Chocolate Chia Pudding

The recipe, step by step

This chocolate chia pudding is creamy, deeply chocolatey and completely plant-based. Topped with a rich date and roasted hazelnut sauce, it feels like a proper dessert while remaining wonderfully simple to prepare.

Dark chocolate and cocoa powder give the pudding its intense chocolate flavour, while the chia seeds naturally thicken the mixture as it cools. Once everything has been divided between the serving glasses, the chia seeds do most of the work for you.

The recipe makes six individual puddings and can be prepared with almond, oat, rice or soya milk. Finish each one with a spoonful of the date and hazelnut sauce, followed by chopped hazelnuts or grated dark chocolate.

Make sure the dark chocolate you use is suitable for a vegan diet if you want the finished puddings to remain completely plant-based.

Recipe Highlights

• Ease: Easy.
• Taste: Deep, rich chocolate with a naturally sweet date and roasted hazelnut topping.
• Texture: Creamy chocolate chia pudding with a rich, slightly textured date and roasted hazelnut sauce.
• Serving: Serve chilled with chopped hazelnuts or grated dark chocolate.
• Quantity: Six individual servings.
• Preparation: 15 minutes.
• Setting time: Two hours, including one hour at room temperature and one hour in the refrigerator.
• Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chia Pudding

This chocolate chia pudding is wonderfully simple to prepare, but the combination of dark chocolate, cocoa and chia seeds gives it a rich, satisfying texture that feels much more indulgent than the effort involved.

Meanwhile, the date and roasted hazelnut sauce brings natural sweetness and a deeper nutty flavour. Because the puddings are divided between individual glasses before they set, they are also particularly easy to prepare ahead and serve.

Better still, the recipe is completely plant-based when made with non-dairy milk and vegan-friendly dark chocolate.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Chocolate Chia Pudding

• Chia seeds: Use 100 g chia seeds. They absorb the liquid and naturally thicken the chocolate mixture as it rests.
• Dark chocolate: Use 100 g dark chocolate containing at least 50% cocoa solids. The WPRM recipe card also notes 65%, so a 65% dark chocolate is a suitable choice. Check the packaging to make sure your chosen chocolate is suitable for a vegan diet.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder. It reinforces the chocolate flavour without adding extra sweetness.
• Non-dairy milk: Use 700 ml almond, oat, rice or soya milk. Each variety will give the finished pudding a slightly different flavour.

Date and Hazelnut Fudge Sauce

• Medjool dates: Use 5 pitted Medjool dates. Their naturally soft and sticky texture helps create the rich, fudge-like sauce.
• Water: Use 100 ml water to soak the dates. Keep the soaking liquid because part of it is blended into the sauce.
• Roasted hazelnuts: Use 40 g whole roasted hazelnuts without their shells. Removing most of the loose skins helps prevent the sauce from tasting bitter.

How to Make Chocolate Chia Pudding

Make the Chia Pudding

1. Heat the milk: Heat the non-dairy milk in a saucepan until it is almost boiling.

2. Combine the pudding ingredients: Add the chia seeds, cocoa powder and chopped dark chocolate to a mixing bowl.

3. Add the hot milk: Pour the heated milk over the chia seed and chocolate mixture. Gently whisk until the chocolate has melted and the cocoa powder is fully incorporated.

4. Divide and set the puddings: Spoon the mixture evenly into six serving glasses and leave them to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Once cool, transfer them to the refrigerator and leave to set for another 1 hour.

5. Soak the dates: Place the pitted dates in a bowl, add the 100 ml water and leave them to soak while the chia pudding is setting.

Make the Hazelnut Fudge Sauce

6. Prepare the hazelnut sauce: Once the chia pudding has set, place the roasted hazelnuts in a food processor and process them to a purée. Add the soaked dates and half of their soaking liquid, then continue processing until almost smooth. Scrape down the sides of the food processor if the dates stick to the bowl. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more of the dates’ soaking liquid until you reach the desired consistency.

7. Finish the puddings: Spoon the hazelnut fudge sauce over the set chia puddings, then garnish with additional chopped hazelnuts and grated dark chocolate.

