Meanwhile, I've been pretty much sticking to Paleo veg diet lately because my body does better on it. So I wanted something that could be a treat, but not a total departure (like Haagen Daaz choc ice cream, what I really wanted until I tried this, now I want Chia chocolate pudding more). One serving of this pudding has only 3 grams of sugar, which is less than my 85% dark chocolate, which many paleo advocates allow. So this is how I justify. Do your own math.
I'm new to Chia, but I've been reading about it for a while. I know it's a superfood, and a miraculous veg source of Omega 3, fiber, and protein. Who cares? The point is when you mix it with chocolate - something magical happens...it becomes creamy pudding!Now there is a tapioca-like textrure to the seeds even when you grind them up, but I've come to love and crave it this week.
Let's not waste any more time, here's the recipe that works for me:
Easy Vegan (low glycemic) Chia Chocolate Pudding -
prep time 5 mins, chill time 5 mins- 2 hrs
Makes approx 4 servings unless you're having a moment, then it's only one or two.
Ingredients:
4 tbs chia seeds (they're expensive and there is no substitute , sorry)
2 c. unsweetened Almond milk (or whatever milk you want, I tried coconut but liked Almond better)
1 TBS Grade B Maple syrup ( the kind you have left over from the last god-awful master cleanse)
4 TBS raw Cacao powder ( I have a big jar of Nature's First Law left over from my cray-cray raw food days, but regular powdered chocolate would work fine)
1 tsp frontier alcohol free vanilla ( I love this brand, but any vanilla will do)
5 drops Stevia ( I have a sweet tooth, boh-kay? If you don't, just omit this)
1/2 tsp pink salt (or any salt)
(optional) 3 squares of Green and Black's 85% dark chocolate to grate on top
Directions:
Put your Chia seeds in a blender or coffee grinder alone and grind to a powder (1-2 mins). Next add the almond milk, maple syrup, stevia, chocolate powder, vanilla and salt. Blend well. At least 1 minute on high speed. Quickly poor contents into small cups and grate your dark choc squares on top. It will start to thicken immediately. Put in fridge for 5 minutes or more (for soft pudding eat immediately, for stiffer texture let sit longer or add more Chia seeds). Enjoy!
Nutrition:
*values per 1/2 c. serving
calories:118
carbs: 13
Sugar: 3
Fiber: 8
*Fat 7
Protein: 4
*My Chia seeds say they have 1870 mg of Omega 3's per serving, that's more than a whole teaspoon of my nordic naturals fish oil. #JustSayin'!
Emily's Comments:
The raw Chocolate leaves me with a feeling of well-being - it's energy, but more of a lift up than a caffeine jolt. Could it be the Chia seeds instead of the Choc? I don't know, but this stuff is a mood lifter and energy booster. If I had Macca powder I'd add it too because it has a similar effect. And so many Omega 3s (http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/chia-seeds/premium.html)!This pudding isn't carb free, but it's pretty low in sugar and can be lower if you tweak the maple syrup to Stevia ratio. All the ingredients are healthy and there is a good dose of healthy fat, fiber, and protein to counter your carbs, so for me this is a relatively guilt-free treat. I'm blood sugar sensitive and I don't have a reaction to this, but I do crave it now. (some research info on how Chia may reduce blood sugar: http://www.naturalstandard.com/news/news201202015.asp)
Let me know your experience and how you modify in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment