Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding is dairy-free, refined sugar free and made with just 5 ingredients - chia seeds, almond milk, cocoa, maple syrup and natural peanut butter.
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It's finally April and spring is in the air. Okay, it might be a bit premature to say that since it snowed last night. But we've been having some sunny days and warmer temperatures, so I'm declaring it spring!
So with that declaration, you'd think I'd be sharing recipes for green salads, asparagus and lemon dishes, all the things that conjure up images of spring. Those recipes are definitely coming, but since the other day was National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (I know, there is truly a day for everything!), I was inspired to share this recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding.
I started eating chia pudding a few years ago when I was looking for something a little different to eat in the mornings that would fill me up but wasn't the usual toast, smoothie or oatmeal bowl. And chia happens to be a superfood that's filling and works well in so many recipes.
How do you make chia pudding?
A general rule of thumb is that for every 1 cup of liquid, you add about ¼ - ⅓ cup of chia seeds. I like my chia pudding thick, so I usually go with ⅓ cup. I normally use almond milk, but you can also use cow's milk, coconut milk or cashew milk. For taste, I like to add maple syrup or honey, or you can even add some puréed fruit. For this Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding, I added maple syrup, cocoa and peanut butter.
Once, you've settled on your ingredients, just whisk it all together and refrigerate for a few hours until the chia seeds have plumped and absorbed the liquid. If you don't like the texture of the chia seeds, you can blend all the ingredients in your blender, which grinds up the chia seeds a bit. The result will be a pudding with a finer texture.
Assembling this Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding is best enjoyed with many, many toppings!
- Triple Berry Chia Jam is a must! Any kind of jam that is refined sugar-free will work. I just always have a jar of this triple berry goodness stored in the fridge. The tart taste of the berries pairs well with the cocoa and peanut buttery pudding.
- Since I'm also a huge fan of banana with peanut butter, I usually add a few banana slices to this pudding. And, if I have time, I caramelize the bananas with a bit of coconut sugar. So good!
- Shredded coconut is also a great topping, and if it's toasted coconut, all the better.
- I love to sprinkle on a bit of granola. I usually have some Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola on hand, but any kind will work. We're just looking for that crunch factor here, so even if you wanted to add some chopped nuts or seeds, that would work too.
- Lastly, and this is totally optional, but if I'm feeling decadent, I usually melt a bit of peanut butter to drizzle on top. Honey would be awesome too!
And that's it. This delicious little pudding parfait is all yours to devour! 😉
Hope you get a chance to make this loaded Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding. If you do, I would love to hear about it in the comments below, or see some pics on Instagram! Just tag @crumbtopbaking if you want to share your creation. And if you love chia pudding, you might also want to check out this recipe for Cherry Chia Pudding, because cherry season is just around the corner! 😉
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ⅓ cup chia seeds
- 2 tablespoon natural peanut butter, smooth and salted
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Optional toppings:
- Any kind of refined sugar free chia jam, suggested recipe in notes
- Caramelized banana slices, instructions in notes
- Granola, nuts and/or seeds
- Unsweetened toasted coconut
- Melted peanut butter
- Honey
Instructions
- Making the pudding: Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight, until the chia seeds have plumped and the pudding has thickened. The pudding will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Assembling the pudding: Divide the pudding into 2 dishes, and top with desired toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Using ⅓ cup of chia seeds will create a thick pudding. If you don't like your pudding thick, just reduce the amount of chia seeds.
- If you don't have salted peanut butter, you can use smooth natural peanut butter and add a pinch of salt to the pudding.
- To make the triple berry chia jam, add 1 cup each of blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries (fresh or frozen) and 1 tbsp. of maple syrup to a small sauce pan. Cover and bring to a low boil. Simmer until the fruit has softened. Mash the berries and stir in 4-6 tbsp. chia seeds (depending on desired thickness of jam). Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes covered. Store in the fridge and enjoy within 2 weeks.
- To caramelize the banana, slice one medium-sized banana and spread the slices out on a pre-heated, greased frying pan. Sprinkle on ½ teaspoon coconut sugar. Sauté the banana slices for 3-4 minutes, turning over at the mid-way point. The banana slices are done when they are slightly softened and the coconut sugar has melted. I avoid using a banana that is overly ripe as it will be too sweet and mushy when caramelized.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
Did you make this recipe or have any questions?
I love reading your comments and addressing your questions, so please leave your comments and ratings or questions below!
Codrut Turcanu says
I like chia, this will make a great recipe for a morning treat for me and my girlfriend -- thanks!
Leanne says
Thanks Codrut! Chia pudding is definitely a good choice for breakfast!
heather (delicious not gorgeous) says
for the longest time i avoided chia pudding (i was afraid of a repeat of avocado pudding, which isn't my favorite). but it's so good that i wish i hadn't! this version sounds especially good with those caramelized bananas though (:
Leanne says
Thanks Heather! Yes, I was a little weary of chia pudding at first, but it's such a delicious and healthy snack, I eat it on a regular basis now! And the caramelized bananas are a great topping too!
Kim | The Baking ChocolaTess says
OMgoodness this chia pudding looks so rich and decadent! I love chia pudding, so I'm drooling over this with the peanut butter and chocolate flavors! xo
Leanne says
Thanks Kim! Chocolate and peanut butter is definitely my favourite flavour in a chia pudding!
annie@ciaochowbambina says
This is the perfect indulgence! And I love that there are no regrets! YUM!
Leanne says
Thanks Annie! Definitely no regrets with this chia pudding!
Tanya says
This recipe looks delicious Leanne! I'll definitely be trying it out as a part of my weekly meal plan!
Leanne says
Yay! Thanks Tanya! Let me know what you think!
Jen says
You know how I feel about peanut butter! This recipe looks like a must try! I also love chia but have never made it into pudding. This makes me want to make it more than ever. 🙂
Leanne says
Thanks Jen! Yes, I know you share my love for all things peanut butter! 😉 Chia pudding is definitely worth a try. It's such a quick and easy snack. Hope you get a chance to make it! Happy Monday!
Kristen says
I absolutely love chocolate peanut butter chia pudding. And this recipe looks so good, can’t wait to dig in!
Leanne says
Thanks Kristen! It's a favourite pudding of mine as well. Of course, I enjoy anything with chocolate and peanut butter! 😉
Christina says
I would eat this pudding for breakfast, a pre-snack (that's a thing, right?), a snack, lunch, after lunch snack, pre-dinner snack, and dinner. Well, maybe not dinner, but all the other categories are faur game. I'm a HUGE fan of caramelized bananas so the moment I saw you added those I knew I was going to pin the crap out of this post!
Leanne says
Thanks Christina. It's a pretty versatile pudding, so you could definitely enjoy it for all of the above! 😉 Glad I'm not alone in my love for caramelized bananas. They definitely add a little something special to this pudding! Have a great week!
Maria says
You had me at peanut butter... if that wasn't enough the caramelized bananas would have definitely sealed the deal. Can't wait to try this. Thanks for sharing ♥
Leanne says
I hope you like it Maria! I love anything with peanut butter and the caramelized bananas sealed the deal for me too!;)