This easy low-carb chocolate chia pudding recipe can be made with either regular or dark unsweetened cocoa. It's a simple dessert that's super healthy too!
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Need a chocolate fix? Who doesn't? I make this easy low-carb chia seed pudding often and store it in single-serving containers to take along to work. It makes a great snack in the morning or a tasty dessert after lunch.
It can be tough to find pre-packaged keto-friendly snacks and sides for your lunch. That's why I like to make my own!
You'll really enjoy the rich chocolate flavor and silky, velvety texture. It's a divine recipe that'll make you miss chocolate pudding just a little more.
Ingredients
Luckily, all the ingredients in this chocolate chia pudding are really easy to find. There are just five simple things in it.
Milk
Use your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk. Either almond milk or coconut milk will work perfectly. Also, remember to use plain (not vanilla-flavored) milk.
Sweetener
I used four packets of Stevia sweetener. You could also add a few Stevia drops until you get it to taste as sweet as you want it to!
Cocoa
Although I used regular unsweetened cocoa in the chia pudding pictured here, I prefer the bittersweet taste of dark chocolate over milk chocolate.
So, using Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa is what I like to use for this pudding. I also prefer dark cocoa when making my low-carb chocolate mousse recipe.
Chia Seeds
The chia seeds are what make it set up and have that pudding-like texture. You don't need much, but they are an essential part of the recipe.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla is optional. I think it rounds out the flavors really nicely, so I suggest adding a little bit to the pudding!
Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.
Quick tips
- Whip the pudding after it is set. It gets pretty thick after sitting overnight in the refrigerator, so I'll sometimes put it in a mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer to fluff it up. Totally not necessary, but I find it makes it somewhat creamier.
- The amount of chia seeds can be adjusted as needed to achieve the desired thickness.
- Garnish with some keto whipped cream and a fresh mint leaf.
Instructions
All the exact steps needed to make this chocolate chia pudding are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, I wanted to share a quick overview, along with some additional tips.
Mix Everything Except The Chia Seeds
The first step is to mix the almond milk, sweetener, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. You don't need any fancy equipment, just mix it up with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Stir In Chia Seeds
Next, stir in the chia seeds. You'll stir them, then let them rest for 5 minutes, and stir them again. Keep repeating this cycle for about 15 minutes.
Let It Chill
Finally, cover the pudding with plastic wrap or a lid and set it in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Optional: Whip It Up
If you want, you can use an electric mixer to whip it up after it sets.
️ Serving suggestions
Since this is such a versatile little snack, you can enjoy the chocolate chia seed pudding by itself or serve it with your favorite munchies or desserts.
If you want a sweet and salty snack combination, then grab a handful of keto cheese puff popcorn. They have a delightful crunch!
Some keto shortbread cookies will pair perfectly with the pudding on the dessert table. They are really light and allow the pudding to have the spotlight.
Or, if you are planning a chocolate dessert tray, add some keto almond flour brownie bites to the platter. They are incredibly rich and will taste amazing with the pudding!
FAQs
Before we get to the printable recipe card, here are some questions people often ask about how to make it. If you don't see your question in this list, please leave it in the comments.
Is this chia seed pudding healthy?
Yes, there are lots of healthy things about this pudding. Chia seeds are really high in healthy fats - which your body needs in order to say in ketosis.
This sugar-free chocolate chia pudding is also loaded with healthy fiber. I find this tasty chocolate snack really fills me up, which keeps me from overeating between meals.
It's almost routine for me to whip up this super easy low-carb pudding every weekend.
How do you store leftover chia seed pudding?
Always keep homemade chia pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to a week.
This is the perfect way to satiate your chocolate and sweets craving. When you serve it in small ramekins, it is already portioned out, so it's easy to eat just a little bit at a time.
Related recipes
If you enjoyed this chocolate chia pudding, then you'll really enjoy these low-carb pudding recipes next. They are creamy and delightful too!
- Sugar-Free White Chocolate Pudding is really easy to top with your favorite fruit slices.
- Chocolate Keto Avocado Pudding is a paleo recipe that only takes 5 minutes to make.
- Sugar-Free Banana Pudding tastes like an island treat with a really light texture too.
- Quick And Easy Chocolate Tofu Pudding has a thicker mouthfeel and is really high in protein.
- Strawberry Chia Pudding only has 3g net carbs in each serving and has the most delightful flavor.
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Recipe
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- 4 packets stevia or stevia drops to desired sweetness
- ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa I prefer dark
- ½ cup chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Pour almond milk, sweetener, vanilla extract (optional) and cocoa in a small bowl.
