Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

I know, I know, the photo looks truly revolting but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't terrible! Chia seeds are the hot trendy food item that so many people are talking about. They're high in fiber and good fats and nutrients... blah, blah. When I saw this Pin I was intrigued.

Here is the original Pin:

Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

All you do is mix up the chia seeds with some kind of milk (I used vanilla soy), chocolate, vanilla and sweetener (I used agave). Getting it to come together really does take awhile and you do have to let it sit before you eat it so the chia seeds can absorb the liquid. When it was ready, I brought it to my husband and daughter to try. They really liked it. It's certainly no replacement for a Snickers bar but its a nice little chocolate doodad that you don't have to save as a sometimes food.

Unappetizing to say the least

It was very simple to make and the variations are almost limitless.  You could use soy milk like I did or rice, almond, coconut, goat, cow... whatever suits your dietary restrictions, tastebuds and contents of your fridge. Also, any sweetener works, honey, maple syrup, stevia I guess.  I try and stay away from any non-nutritive sweeteners... I don't trust them.

Put it all together and mix, mix, mix... mix, mix some more, mix again... then wait 20 minutes or put it in the fridge over night.

Still looks completely awful

Surprisingly to me, Nugget (my daughter) and even more surprisingly my husband, seemed to like it.  The hubs in particular thought it was pretty novel as well as tasty.

Nugget enjoys her chia seeds.  Who'da thunk?

This recipe was oddly successful; terrible to look at, decently tasty to eat.  That said, the texture is very weird.  When you eat it, it's hard to forget that you're eating seeds.  They sort of pop in your mouth as you chew your "pudding."  Also, it is incredibly not sweet.  You could certainly add more sweetener, but that would sort of defeat the point of it being a healthy recipe.

Cost: Chia seeds aren't cheap.  The bag I got from Whole Foods was $20. Of course at 2 tbsp of seeds per serving, it would last you a long time.

Prep & Execution.  It takes next to no time to make.  Dump ingredients in a bowl and mix.  The time comes in the waiting for it to settle up.

Difficulty: Very easy.

Aesthetic Appeal: Possibly the most disgusting looking thing I've ever consumed.

Life Enhancement: More than you would expect.  It's a sweet(ish) treat (kind of) that is not only not terrible for you, but actually very good for you.  It's also good for those on dairy or gluten free diets or are vegetarian or vegan.