This chocolate protein chia pudding is the perfect prepare-ahead-of-time breakfast on busy mornings. A fuss-free breakfast that’s healthy, balanced and tastes like a dessert!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I’m a big chocaholic. Most of my dessert and snack recipes feature chocolate. I’m not sure when the obsession started, because growing up in Iraq, chocolate was very rarely eaten in my household, or in general.

What I remember used to be referred to as ‘chocolate bars’ were cheap chocolate dipped biscuit wafers. When I say cheap, I mean the chocolate was so thin, you could actually see the wafer pattern underneath. There was barely any chocolate on them!

Maybe that’s why I’m so obsessed with chocolate – I felt I missed out on 18 years of the irresistibly rich, indulgent pleasure! My taste buds just couldn’t get enough of it ever since I moved to the UK.

I have to say my taste buds have matured quite a bit. When I first arrived to the UK, my idea of a good bar of chocolate was a mint Aero. Now I can’t eat anything that’s less than 55% cocoa solids, preferably 70% and above.

Although I like to save my chocolate fix for desserts – every now and then I like to indulge in a chocolate based breakfast, like this chocolate protein chia pudding. Especially now that we know that cocoa powder is actually good for you – packed with health beneficial flavonoids.

Why I like making this chocolate protein chia pudding:

Aside from the fact chia pudding is a convenient and time saving breakfast that you can make ahead of time and take with you on-the-go, it’s also good for you!

Chia seeds are packed with nutrients. They are a good source of fibre, protein, healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids), calcium, phosphorus, and various antioxidants.

Due to their high fibre content, chia seeds are a great addition to help support a healthy digestive system. A serving of this chocolate protein chia pudding offers 16g fibre! So if you’re looking for ways to up your fibre intake, this could be a good place to start 🙂

Chia seeds are also one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health, brain function, and reducing inflammation.

To make this chocolate protein chia pudding a balanced, well rounded meal, I also added in some protein powder. This will help keep me full for longer and help stabilise my blood sugar throughout the morning. One serving offers 20g protein!

This chocolate protein chia pudding is packed with antioxidants from the chia seeds, cocoa powder and almond butter.

What you need to make this chocolate protein chia pudding:

Chia seeds – The seeds absorb liquid and expand, creating a jellly-like ‘pudding’ consistency. Chia seeds are nutrient powerhouses and a great addition to breakfast.

Protein powder – I like adding protein powder to make the chia pudding more balanced and a well rounded meal. If you use flavoured protein powder like cocoa or vanilla, it will also add a lot of flavour. You can use any protein powder you like and it can be vegan or whey powder.

Cocoa powder – packed with antioxidants and the best way to add a rich chocolate flavour, without extra fat or sugar. You can also use cacao powder.

Nut butter – I alternate between almond butter, peanut butter or tahini, but any nut or seed butter will work.

Milk – The creamier the milk you pick, the creamier the pudding will be. I like to use a creamy oat milk to make mine.

How to make this chocolate protein chia pudding:

If you’ve made chia pudding before, you know the preparation is simply mixing everything together in a bowl, and this chocolate protein chia pudding is no different! All you need to do it:

Add everything apart from the chia seeds to a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a bowl/container and fold in the chia seeds.
Cover and transfer in the fridge to set overnight or for at least 4 hours.

This chocolate protein chia pudding is:

Gluten-free
Vegan – if using vegan protein powder
Vegetarian
Can be made nut-free by using a seed butter instead of almond butter
Packed with nutrients
A great source of healthy fats
Packed with protein (20g per serving!)
Packed with fibre (16g per serving!)