- Mix with a fork until well combined.
- Stir in chia seeds, then stir every 5 minutes for the next 15 minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- If desired, beat the pudding with an electric mixer.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First published on April 8, 2015. Updated on October 19, 2021, with new images and additional recipe information.
Cat
Flavorless. Used Allulose to flavor and even then did not bring out the flavor of the cocoa. Added cacao nibs and if I had not done that it would be like eating flavorless slime. Maybe a good base, but needs some tweaking to be palatable.
Alana
Loved the flavor, thanks!
Also I think the comment entry should be before all the comments, like at the beginning of the comment area.
Darcie Calise
I drink Fairlife Fat Free milk. Can I use this instead of almond milk?
Skyerose
What sweeterners can be used instead of stevia? Stevia gives me a headache/ nausea :). And how much sweeterner is needed in oz/ grams
Kathy
The recipes look yummy and I was wondering if they could be made with full fat greek yogurt instead of milk and ground chia rather than seed form? I'd also use cacao powder or flavour extracts which could provide a huge variety of flavours ! One final question, could you freeze this for frozen dessert in summer? Thank you
Lisa MarcAurele
If you use yogurt instead of milk, the pudding will likely be super thick. You'd likely need to add in some liquid as the seeds absorb liquid and gel up. I haven't tried freezing it, but it would likely work for a frozen dessert.
Jenny
I love the vanilla chia pudding recipe. I’m curious why the chocolate chia pudding recipe doesn’t call for cream like the vanilla one does?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's just a different version but you can certainly use cream if you like a richer pudding.
Debbie C
Can you use heavy cream instead of a milk to keep the carbs lower?
Lisa MarcAurele
Almond and coconut milk have fewer carbs than heavy cream but you can use either.
Jill
I was going to make this with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but then I saw your note not to. Why should I not use flavored almond milk?
Lisa MarcAurele
You can use flavored almond milk. Just make sure it's unsweetened.
Barbara
This is really good! Thank you for the recipe.
alexis
can I substitute stevia for honey
Lisa MarcAurele
Any sweetener is fine to use in the recipe. Just adjust the sweetness to taste.
Saleha
Yum!! This was such a decadent dessert, ratios worked great! Other than the chia seeds and vanilla essence I used Califia Farms almond milk, Valrhona cocoa, 2 tablespoons of Lakanto sugar free maple flavored syrup with monkfruit, and added in a bit of sea salt.
Tracy
Very good, but are you saying that for 1 cup of this, the net carbs are only 3 g., but for your vanilla chia seed pudding - which has very similar ingredients and amounts - the net carbs are 4 g. for only 1/2 cup?? I am a little confused.
https://lowcarbyum.com/simple-chia-seed-vanilla-pudding/
Lisa MarcAurele
It's because of the almond milk which has a lower carb count than heavy cream and coconut milk. But nutritional info is approximate and so are the sizes.
Lisa
I am not sure what went wrong I used Hershey unsweetened cocoa it’s so bitter you can barely eat it any thoughts?
Lisa MarcAurele
You can try adding more sweetener and a little more vanilla to offset the bitter taste.
Lisa
Thank you for the reply I think I figured it out my chia seeds went bad. I will buy some more and try again ????do you know how much monk fruit I should be using I have lakanto classic ?
Lisa MarcAurele
I'd start with 4 teaspoons and add more to taste if needed.
Stacey M
Hi Lisa - Can you help me understand why it says 1.3 net carbs in Notes and 3 net carbs in the Nutrition info and under Additional Notes? Thanks!
Lisa MarcAurele
The note was from an old calculation and should have been deleted.
Stacey Allison
I've been making your simple vanilla chia pudding with canned coconut milk and really like it. Do I also use the "canned" coconut milk for this recipe or the refrigerated coconut milk in a carton?
Thank you.
Lisa MarcAurele
I've used either one. It really depends on what you prefer. Some don't like the strong coconut taste that you get from canned coconut milk.
Sandra
I made this today, but the only milk I had was chocolate almond milk. Well, I wont make it any other way!!! Thank you for this great tasty treat!!!
Terri
Instead of stevia what natural sugar can I use. I don’t like artificial sweeteners?
Lisa MarcAurele
You can use any of the low carb sweeteners in the conversion chart or just sub in a natural sweetener of your choice.
Sandra
Hi, I've actually read a lot that stevia is plant based and considered a natural sweetener. What are your thoughts?
