Sometimes I think my posts need a tag line. Or a subhead. This one would be “sinfully delicious but guilt free.” I was craving a chocolatey dessert this weekend, but didn’t want to go through a lot of trouble to scratch that itch, and I also didn’t want to ruin all the potential progress I’m making at the gym in the new year. I’ve done a few takes on chia seed pudding in the past, pre-blog, that always focused as the pudding as a breakfast item. So it wasn’t ever sweet enough to really be like a decadent chocolatey dessert. So I scrounged around the cupboards and was happy to find I had enough fixings laying around to try my hand at a more sinful tasting pudding.

Did you know how awesome chia seeds are? These are not just for painting on some pottery’s head and watching it grow. Chia seeds have a ton of omega-3s  (which is a great plant-based source) and fiber. They’ve been known to boost energy, lower cholesterol, and stabilize blood sugar. And you can make chocolate pudding out of them! I don’t think it could be better. They’ve also become a lot more mainstream lately. I usually get them from my local health food store’s bulk bins, but even Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods stock them. Now – on to the pudding!

What you’ll need: (makes two servings. or one large one)

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (soy would also work)
• 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons agave syrup
• cinnamon to top (optional)
• dried mango to top (optional)

Start by measuring out the ingredients. Pour the chia seeds and the milk into a mason jar or other sealable jar.

Add the cocoa powder and agave, and give everything a good stirring. Screw the lid on tight and give a little extra shake to make sure everything is mixed up well.

Put in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to let the chia seeds expand. When they’re soaked in liquid, chia seeds get this funny gelatinous coating around the seeds that kind of reminds me of tapioca.

I opted to blend the pudding to get it a little smoother. If you like tapioca, feel free to skip this step. (I also added the 2 teaspoons of agave here, after taste testing and deciding it needed more. You can do this or add it all at the beginning).  Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and chopped up dried mango for garnish. (For those of you who know I’m allergic to mango – for some reason really small amounts of plain dried mangos don’t make me have a reaction. Every now and then I try to incorporate more of the dried ones to my diet in the hopes I’ll turn the allergy around).

Enjoy and try not to devour it all at once. I dare you. This batch didn’t even make it past the photo session…

And don’t forget – if you’re into vegan slow cooking to check out Saturday’s post on Kathy Hester’s new cookbook. One lucky reader gets a free copy! Sign up ends this Saturday!