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Creamy, hearty, and filling, this Coffee and Chocolate Chia Pudding is a healthy make-ahead breakfast or snack that tastes a bit decadent! With a bit of caffeine to wake you up and all the nutritional benefits of chia seeds, this is an awesome start to the day. It’s vegan and paleo-friendly, too!
Espresso Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Who wouldn’t want a healthy and filling grab-and-go breakfast that actually tastes like dessert?! This Coffee and Chocolate Chia Pudding is simple to make yet so darn good!
If you don’t know what chia seed pudding is, you are definitely going to want to read this. Chia seed pudding is simply chia seeds that are thickened with a milk of choice until they’ve thickened up. This recipe calls for blending them up, too, which makes it a bit more pudding-like. I love chia seeds because of their nutritional value, and the texture is really good too!
Ingredients Needed
- Chia Seeds
- Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- Brewed Coffee or Espresso
- Maple Syrup
- Collagen Peptides or Protein Powder (optional)
- Chocolate Chips or Cacao Nibs
Substitutions
Here are some common substitution questions answered:
Chia Seeds: Both white and black whole chia seeds work here
Milk: I recommend unsweetened vanilla almond milk here, but feel free to use whatever milk works for you.
Coffee: Want to skip the coffee? Replace with an equal amount of your milk-of-choice.
Collagen: I recommend Vital Protein Collagen Peptides, but feel free to use whatever you like, or even protein powder. It can also be omitted.
Sweetener: You can use equal portions of honey, or coconut sugar to sweeten this recipe. We don’t recommend leaving out the sweetener, but you can if you want.
Let’s Talk About Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are Paleo-friendly and nutrient-dense. They’re easy to digest and can even aid in digestion by helping this move along! They also contain omega-3’s, which means they’re not only good for your body but also good for your brain!
Benefits of Chia Seeds:
- Loaded with iron, calcium, omega 3′s, magnesium, and antioxidants
- They have tons of minerals
- Natural detoxifier
- Improves the health of hair, skin, and nails
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (the serving in this recipe) contain 11g fiber and 4g protein
How to Store Chia Pudding
Chia pudding will last for a few days in the refrigerator, up to about 5.
The recipe itself is made for two servings, but it can easily be halved, doubled, or tripled for an easy grab and go breakfast or healthy snack. Store in individual containers that you can easily grab as you need them.
If you like this healthy make-ahead breakfast, check out these others:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats (Gluten-Free)
- Golden Milk Latte Overnight Oats (with Collagen!)
- Bananas Foster Chia Pudding [Video]
- 30 Smoothie Freezer Packs (Budget-Friendly)
Coffee and Chocolate Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or coconut milk
- 1/4 cup freshly brewed strong coffee or espresso
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup more to taste
- 1 tablespoon collagen peptides or protein powder optional
- 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs
- Additional cacao nibs/chocolate chips for garnish
Instructions
- Mix together chia seeds, almond milk, coffee, maple syrup and collagen peptides in a small bowl. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and add in 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add in a splash more milk if needed.
- Divide into two cups or small bowls and top with the remainder of chocolate chips and serve cold!
I make something similar but use chai tea instead of coffee with extra cinnamon.
Lexi, do you think this would work using chia meal instead of whole chia seeds? I too love chia pudding but would love an easy way to make the texture less chia-y. Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
I’m not sure if it would work with chia meal. I think this is less chia-y because it’s blended up though!
Um hello delicious! I love chia pudding. And chocolate. I actually have a latte chia pudding on my blog too 🙂 But you definitely made yours look delicious! Have a great week Lexi!
xoxo Sarah Grace, Fresh Fit N Healthy.
How about leaving out the coffee, would it need something else instead? Looks good! 😀
I haven’t made this particular one without coffee, so I can’t promise, but I think it’d be fine! Might need a drop more almond milk.
Do you think it would be possible to make this without the protein powder? It looks amazing, but sadly I don’t have access to any protein powders 🙁
Yes I think it’d be just fine!