Lisa MarcAurele
Stevia is an herbal sweetener. You can even grow your own plant and dry the leaves to use as a sweetener. However, most stevia sweeteners have been processed unnaturally into a white powder. Unprocessed stevia is green and has a somewhat grassy sweet taste.
Kathy Bunge
I make a very similar pudding but also add 3 tsp. of cinnamon! I also use three packets of Splenda instead of Stevia. Love this pudding!!
Lisa MarcAurele
Cinnamon is a nice spice to add to anything chocolate!
Marissa
I am doing the lazy Keto diet and I did 1 cup heavy cream and 1,5 cups of almond milk...it’s delicious! This pudding is very satisfying and helps to keep you ‘regular’ ???
Audrey Ling
I made this this morning and I pulled it out of the fridge about 5 hours later...and it was still VERY liquidy not at all thick, but I ate it anyway and was very tasty. The only thing I did differently was used sweeten low instead of stevia...I can not handle the taste or after taste of stevia or swerve. Could that be why it didn’t thicken?
Lisa MarcAurele
I just think you needed to add more chia. It's the amount of chia seeds used that determines the thickness.
Paige
Hey Lisa!
I’m in the middle of making this, and I imported it to my Carb Manager App. It says AVOID because it has 8 net carbs and 43 grams of fat for 1/4 of recipe. Can you help clarify, please?
Lisa MarcAurele
I just recalculated and got similar numbers. Not sure where carb manager is getting it's numbers but it seems way off.
Leqa Jaffer
I added half an avocado. It was great !!
Gayle
Yum! I thought the flavor was delicious. I only had about 1.5 cups of almond milk so substituted a cup of heavy whipping cream. And, only had about half of the regular cocoa powder so substituted the balance with dark chocolate cocoa powder. Mine was very thick. I used a stick blender to blend during the 5 minute processing intervals. At 1 hour it was more of a tapioca texture and the chia seeds were only slightly crunchy. Just waiting to see if the seeds become completely soft. This is a fantastic treat for those overwhelming cravings for sweet and chocolate!!!
John
First time I made this. Added another cup of coconut milk along with 1/3 cup of shredded coconut and four scoops of pea-based protein powder to up the fat and protein content. Really good and very easy to make. Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa
Thanks for sharing your version!
PrestFam
I was disappointed, my chia pudding had no flavor. It wasn't good and it wasn't bad, completely flavorless. I wouldn't consider it a dessert or a snack (as far as something to look forward to eating) but I would eat it just as a good source of fiber and for all of the chia seed nutritional benefits. Any suggestions for flavor? I wasn't sure if I would mess up the consistency if I added more cocoa powder after the pudding already set.
Lisa
You could add more cocoa, vanilla extract, and or sweetener.
Marlene
I added a little extra vanilla and definitely extra sweetener. This helps so much!
Lisa
Thanks for the tip Marlene!
SweetiePi
Hi PrestFam. Some suggestions. I used the dark chocolate cocoa, I also used 2 tbsp Swerve sweetener (that may sound like a lot, but dark chocolate is BITTER). I started with 2/3 cup of whipping cream and then added coconut milk to 2 1/4 cups. If you want to amp up the protein, I added about 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder as well. It had LOTS of flavor.
Erica
If I was to make the full recipe with the 4 servings, how long would it be good to keep in the fridge? Because I'd love to prep this on a Sunday night and then have servings for Mon-Thurs
Thanks!
Lisa
It's good for at least a week.
Christine
Game Changer! ❤️
Tama
What is the serving size? It says 4 but what is it split into? Love this and my kids ate the rest without even knowing it was healthy!
Lisa
I get about a cup or so for each serving.
Joy
Amazing chia! Now that I've got the basics down, I'm thinking about variations, like coffee, mint, raspberry, or coconut extracts.
Lisa
All great possibilities!
Audrey Hagan
I added a little heavy cream and a double shot of espresso, pretty tasty, but I put in a little too much chocolate powder!
Lisa
Espresso powder always makes chocolate taste a little better.
Tammy
If I am using stevia drops instead of the packets, how much should I use? OR if I use Swerve, how much should I use?
Lisa
I packet is equal to about 5 drops of stevia or 1 teaspoon Swerve. Eventually, I need to put together a sweetener conversion page. It's on my To Do list.
Elie
Yes please!
Sivan Ebbert
This is my go to dessert every night on my Ketogenic diet . I love that it has less than 2 net carbs and it hits the spot to making me full on less calories than the average Keto desserts . Thank you for my regular dessert recipes
Lisa
You're welcome! 🙂
P
Never ate chia before. Why chia in a natural pudding? Because it gels so it's a vegan type thickener?
