Chocolate Cashew Chia Pudding Recipe

This healthy, high fiber and protein, chocolate cashew chia pudding recipe sweetened with medjool dates will have you coming back for more and more! It is creamy, delicious, and nutritious.

This simple combo of chocolate, cashews, dates, and chia seeds is something that everyone in the family will love. It is full of nutritious ingredients and is easy to make!

When I was little, I remember making tapioca pudding. I loved the creamy texture and the little tapioca balls that are just so fun to eat. This chocolate cashew chia pudding reminds me a little bit of that tapioca pudding that I loved so much. When the chia seeds absorb the chocolatey mixture, they take on a texture that is similar to that of tapioca. And the creaminess made by the soaked cashews is seriously unbeatable. I really couldn’t ask for anything more in a perfect little dessert. With no cooking required, this gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan treat is about as good as it gets when it comes to easy chocolate desserts! Whoever said healthy dessert was boring?!

Tiny but Mighty–The Power of Chia Seeds

It’s clear that this chia pudding is delicious, now let’s talk a little bit about how nutritious it is!

Chia seeds are full of nutritional benefits! Some of these benefits include being high in antioxidants, reducing blood sugar levels, and possible weight loss benefits. They are also high in fiber and a good way to keep your digestive system happy and healthy.

Chia seeds are tiny but mighty and a great addition to any diet!

One word of caution about chia seeds is their ability to absorb 10-12 times their weight in water. That’s a lot of absorption from a tiny seed! So be sure to prepare them properly in order to avoid digestive issues. This is as simple as adding them to a smoothie, drink, pudding, or baked goods to allow them time to absorb ample liquid. Never eat them dry.

You can learn more about these benefits here and other science-backed benefits of chia seed.

What Kind of Cashews Are Best?

In choosing your cashews, make sure they are raw. This ensures the cashews aren’t roasted or seasoned which changes their nutritional value. Roasted nuts have a lower nutritional value. Additionally, they are often roasted in highly inflammatory oils like, like canola or peanut oils–avoid these! There is also usually added salt, which isn’t terrible, but I like to be pretty picky when it comes to salt. Salt is something we use in just about everything so I love using something that will add flavor and nutritional value to recipes. Choosing salts like Himalayan pink salt or sea salt are much higher quality than traditional table salt.

So much information is available about the benefits of cashews, but I’ll highlight a few. Cashews help with healthy brain function, lower diabetes risk, and help keep your bones healthy. Here you can read more about what Dr. Axe has to say about the amazing benefits of cashews!

For maximum nutrition in this chocolate cashew chia pudding recipe, use raw cashews!

Now that you have the right cashews, let’s talk about soaking.

Why Should I Soak Cashews?

Something to be wary of when you consume nuts, legumes, and grains is phytic acid. Phytic acid is in the raw form of these foods and interferes with your body’s ability to absorb certain important nutrients. Soaking grains, legumes, and nuts reduces phytic acid. Sprouting or souring (as in sourdough) are next steps you can take to even further the reduction of phytic acid.

Without soaking, sprouting, and/or souring, phytic acid levels can cause digestive issues, as well as other health problems. Dr. Eric Berg talks about mineral deficiencies caused by phytic acid including deficiencies in iron, calcium, zinc, and copper. These deficiencies can lead to problems with digestion, as well as tooth decay.

So, now that you know all about phytic acid, soak your cashews before making your cashew chocolate chia pudding and you’ll be good to go!

I also love that soaking cashews makes them so easy to blend into a very creamy texture.

Ingredients for Cashew Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe

• Cashews
• Medjool Dates
• Cocoa Powder
• Vanilla
• Himalayan Pink Salt
• Chia Seeds

The Process

First, soak your cashews for at 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and rinse cashews. Add to high speed blender along with dates, cocoa powder, water, vanilla, and salt. When smooth, pour into glass jar. Add chia seeds and mix well to avoid clumping.

Stir every 10 minutes for thirty minutes and then place in the fridge.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow chia seeds to expand and the pudding to thicken.

Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings

Chocolate Cashew Chia Pudding Recipe

Print

Soak some cashews and whip up this delicious, creamy chia pudding for a fun, healthy afternoon snack or yummy dessert!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 12 hours

Total Time 12 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked
• 1 cup water
• 3 medjool dates, pitted
• 2 Tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of himalayan salt
• 4 Tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

1. Soak cashews in water (preferably filtered) for at least 4-8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse soaked cashews. Add to a high speed blender along with water, medjool dates, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. Blend for about 2 minutes, or until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
3. Transfer creamy chocolate mixture to a glass container and add chia seeds. Mix until chia seeds are evenly mixed.
4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
5. Top with berries, shredded coconut, or toasted nuts if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

*For less soaking time, pour hot water over cashews and soak for 20 minutes.

*If medjool dates are tough, soak in filtered water for 10 minutes before blending.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Fiber: 13.9gProtein: 8.3g