Guilt-Free Overnight Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Try this Chocolate Chia Pudding as a new breakfast, snack, or desert option.  Take a break from the eggs or smoothie bowl and make this recipe the night before if you need something quick in the morning!  

I am learning new recipes to incorporate chia seeds into our diet because they add protein, fiber, healthy omega-3 fats, and important minerals. I also love chocolate but in our house we focus on avoiding refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup in our typical daily diet since there is some evidence that added sugar is a potential driver of obesity, diabetes, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and heart disease (source, source, source, source). Chia Seeds have been mentioned in a few recent wellness books that I have read as being a  health super-food, you can review some of my favorite books listed on my resource page. 

In our effort to try to eat a healthy, nutrient dense meals, I'm spending time in the kitchen using alternative ingredients and super-foods to help make eating well fun and delicious. I have been sharing successful recipes with you in the process! 

This Chocolate Chia Pudding is an easy and tasty treat that takes care of my chocolate fix and you don't have to be guilty about eating! It's worth sharing with the entire family. 

Ingredients to make Chocolate Chia Pudding:

• 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk 
• 1/4 Cup Organic Chia Seeds  
• 1 Teaspoon of Organic Vanilla Extract 
• 2-4 Tablespoons of Organic Cacao  or 1 scoop of Young Living Chocolate Protein Complete
• Recipe calls for maple syrup to sweeten,  I added a couple drops of Monk Fruit. 
• Optional Flavors to Try:
  • Option 1 - For Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding: Add 2 tablespoons of almond butter or nut butter to create a chocolate peanut butter chia pudding!
  • Option 2- For Chocolate Cinnamon Chia Pudding: Add 1 Drop of Cinnamon Vitality Essential Oil 
  • Option 3- For Chocolate Peppermint Patty Chia Pudding: Add 1 drop of Peppermint Vitality Essential Oil 

Directions for Chocolate Chia Pudding:

• Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix together.
• Once combined, let the mixture sit in fridge for a few hours or overnight.
• Garnish with toppings, see options below. 
• Enjoy with out feeling guilty!

Additional Chia Pudding Toppings: 
Once ready to enjoy, scoop pudding into bowls we enjoy adding these toppings.  

• Sprinkle Unsweetened Organic Coconut Strips 
• Sprinkle Ground Flax Seed
• Sprinkle Young Living Einkorn Granola 
• Sprinkle walnuts, almonds, or pecans. 
• Add a few Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Chips 100 Percent Cacao
  
• Add Coconut Manna  
• Add any additional fresh berries or banana slices.

Learn About The Ingredients:

Chocolate Protein Complete
Young Living’s rich chocolate protein that provides 25g of clean protein from goat’s milk, whey, egg white (albumin), pea, and hemp. It's a delicious daily protein supplement that provides a full range of amino acids. Pure Protein is also formulated with elevATP, a unique ancient peat and apple extract that supports the production of ATP*.  You can use this chocolate protein as a chocolate replacement or an addition to the ingredients listed. 

• Young Living product details

Cacao Powder
An extra source of the chocolate flavor that contains a rich amount of antioxidant flavonoids without the sugar. ​​Cacao is differentiated from cocoa in that cacao is typically made from seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. Cocoa is the powder made after the seeds are roasted. 

The use of cacao vs cocoa varies from brand to brand but typically it is just a matter of whether or not the seeds were roasted (cocoa) or not (cacao).

Cacao/Cocoa likely share the following properties:

• Rich in polyphenols
• Contains flavanols which are thought to enhance nitric oxide levels, thus potentially having an effect on blood pressure
• Cocoa may reduce LDL cholesterol
  • Before you get to excited about this, please consider reading:
    • The Great Cholesterol Myth
• There is some evidence that cocoa flavanol consumption may improve mental performance in the elderly with existing mild cognitive impairment

Chia Seeds
They add protein, fiber, healthy omega-3 fats, and important minerals. 
​
Peppermint Vitality
A versatile essential oil with well-loved flavor. 
Proposed benefits according to Y.L.:

• Supports gastrointestinal system comfort*
• Promotes healthy bowel function*
• Enhances healthy gut function*
• Maintains efficiency of the digestive tract*
• Supports normal digestion*
• May support performance during exercise*
•  Young Living product details

Cinnamon Vitality 
A concentrated and potent flavor that complements a variety of classic culinary treats. Cinnamon Bark Vitality oil is often used for its unique and spicy notes in recipes. It brings a warm taste to many favorite dishes. Proposed benefits according to Y.L:

• Taking Cinnamon Bark Vitality essential oil as a dietary supplement can support healthy digestion and help maintain a healthy immune system.* 
• Young Living product details

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Thank you for all of your support. Enjoy...

-The Oil Sister ​