Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding

One of my goals this month is to cook healthier meals at least 3 times every week. Although I do love my creamy pastas and other not-so-healthy things, I don't think it's that hard to come up with meals that are lighter but still delicious.

Desserts, on the other hand, are another story.

I love desserts. Since I'm not that comfortable with baking (or making desserts in general), I don't post a lot of them on this blog ... So you may not know that I have a pretty massive sweet tooth. I used to eat dessert after almost every meal when I was younger, but as I've gotten older, I've tried to avoid keeping sweets in the kitchen as much as possible. Eric and I still allow ourselves treats once in a while, but it's kind of dangerous for us. One of us will say something like, "I'm kind of craving a Coldstone milkshake," and suddenly we find ourselves at Coldstone multiple times that week. (It's like we have no control over our vehicles ... They just seem to drive us there!)

This also extends to buying sweets to keep in the kitchen. One of us will pick up a pint of gelato or a couple of bags of candy, and it's somehow all gone within a day or two. (Again, I have no idea how this could possibly happen!)

So I decided it's probably necessary to find some healthier dessert options. We eat a lot of fruit (we almost always have at least 3 kinds of fruit on hand), but sometimes I want chocolate. And since I clearly have no self control when it comes to "bad" desserts, I needed to find something that I can enjoy without packing on the pounds.

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So I jumped on the chia seed pudding train. If you're not familiar with chia seeds, here are some quick facts:

- Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica.

- Chia seeds are an unprocessed, whole grain food.

- Chia seeds contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids (like fish), carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.

- Chia seeds can be used in a variety of ways: you can sprinkle them directly into something (like cereal), bake them into food, mix them into drinks (like smoothies), or mix them with water to form a gel.

(By the way, I'm not an expert or anything. I just Googled them and shared some of the information from WebMD, which I would consider a more reputable source than, say, Wikipedia.)

If you're not sure where to find chia seeds, I bought mine at Trader Joe's. I haven't looked for them at every grocery store I've visited, but I'm sure they can be found at any grocery store with a "health food" section.

I know the texture may be off-putting to some (it's a little reminiscent of tapioca pudding), but it's really so good and so easy to make. It's also much healthier than many of the other chocolatey desserts I eat, so I don't feel bad having a bowl of this after dinner. I would suggest adding toppings for extra texture and flavor, but it's not necessary. We didn't have any chocolate chips or peanuts on hand when I made this, so I just used some sliced almonds ... Whatever you have in your kitchen that goes with chocolate and peanut butter will work.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding

A recipe from Blahnik Baker.


Ingredient List:
  • 1 cup almond or soy milk (I used vanilla soy milk.)
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds 
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tbsp peanut butter (I used 2 tbsp natural peanut butter. The peanut butter was pretty strong, so I'd suggest using less if you don't want that to be the predominant flavor.)
  • 1 tbsp sweetener (I used honey, but you could also use agave nectar or maple syrup.)
  • Chocolate chips, nuts, or sliced fruit for serving (These are obviously optional toppings, but I do think it gives the pudding a little something extra.)

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients (except for any optional toppings!) in a medium bowl, whisking together until well combined.

2.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours (preferably overnight). 

3.  Stir a few times within the first 30 minutes of refrigeration to avoid clumping.

4.  Serve with whatever toppings you like.

I refrigerated mine overnight, so I'm not sure how the taste would differ if you only chilled it for a few hours. I may experiment with it a bit sometime, but I'd just suggest making it a day in advance if you know you want to try it.

1 comment:

  1. my husband and i sound like you and your husband. we can't keep sweets in the house, and if one says they feel like something the other immediately wants it. desserts are our downfall! this looks really yummy though, i love chia seeds!

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