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Autumn & Winter · Desserts & Puddings · Spring & Summer

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Recipe by Nigel Clease Kitchen-tested
Autumn & Winter 3 min read

A creamy vegan chocolate chia pudding topped with rich hazelnut fudge sauce for a simple, satisfying dessert or breakfast.

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This chocolate chia pudding is creamy, deeply chocolatey and completely plant-based, with a date-and-hazelnut sauce that makes it feel like a proper dessert. It is simple to prepare, then the chia seeds do the rest while the puddings cool and set.



The recipe makes six servings and uses dark chocolate, cocoa and your choice of almond, oat, rice or soya milk. No nutrition claims or calculated figures are added here.

Contents

Recipe Highlights

  • Rich chocolate flavour: Dark chocolate and cocoa give the pudding depth.
  • Plant-based: Choose almond, oat, rice or soya milk.
  • Mostly hands-off: The puddings rest for two hours after a short preparation.
  • Naturally sweet topping: Dates and roasted hazelnuts make the fudge-style sauce.
  • Makes six servings: Spoon directly into individual glasses before setting.

Ingredients

  • Chia seeds: Thicken the warm chocolate mixture as it rests.
  • Dark chocolate: The card specifies chocolate with at least 50% cocoa solids and notes 65%.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder: Reinforces the chocolate flavour.
  • Non-dairy milk: Almond, oat, rice or soya milk all suit the recipe.
  • Medjool dates: Soften in water before blending into the sauce.
  • Roasted hazelnuts: Blend with the dates for a rich topping.

How to Make

  1. Heat the non-dairy milk until almost boiling.
  2. Place the chia seeds, cocoa and chopped dark chocolate in a mixing bowl.
  3. Pour over the hot milk and whisk gently until the chocolate and cocoa have dissolved.
  4. Divide between six serving glasses. Cool at room temperature for one hour, then refrigerate for another hour.
  5. While the puddings set, soak the pitted dates in the measured water.
  6. Process the roasted hazelnuts to a purée, then add the soaked dates and half the soaking liquid. Blend until nearly smooth, adding more of the existing soaking liquid only as needed.
  7. Spoon the sauce over the set puddings and finish with chopped hazelnuts or grated dark chocolate if you like.

Recipe Tips

Whisk while the milk is hot. The heat melts the dark chocolate and helps distribute the cocoa evenly.

Divide before setting. Chia pudding thickens as it stands, so portion it into glasses straight away.

Add the soaking liquid gradually. Begin with half and add only enough to give the hazelnut sauce the consistency you prefer.

Remove most hazelnut skins. If roasting your own, rub away the loose skins because they can taste bitter.

Variations

Change the milk: Use almond, oat, rice or soya milk according to taste and availability.

Use nut butter: Replace the processed hazelnuts with ready-made hazelnut butter or another nut butter, as suggested in the existing recipe notes.

Simple topping: Serve with chopped hazelnuts or grated dark chocolate without adding any new measured ingredients.

Storage and Freezing

Storing: Keep the set puddings refrigerated. The existing recipe does not provide a tested storage duration, so none is added.

Freezing: No tested freezing guidance is present in the existing article or recipe data.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do the puddings need to set?

Allow one hour to cool at room temperature and another hour in the refrigerator, matching the two-hour resting time in the card.

Is this recipe described as low in carbohydrates?

No. That unsupported claim has been removed, and no replacement nutrition claim has been made.

Nutrition

No calculated nutrition figures are provided. Values depend on the chocolate, non-dairy milk, nut topping and serving size.

Tools You’ll Need

  • Small saucepan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Six serving glasses
  • Food processor
  • Spatula

Recipe Card

Nigel’s Kitchen Table recipe

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Preparation:15 minutes
Resting:2 hours
Total:2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
A creamy vegan chocolate chia pudding topped with a rich hazelnut and date sauce.
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INGREDIENTS LIST
 

  • 100 g chia seeds
  • 100 g dark chocolate (minimum 50% cocoa solids) (65%)
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 700 ml non-dairy milk (almond, oat, rice or soy milk)

Hazelnut fudge sauce

  • 5 medjool dates (pitted)
  • 100 ml water
  • 40 g whole roasted hazelnuts (without shell, see notes)

Preparation
 

  • Chia pudding: Heat the milk in a pan until almost boiling.
  • To a mixing bowl, add the chia seeds, cocoa powder and chopped dark chocolate.
  • Pour the heated milk over your chia seed and chocolate combination. Gently whisk well, until all the chocolate and cocoa powder have dissolved.
  • Spoon the mixture into 6 serving glasses and leave to cool on the side for 1 hour. Once cool place into the refrigerator to set for another hour.
  • Place the pitted dates into a bowl and add the water to allow them to soak while the chia pudding is setting.
  • Once your chia pudding has set, you can prepare the hazelnut sauce.
  • Hazelnut fudge: In a food processor, process the hazelnuts to a puree add the soaked dates and half the liquid, continue processing until almost smooth. Scrape down the sides of the food processor in-between if the dates stick to the side of the bowl. If it is too thick at a little more of the liquid from soaking the dates until you get the required consistency.
  • To serve, top your set chia puddings with the fudge sauce mixture and garnish with additional chopped hazelnuts and grated dark chocolate.

Notes & Tips

Hazelnuts: If you can’t find peeled roasted hazelnuts, place the alternative hazelnuts in an oven preheated to 180C / 350F for 8 minutes.
To remove the skins, you can either rub the hazelnut skins off with a clean kitchen cloth or shake the hazelnuts vigorously in a tightly closed container for a minute or so, until most of the skins come off. Don’t worry if there is some skin, but the idea is to remove the majority because it can be a bit bitter.
Nut butter: If you don’t want to fuss around or don’t have a decent food processor for preparing the nuts you can buy hazelnut butter or any other nut butter of choice instead. These are now easily found in supermarkets or health food shops. 

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