Lisa
It's perfect as a thickener!
Cheryl
Mine wasn't very thick at all. I added heavy cream and used a mixer and it got thicker. It had good flavor and I topped with cool whip. Love these healthy recipes!
Lisa
Heavy cream will result in a thicker pudding.
Ronnie
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of unsweetened almond milk? Will that change anything?
Lisa MarcAurele
I recommend diluting the heavy cream with water first because it's very calorie dense and much thicker than almond milk. But you can use heavy cream straight if you wish. You may want to reduce the amount of chia seeds as you don't need as much thickener.
Sarah
Could you sub heavy cream or soy milk if there is a nut allergy?
Lisa
You can. I sub those all the time.
Taylor
I found this page while googling low gi desserts as I am prediabetic. I'm not lactose intolerant though, and I'm really not a fan of (at least drinking) non dairy milk substitutes. But will substituting milk or heavy cream affect the glycemic load, sugar or carbs in the recipe? I'd much rather like to use regular milk but not at the detriment to my health!
Lisa
I've had great results using coconut cream. Heavy cream is lower in sugar than whole milk so that's the one I would use. Sometimes, I dilute heavy cream with water to make it more like milk.
Linh
Very tasty! I love it and at least one of my kids likes it (I think if I cut the cinnamon the other one will like it too).Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa
Love that one of your kids likes it! 🙂
Donna
This is so easy to make and so delicious!
Lisa
Thanks Donna!
Julie Evans
Hi, how much stevia is 4 packets?
Lisa
It's about 8 teaspoons or just shy of 3 tablespoons.
Maribel
What is the serving size. Is it like 1 cup?
Lisa
It's about a cup or a little less.
Kelly
So I cup is 13 carbs?
Lisa
That's total. It's only 1.3g net.
Denise Greco
what makes it thicken
Lisa
It's the chia which forms a gel in liquid.
Tayo
Do you think it round make a difference to blend the chia seeds first. I don't like texture in my cold pudding.
Lisa
I have blended the chi in before and it makes a smoother texture, but I prefer keeping them whole.
Joy
Thanks for the inspiration, Lisa. I blended the finished pudding in my Ninja blender single serve cup, and it turned out super smooth.
Lisa
Great to know. My blender isn't very good so that's probably why my pudding wasn't as smooth.
Falon
My chia seeds say 1 net carb per 1 tablespoon. If I am using a 1/2 cup measurement of chia seeds that's about 8 tablespoons which would be at least 8 net carbs in this pudding. I'm confused concerning the nutrition info given on this recipe.
Lisa
It does vary by brand for some reason. My lists 1 net carb per 2 tablespoons.
Erica Holloway
If you are using half a cup of chia seeds, you are probably making a 6 cup serving recipe which breaks down to about 2 net carbs per serving
Lisa
Thanks Erica!
Michele
Minus the fiber from the carbs to get the net carbs
Emily
Just a warning to those using only full fat coconut milk, it can raise the calories to 400+ per serving. Going to try this recipe tomorrow and do 1 cup full fat coconut milk and 1.5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk! 🙂
Lisa
That's why it's a good idea to use it sparingly!
Jae
The recipe ingredients list doesn't show vanilla, yet the directions say to mix in the vanilla. How much vanilla is it? lol
Lisa
Good catch! I've made this so many times over the years. The vanilla is optional. Sometimes I add it and other times I leave it out. It does enhance the chocolate flavor when added though. I believe it's like 1/2 teaspoon.
Alyssa @ Simply Quinoa
Chia pudding is totally one of my favorite things ever. From breakfast to dessert, it's just the best! Can't wait to try your version 🙂
Lisa
Glad to see other chia pudding lovers out there!
Michelle king
Hi. How long does it take before it looks like pudding ? Mine is still very runny.
Lisa
Mine only took 15 minutes. If it's too thin, add in more chia.
Blessing
I love chocolates! How do I get my portion of the dessert?
The dessert looks very enticing and delicious and I should make my own version soonest.
Lisa
You will definitely love this Blessing!
Josie
YUM! I just did a peanut butter and nutella chia pudding on my blog! I think our two chia puddings should be best friends! 🙂
Lisa
Chocolate and peanut butter are always best friends!
Barbara @ Spirited Cook
I have yet to make chocolate chia pudding and I must try it because I have had it at Whole Foods and it is so good!
Lisa
It's a favorite of mine, especially since it is so easy to make. I definite must try!
pam (Sidewalk Shoes)
I can't believe I still haven't tried a chia pudding!