Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding

If you’re a fan of chocolate pudding and peanut butter cups, you’re gonna love this chocolate peanut butter chia pudding. It only calls for 6 ingredients and requires zero cooking.

In general, I do not enjoy chocolate desserts. If there is chocolate cake, tart, or mousse on a menu, I basically never order it. These usually just feel like “too much” for my palate. But! There is one exception, and that is when the chocolate is paired with peanut butter.

Nutty, unctuous, salty peanut butter takes the edge off chocolate in the most magical way, and you only need to have tasted a single Reese’s cup to appreciate the sultry pairing.

If the idea of eating peanut butter cups for breakfast appeals to you, you are going to love this chocolate peanut butter chia pudding. It’s rich, creamy, super chocolatey, and happens to be a delicious way to start your day with sufficient protein and fiber. The best part: there is absolutely zero cooking involved.

Benefits of Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are an excellent source of protein, fiber, calcium, and iron, and are the richest plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also a complete protein (a rarity in the plant world), meaning they contain all nine of the essential amino acids humans need to get from food.

With help from peanut butter, this pudding has 13 grams of protein per serving (the same as 2 eggs) and offers 11.5 grams of fiber, slightly more than a third of the daily recommended amount. Hence why chia pudding makes a great vegan breakfast.

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

• Chia Seeds: Absorb liquid as they sit, making this gelatinous pudding-like texture possible.
• Non-Dairy Milk: My absolute favorite is Oatly oat milk, but you can use any unflavored vegan milk you have here.
• Cocoa Powder: Be sure to use pure unsweetened cocoa powder – not hot chocolate mix.
• Peanut Butter: For the healthiest results, use natural peanut butter with no additives; the only ingredients should be peanuts and salt. Yes, it does need a good stir when you first open the jar, but then it’s good to go. (You can also sub with natural almond or cashew butter. Allergic to nuts? Sub with tahini or sunflower butter.)
• Vanilla Extract: Adds a delicious floral note, but if you don’t have any, you can skip it.
• Maple Syrup: Be sure to use pure maple syrup (or honey) – not “pancake syrup”.

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Make the Milk Mixture

In a blender or Nutribullet, combine the milk, cocoa powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth.

Pro tip: I like to use a blender here to ensure the peanut butter is completely dissolved and will distribute evenly through the pudding. If you want to bypass the blender, you can whisk the mixture instead, but the peanut butter might be clumpy.

Step 2: Combine with Chia Seeds

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the chia seeds. Set aside for 5 minutes, then whisk again to prevent all the seeds from clumping together at the bottom.

Step 3: Chill and Serve

Refrigerate the pudding until it sets and becomes gelatinous, at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. Serve topped with bananas, red berries, granola, coconut flakes, or other toppings you like.

Storage Tips

Chia pudding is my go-to for meal prep: store it in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 4 days. If taking the pudding to go, pop it in a mason jar.

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.