Variations

Change the Non-Dairy Milk

Use almond, oat, rice or soya milk according to your preference. Each will give the pudding a slightly different flavour, so you can experiment to discover which you enjoy most.

Use Hazelnut Butter

If you do not want to process whole hazelnuts, or your food processor is not powerful enough for nuts, you can use ready-made hazelnut butter instead.

The WPRM notes also allow another nut butter of your choice, although naturally this will change the flavour of the sauce.

Roast Your Own Hazelnuts

If you cannot find peeled roasted hazelnuts, roast whole hazelnuts in an oven preheated to 180°C / 350°F for 8 minutes.

Once roasted, rub them with a clean kitchen cloth or shake them vigorously in a tightly closed container for about a minute to loosen the skins.

You do not need to remove every trace of skin. Simply remove most of it, as too much can make the sauce taste slightly bitter.

Nigel’s Recipe Tips

Whisk While the Milk Is Hot

The heat from the milk melts the dark chocolate and helps the cocoa powder disperse evenly. Pour it over the chia mixture while it is still hot, then whisk gently until everything is thoroughly combined.

Divide the Pudding Before It Sets

Chia pudding becomes progressively thicker as the seeds absorb the liquid. Divide the mixture between the serving glasses immediately after whisking so that you do not have to transfer it once it has begun to set.

Make Sure the Chia Seeds Are Evenly Distributed

Give the mixture a thorough whisk before dividing it between the glasses. This helps prevent too many chia seeds gathering in one serving and gives the puddings a more consistent texture.

Add the Soaking Liquid Gradually

Start with only half of the dates’ soaking water when making the sauce. Blend first, then add a little more only if necessary.

This gives you much better control over the final consistency and prevents the sauce from becoming too thin.

Don’t Worry About Every Hazelnut Skin

You only need to remove the majority of the hazelnut skins. A small amount left behind is perfectly fine; the aim is simply to avoid too much of their slightly bitter flavour getting into the sauce.

Allow the Puddings to Set Fully

The puddings need one hour at room temperature followed by another hour in the refrigerator. Giving the chia seeds the full resting time allows them to absorb the liquid and create the intended creamy texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does Chocolate Chia Pudding Take to Set?

Allow the puddings to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate them for another 1 hour.

Together with the 15-minute preparation time, the total recipe time is 2 hours 15 minutes.

Can I Use Any Type of Non-Dairy Milk?

The recipe specifically allows almond, oat, rice or soya milk.

The flavour and final consistency may vary slightly depending on which variety you choose.

Is This Chocolate Chia Pudding Vegan?

Yes, provided you use non-dairy milk and vegan-friendly dark chocolate.

Always check the chocolate label, as some dark chocolate products may contain milk ingredients.

What Percentage of Dark Chocolate Should I Use?

Use dark chocolate containing at least 50% cocoa solids. The WPRM recipe card also notes 65%, so a 65% dark chocolate is entirely suitable.

A darker chocolate will generally give the pudding a deeper, less sweet chocolate flavour.

Can I Replace the Hazelnuts With Hazelnut Butter?

Yes. The WPRM recipe notes specifically allow ready-made hazelnut butter or another nut butter of your choice.

The consistency may vary depending on the nut butter you use, so add the dates’ soaking liquid gradually.

Do I Need to Remove All the Hazelnut Skins?

No. Remove most of the loose skins, but there is no need to make the hazelnuts completely skinless.

Why Should I Add the Date Soaking Liquid Slowly?

Adding the liquid gradually allows you to control the thickness of the hazelnut sauce. It is much easier to add a little more liquid than to correct a sauce that has become too thin.

Tools You’ll Need

• Small saucepan
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Small bowl for soaking the dates
• Food processor
• Six serving glasses

Storage and Freezing

Keep the set chocolate chia puddings covered in the refrigerator.

Freezing: not recommended

Nutrition

Serving: One serving of chocolate chia pudding.

The nutritional values will vary according to the dark chocolate, non-dairy milk, hazelnuts and serving sizes used.

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