blended Chia Pudding?

Not necessarily, but you could overheat some blenders / food processors if your mixture is too thick.  My Vitamix handles it easily. Use whatever you like, but take care not to overwork your machine.

Can You Eat Chocolate on a Keto or Low-Carb Diet?

It's not easy to enjoy chocolate on a keto or low-carb diet since most chocolate is full of sugar and carbs. The good news is that if you’re fond of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher), you can typically have a bite of chocolate, and still stay on plan, but if you want more than a bite, you need something different.

That's where a dessert like this chocolate chia pudding comes in. With just a few ingredient swaps and some creativity you can totally indulge.

This keto-friendly chocolate pudding is so lusciously rich and satisfying you’ll never know it's keto!

How Long Does Chia Pudding Last in the fridge?

Chia pudding has a shelf-life in the refrigerator of up to 5 days. Just make sure to store any leftovers in an air-tight container.

Can You Freeze Chia Pudding?

Yes! Chia pudding is perfect for freezing. Store in individual serving-size containers in the fridge and pop one out to thaw whenever you feel like you need a chocolatey dessert–or remove from the freezer the night before for an easy breakfast on the go!

Can You Make Warm Chia Pudding?

If you prefer to serve your chia pudding warm (I've never had it this way, but yes it's a thing), simply transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat on medium-low heat until the desired temperature is reached. Just be sure to stir to avoid overheating since it's a thick mixture that's likely to burn. You may need to add a splash of your preferred milk if it becomes too thick. 

Where to Buy Chia

You can easily find chia seeds in your local health food store, possibly at your local grocery store, or online. Nutiva is a great brand and this brand is a great value.

Special Diet Options

• THM: This recipe will fit in as an “S” for those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
• AIP: Since chia is a seed, this recipe can't be AIP. However, if you are on AIP reintro, or you can handle seeds, then you can use chia and try it with carob and an AIP friendly sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.

This chia pudding is great easy healthy recipe that's big on taste and easy on the budget too!

Oh, one last very important tip: My family wolfed down all of my taste-testing versions in a flash, so you might want to make at least a double or triple batch!