There is such a thing as a dessert that's good for you and tastes delicious. This creamy pudding blends chocolate, chia seeds, coconut milk, and spices to create a healthy feel-good treat perfect for any time of year and any occasion—whether you're celebrating Mother's Day or an ordinary Tuesday.
Let's take a moment to talk about what makes this pudding good for you, starting with the chia seeds.
These popular seeds come with an impressive reputation, including claims that they're among the healthiest seeds on the planet. They have a long history of use and were an important staple in Mayan and Aztec culture. Chia is actually an ancient Mayan word for “strength,” and these are packed full of important minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, high quality protein—and the list goes on!1
Coconut milk also offers health benefits. A great source of healthy fats and also containing vitamins and minerals, we're learning more and more about what coconut milk can potentially do for our health, including supporting a healthy heart and our metabolism.2 Coconut milk is the base of this recipe, and it is super cooling, nourishing, and grounding, the perfect qualities to support both pitta and vata.
All of the other ingredients bring an energetic warmth, keeping it from being too cooling for kapha (and vata!) to enjoy while also making it easy to digest.
Don't feel restricted to these ingredients though. Have fun and be creative with the spices and ingredients you choose!
This is incredibly easy to make. You basically blend and wait. In fact, the hardest part of making this recipe is waiting the four hours for it to thicken. Your patience is rewarded with a delicious, healthy treat that will make you want to lick your bowl clean.
But don't take my word for it—the proof is in the pudding.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ⅓ cup whole chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons cacao powder
- 5 teaspoons sucanat or maple syrup (or whichever sweetener you prefer)
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Coconut flakes
- Whipped cream
- Almond slices
Directions:
Blend all ingredients—except the coconut flakes, almond slices, and whipped cream—in a blender until nice and smooth. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to overnight, to allow the pudding to thicken.
When you are ready to eat it, top it with some fresh whipped cream, and sprinkle some coconut flakes and sliced almonds on top.
Enjoy!