Recipe: Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
This recipe blog is sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt.
With our family spending so much more time at home, there are days when I feel like I’m operating a restaurant out of our home kitchen. It seems like every hour someone is asking for a snack or I’ve just cleared the breakfast dishes and somehow it’s already time to make lunch. The key for survival has been having easy-to-grab and filling snacks on hand. Of course, our kids love crackers, marshmallows (ugh!) and puffed cereal as much as the next kid, but these tempting snacks always result in very grumpy kids.
Instead we’ve turned to yogurt as our go-to snack since it’s high in protein and healthy fat, and low in sugar, which helps keep everyone energized and full longer. In young kids, it’s especially important to incorporate plenty of good fats into snacks and meals—fat is essential for healthy brain development. Yogurt is high in minerals like calcium and magnesium for healthy bones and may help your family sleep better. A smoothie made with yogurt is our go-to bedtime snack that our kids sip on while we read books. And when our family off on an outdoor adventure (we get outside no matter the weather!), we love the convenience of Stonyfield whole milk yogurt pouches.
We definitely use a lot of yogurt in our household, as I’m always sneaking it into baked treats. The natural acidity of yogurt helps baked goods like muffins, pancakes, and quick-breads rise for a fluffy texture even when baking with whole grains. Plain full-fat Greek yogurt is an amazing substitution for mayo in tuna or chicken salad and is delicious in dips or dressings. We even add a spoonful of yogurt on top of chili when we don’t have sour cream on hand.
In the coming months, I’ll be sharing delicious yogurt-based recipes here with you on the Run Fast. Eat Slow. blog. We are thrilled to partner with Stonyfield Yogurt on this new content. Shalane and I have been long-time fans of Stonyfield for their delicious and nutritious organic products and thoughtful approach to working with organic family farms. Check out our Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding recipe below. It’s delicious for breakfast or a filling snack anytime of day.
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Our kids love this chocolate-y chia seed pudding especially when they get to top it with chocolate chips and strawberries. Chia seeds are tiny, but mighty. They’re loaded with omega-3’s and minerals. High fiber chia seeds combined with probiotic-rich yogurt are especially soothing to digestion. This recipe is easy to double or triple for hungry families. It’s especially delicious topped with homemade granola.
Serves 1 as breakfast or 2 as a snack
- 1/2 cup Stonyfield plain organic whole milk yogurt
- 1/2 cup whole milk (or unsweetened nut milk)
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Topping Ideas: toasted walnuts or pecans, Nutty Kids Granola, fresh berries, chopped dark chocolate bar or chocolate chips
In a wide-mouth glass jar (or a medium-size glass storage container), combine the yogurt and milk. Sprinkle in the chia seeds and immediately stir. Stir in the maple syrup and cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to allow time for the pudding to thicken (chia seeds expand and absorb the liquid).
In the morning, stir and if too thick, add more milk, to taste. Top with granola, berries, nuts, and/or chocolate chips, if desired.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
GLUTEN-FREE. VEGETARIAN.
Breakfast or After School Snack