Chocolate chia seed pudding

I've been wanting to write about the dinner and lunch items I've been eating this week, but I am currently spooning away this concoction:

And loving every second of it!

Meet Protein Chia Seed Pudding! In the "healthy" food-blog world there has been a uprising of chia seed recipes in the past year and I have jumped on the bandwagon in the past few months. I now use chia seeds in my oatmeal every morning to really "pump up" my oats and I also use them in all of my smoothies.

If you don't know about chia seeds, here's a bit of background. They are native to Mexico and Central/South America and the name actually comes from the aboriginal, Nahuatl word meaning oily. When soaked in water they "puff up" and produce a gelatin-like coating, but ground chia seeds can be used in baking. They are high in omega-3's and fiber which is why they have become a common health food today.

But you may also remember the ever-loved Chia pet which sprouts the seeds and makes an alfalfa-type plant.

 

Now, back to the delicious pudding.

Here's what you need:

3 Tbsp chia seeds

1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (about 16 grams)

1/2 - 3/4 cup milk (or water)

2 Tbsp cottage cheese

And any other flavors you might want, a dash of vanilla or cinnamon would be great!

Blend all the ingredients in a blender adding more liquid if necessary; I had to splash a little more in as it was blending. Then let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes so that seeds are able to "puff up" in the liquid. I waited as long as it took me to do the dishes and then I dug in!

As you can see I added some chocolate chips on top for an extra treat!

If you've never eaten chia seeds this way before, the texture might surprise you a bit, it does have a gelatin-type texture, but I think it's refreshing. Especially when you use cold liquid in the mixture, it's reminiscent of real chocolate pudding.  

Notes:

If you don't have protein powder, a mixture of cocoa powder and sweetener to taste would substitute just fine. 

I hope you enjoy the recipe and join the chia-craze!

For more chia seed pudding recipes, visit pure2raw, they have tons of puddings and other great ideas for chia seeds too!

Did you ever have a chia pet? Do you use chia seeds in food?