Chocolate pudding was one of my favorite comfort foods. My mom used to make homemade stove-top pudding from scratch. Milk, sugar, egg yolks, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and a whole bunch of stirring. I used to love it when it was warm, but slightly cooled so that a film formed on the top. Put a dollop of cool whip on top, and hunker down to watch a movie. When I was really little, these “movie and pudding” nights consisted of my siblings and I filling laundry baskets with pillows and blankets to sit in. Oh how I wish I could sit in a laundry basket again while watching movies!
My baby cousin looooves chia pudding. She is absolutely crazy about it! Whenever she sees it coming she starts flapping her arms, and her eyes get really wide. She’ll grab the spoon and stuff it in her mouth, but only after the chia is evenly distributed on her nose, hands, cheeks, and pretty much anywhere else she can throw it. Pretty soon, she will start sprouting into a chia pet!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup prunes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- pinch salt
- 2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (substitute part of the almond milk for coconut milk for a creamier pudding)
Instructions
- Soak the prunes in the water for 15 minutes, or until soft.
- Then add the prunes, soaking water, cocoa powder, and milk to a blender and blend until smooth (no chunks).
- Whisk the chia into the chocolate milk mix and let sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours (or overnight). The chia will puff up and make the pudding thick.
Notes
~Dairy-free, No-bake, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-free, Corn-free, vegan, paleo, and sugar-free
Health Benefits:
- Chia:Chia seeds can absorb up to 12 times it’s weight in water, so it is also a great hydrator. Chia seed is also a great source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. It can also help balance blood-sugar levels, so it is great for diabetics. It helps blood sugar levels by slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. Read more here.
- Chocolate: Click HERE for a post I wrote earlier about the health benefits of chocolate.
- Prunes: A laxative food with a high-fiber content, so it can help those suffering from constipation. They are digested quite easily and are great for when you need quick energy. They are also very high in potassium, vitamin K, and antioxidants.
Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:
Do you have any memories of your favorite foods from childhood?
oh yum! Your cousin in precious, you must have loved making her food to try. Some fond childhood food memories- icy pops laying on the hot concrete after swimming in the summertime. Popcorn with m&ms thrown in while watching movies with my friends on friday nights!
Katie,
Yes, she is the cutest thing! I was so lucky to have her and her mom stay with me for a whole month. So cute! She loves playing in the water. Her favorite foods are chia, avocado, tom gai kai soup, and bananas-funny!
My Mom made the same pudding, can’t wait to try your healthy version!
So glad you posted another chia recipe. I was wondering what to do with the chia seeds I bought to make the banana bread you posted. By the way it was so wonderfully good. Will definately make it like that always.
Lara,
So glad you enjoy the bread! Enjoy the pudding, too! Also, I like putting some of the chia gel in my water to keep me hydrated. I have a recipe for a coconut water-lime sparkler that uses chia.
I’ve never used prunes as my sweetener, but I really want to now! That photo is truly, truly adorable. And I love hearing about babies that love healthy food…it’s sort of validating somehow…
Chocolate Chia Pudding is one of my favorites!!! It is absolutely DELICIOUS! <3
Actually prunes were one of my favourite foods when I was little! I was a fussy eater apparently but it seems most of the foods I was happy to eat were healthy at least 😀
Hm, I love prunes, I love chocolate chia pudding … I am seriously looking forward to trying this!
Jenny,
Enjoy! And yes, I really liked prunes when I was little, too. Tasted like candy 😀
This recipe looks great! I’ve never tried chia seeds before. I really wish they were sold here in Germany so I could try this recipe. I guess I’ll have to make an order online somewhere.. 🙂
Yes! Chia is amazing. You must try. And it is so good for you-I eat it all the time!
Can’t wait to try this! I’m steering my kids toward less and less sugar, so hopefully they’ll like this 🙂
what a great recipe for kids! one of my favorites in the fall was when my mom made millet cooked in milk and salt, and added sweet pureed butternut squash to it. it was sooo delicious!
Felicia,
wow! That sounds really good! I’ll have to try it.
My little man loves chia puddings too – I think babies like the texture. Oh prunes are one of my favourite things… my partner teases me about being a Grandma, but they are delicious, and go so well with chocolate 🙂
too cute! love this pic of your baby cousin- adorable!!
nothing beats a good chia pudding!
it has been awhile since we have enjoyed one, mmm now I am craving one 🙂
xoxo
lol – she’s adorable. Also, I love that she’s eating avocado and hard boiled eggs for her snack food. So much better than the cheerios and goldfish our neighbor’s kids are always eating…
Celeste,
Yes! She loooves avocado. She wasn’t a big fan of the hard-boiled egg that day, but she really liked the black beans!
Yes! This looks amazing. I am so obsessed with chia pudding. Well, anything chia, really. I keep meaning to try out a chocolate chia pudding recipe! I have never used prunes in a recipe, are they like dates in terms of sweetening?
Beth,
The prunes pretty much act like dates, but they have a richer flavor to them and more fiber than dates. They worked well in this recipe.
Alex, I nominated you for an award, here is my post if you’d like to accept!
http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2012/04/leibster-very-inspiring-bloggerversatile-blogger-awards.html
I’m a big fan of chia pudding AND anything chocolate! Sounds delicious Alex 🙂
Loving the addition of the prunes. We do something similar in our household with banana but I am going to have to try the prune thing.
My grandma used to make chocolate pudding and I remember ALL the stiring and ALL the yumminess!
I was wondering could you use dates instead of prunes? And would it be too thick if you used all coconut milk (I don’t drink almond milk)?
Thanks!!
Amanda,
Yes, you can you dates instead of prunes. Dates tend to be a bit more sweet, so it would be a sweeter pudding. I don’t think the coconut milk would be too thick, but if it is, you can always whisk in some water when it is done.
this pudding sounds amazing can not wait to try it, always looking for a healthy alternative that is not loaded with sugar. how long would you say this would last up to in the fridge?
It would last a few days in the fridge. Enjoy!
Instead of prunes, can I use raisins?
Migdalia,
I’ve never tried substituting raisins before for prunes, but it is worth a shot! Let me know if it works for you.