Chocolate Chia Pudding
This chocolate chia pudding recipe tastes like a treat! It's easy to make with healthy ingredients. No cooking needed for this chilled dessert.
Posted by Kathryne Taylor on May 27, 2026
You’re going to love this chocolate chia seed pudding. Seriously, though! I’m always suspicious of chocolate “desserts” made with sneaky healthy ingredients like avocado or sweet potato. I can taste them, so they don’t taste like a real dessert.
This chia pudding, however, is a wholesome treat that I truly enjoy. It actually boasts some impressive nutrition stats, including 8 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and some healthy plant-based fat. It’s easy to make, too—much easier than traditional custard-based puddings.
You’ll need only four ingredients for the base recipe: your milk of choice, chia seeds, cocoa powder and maple syrup. Once mixed together and left to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, the chia seeds plump up and offer a subtle texture. The end result is rather magical!
How to Make Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Here’s the basic method and why it works:
- Whisk together the milk, chia seeds, cocoa powder and maple syrup. This chocolate pudding follows the same milk-to-chia-seed ratio I suggested in My Favorite Chia Seed Pudding recipe: 1 cup milk to 3 tablespoons chia seeds. Other recipes will tell you to use 4 tablespoons of chia seeds, but that mixture doesn’t turn as nicely creamy and tastes overly seedy.
- Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes, then whisk again. This step is the key to making creamy pudding, as the chia seeds tend to clump together as they start absorbing moisture. Breaking them up early in the process works much better than later.
- Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours. The chia seeds need time to plump up, and this dessert tastes best cold. If you think of it, whisk the mixture once more while it chills, for good measure.
- Add more maple syrup by the teaspoon until it tastes like a treat. I usually add 1 more teaspoon, but you might prefer it sweeter. Finish with any toppings you’d like. Enjoy!
Watch How to Make It
Fun Flavor Variations
For a lighter milk chocolate flavor, use just 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. This version might be an easier sell for little kids, although my dark chocolate-loving daughter likes it as written.
For more texture and extra chocolate flavor, stir in about a teaspoon of chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips. This makes it taste even more like a treat, and distracts from the texture of the chia seeds.
For peanut butter chocolate pudding, stir in a tablespoon or two of peanut butter. You might like to add some extra maple syrup to balance the savory aspect of the nut butter. Almond butter works, too.
For a creamy texture, blend the full batch on high speed until smooth and creamy (don’t blend longer than necessary to avoid warming it).
Chia Seed Tip
Chia seed pudding turns out best with fresh chia seeds. Double-check that your bag hasn’t expired, and even then, give it a sniff to make sure it doesn’t smell like rancid cooking oil.
Topping Options
Enjoy this pudding plain, or add toppings of your choice. I like mine topped with chopped dark chocolate and toasted pecans, and of course, whipped cream is always nice. For kids, you can turn it into a healthier “dirt pudding” by topping it with crushed Oreos and gummy worms.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips
- Sliced banana
- Fresh raspberries
- Shredded coconut
- Toasted sliced almonds
- Chopped pecans
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla Greek yogurt
Please let me know how your chocolate pudding turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
This chocolate chia pudding recipe tastes like a treat! It’s easy to make with healthy ingredients. No cooking required; allow 2 hours in the refrigerator for the chia seeds to plump up. Recipe yields a scant 1 ½ cups, enough for 2 small servings. Multiply if desired.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened milk of choice*
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, to taste
- Optional: 1 teaspoon chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips, for texture
- Garnish suggestions: chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips, whipped cream, fresh raspberries, sliced banana, shredded coconut, toasted sliced almonds, chopped pecans or vanilla Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a small jar or bowl, combine the milk, chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup and optional chopped chocolate. Whisk until the cocoa powder is fully incorporated into the mixture.
- Let the mixture rest for about 15 minutes, then whisk the mixture again to break up any clumps (this is important, as they’re much more difficult to break up later on). Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) until the chia seeds have absorbed enough moisture to reach a pudding-like consistency. If you think of it, give it a stir sometime along the way to break up any clumps of chia.
- Before serving, stir once again to break up any clumps of chia seeds. Taste, and if the mixture isn’t sweet enough to delight, stir in up to 3 more teaspoons of maple syrup. Divide the mixture between two small bowls and garnish as desired. This pudding will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 5 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my favorite chia seed pudding.
*Milk options: I like to use cashew milk, almond milk or coconut milk. Cow’s milk would work, too.
Make it nut free: Use a nut-free milk, and don’t top with nuts.
Blended variation: Once the pudding has set, transfer it to a blender and blend on high just long enough that the mixture is creamy and smooth. You can serve it right away or chill it for later.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hey Kate…I’ve pitched this to my wife, and she has two important questions.
First, she doesn’t like maple syrup…do you taste it in the finished product, or does it just add sweetness without the maple syrup taste?
Second, can we substitute honey instead? And if not, do you have to use real maple syrup, or are you referring to the fake stuff you buy in the pancake aisle of the grocery store?
Thanks again for all you do…you’re feeding an entire nation!
Hi Paul! Thanks for your note. Any time I use maple syrup, I’m referring to the real deal. I couldn’t taste the maple syrup at the end because the chocolate is such a bold flavor, but there’s a chance you might detect it. You can use honey instead, but it will taste more prominent than the maple syrup (it’s also sweeter, so you could use a little less—it’s easy to make this pudding to taste). You could use plain sugar for neutral flavor instead, just stir it really well until it fully dissolves. Hope that helps!
Could I use skimmed or 2% fresh milk for this as well? Thank you!
Yes! Either one.
Hi Kate, I love your recipes!!
I was wondering if using honey would work? I live in Costa Rica and I use honey as a sweetener . Less expensive too.
This sounds super easy ! I roast my own coconut and powdered Cocoa is super fresh here!! Use it even in my oatmeal!
Thanks Kate !!
Margo
Hi Margo, yes, honey will work! It’s a little sweeter than maple syrup, so you might not need quite as much, but you can easily add it to taste. You might taste some honey in the end, but it sounds like you enjoy the flavor. :)
Hi Love your recipes.
Wondering about the veggie stir fry is that suitable to freeze. I am doing cooking for my nephew who has had a stroke and so I am cooking for him and freezing the food since I live 3 hours away. Also do you have any other recipes that are suitable to freeze.
Thanks,
Liz
Hi Liz, thank you for your note. Yes, I think the stir fry would freeze nicely. Individual portions of soup are great for freezing (dairy-free soups freeze especially well, but I’ve had good luck with all of my soups defrosting nicely). I’ve really enjoyed having energy balls and egg bites in the freezer for quick snacks. My veggie enchiladas include freezing instructions within the post. Hope that helps!
Sounds wonderful, will try to make it this weekend! We are not big desert people but I think the grandsons would love it
Thanks Sue! Please let me know how it turns out.