Chocolate Cashew Chia Pudding
Chia seed pudding is the perfect meal prep go-to for breakfasts or snacks for the week. Whip up this Chocolate Cashew Chia Pudding during your Sunday meal prep for five nutritious breakfasts, loaded with delicious ingredients such as cashew butter, full-fat coconut milk and cacao powder.
The Benefits of Chia Seeds
The base of this bad boy chia pudding is pretty obvious: chia seeds! These plant-based seeds pack in great nutritional benefits such as providing a rich source of dietary fiber, healthy omega 3 fats, plant-based protein, and antioxidants. When you soak chia seeds in water or any liquid, the seeds gelatinize and swell, leading to a rich and thick pudding. Added bonus: the gel-like fiber consistency will get your bowels moving, quickly! Pro tip: be sure to drink enough water!
What's different about this recipe compared to previous chia seed pudding recipes is the addition of cacao powder. The purpose of adding cacao was to put a chocolaty spin on a traditional chia seed pudding recipe. Cacao powder is the raw form of cocoa powder, which is 100% chocolate powder with no added milk or sugar. When eaten on it's own, cacao powder is very bitter. But thanks to the addition of the full-fat coconut milk and the cashew butter, the cacao powder in this Chocolate Cashew Chia Pudding, it tastes rich and chocolaty--no bitterness!
Adding cacao powder to any dish will help boost the polyphenol and antioxidant content. Why is this important? For many reasons. Cacao polyphenols have been found to protect against free radicals, support levels of healthy bacterial strains in the gut and protect against arterial clogging.
This Chocolate Cashew Chia Pudding tastes pretty much the same as a chocolate donut for breakfast, only better (in more ways than one!). Dive into this chia seed pudding recipe and don't forget to add the strawberries on top!
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Chocolate Cashew Chia Pudding
2 c almond milk, unsweetened
10 tbsp coconut cream (equal to one 5.4 oz can)
1/2 c chia seeds
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 servings chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp cacao powder
1/4 cup cashew butter
2 c strawberries
Add almond milk, coconut cream, vanilla extract, protein powder, cocao powder, and cashew butter to a blender and blend until smooth
Add chia seeds to a medium sized bowl and pour liquid mixture over chia seeds. Mix until well combined. Allow to sit for at least 3 hours. Stir at the one hour mark to prevent the chia seeds from clumping.
Serve with strawberries, evenly divided between portions.
