Learn how to make Chocolate AND Raspberry Chia Pudding!
These easy-to-follow instructions will teach you how to make TWO different chia pudding flavors, chocolate & raspberry, and how to elevate each flavor into an irresistible chia seed dessert with a creamy texture.
At a glance, these gorgeous bowls of chia pudding may look like an indulgent dessert loaded with sugar, but they are actually quite healthy.
The sweetness comes from dark chocolate, raspberries, and maple syrup, so there is no added refined sugar!
Chia seeds have become very popular in recent years because they are very nutritious and super versatile.
They are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and antioxidants. In addition, they are packed with soluble fiber, which helps regulate digestion and keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Chia seeds can be used as an egg substitute, added to smoothies and energy drinks, and used to thicken soups and sauces. However, the most popular way to prepare chia seeds is to make chia pudding.
You’ll love these delicious chia desserts when you’re craving something sweet but want to stick to your health and wellness goals.
In this post, I’m sharing two chia pudding recipes, one for chocolate chia pudding and one for raspberry chia pudding, along with toppings to choose from to make your chocolate and raspberry chia pudding an elegant, restaurant-worthy dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Here are five reasons why this recipe is a keeper:
- It gives plain chocolate and raspberry chia pudding an Insta-worthy upgrade.
- There are only five simple ingredients, and it’s very easy to make dairy-free and vegan.
- This healthy treat is nutritious and delicious!
- These chia desserts are perfect for brunch events, date nights, Christmas mornings, Valentine’s Day, and Galentine’s Day.
- This chia pudding recipe is very easy to make, and no cooking is required (apart from melting some chocolate).
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe has instructions for two flavors of chia pudding: chocolate chia pudding and raspberry chia pudding.
Here’s what you’ll need:
For Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Dark chocolate – I like using 72% dark chocolate, but any dark chocolate that is at least 70% or higher works. It’s best to use a good-quality chocolate bar rather than chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have added stabilizers and don’t melt as nicely as a bar of chocolate.
- Milk – This can be dairy milk or any dairy-free milk alternative, like almond, cashew, oat, or macadamia nut milk. I also like using boxed coconut milk beverage. If you want to use canned coconut milk, you will need to blend it with water. Plain coconut water works too.
- Chia seeds – The best chia seeds are speckled black or white. Avoid chia seeds that are a solid brown color. The uniform color indicates the seeds were harvested before maturity, resulting in fewer nutrients and a bitter taste.
For Raspberry Chia Pudding
- Raspberries – I encourage you to use fresh raspberries when they’re in season, but frozen raspberries work just as well when they’re out of season.
- Milk – Your choice! This can be regular milk or your favorite vegan milk alternative.
- Maple syrup – I didn’t initially include a sweetener in this recipe, but a few readers mentioned that the pudding wasn’t sweet enough. With a touch of pure maple syrup is now perfect. Note that maple syrup is only added to the raspberry pudding.
- Chia seeds – You can use black or white chia seeds. They are nearly identical nutritionally and in flavor.
Toppings
Enhance the chocolatey and raspberry elements with chocolate and raspberry garnishes!
I like topping chocolate chia pudding with raspberries or raspberry sauce and raspberry chia pudding with dark chocolate chunks or dark chocolate shavings.
Feel free to customize your chia pudding flavor and toppings combination.
How To Make Chocolate and Raspberry Chia Pudding
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make chocolate and raspberry chia pudding. Once you’ve gathered the ingredients, assembly is a cinch!
For the full recipes, see the recipe card below.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Make the chocolate milk: Add the chocolate and a cup of milk to a small pot, and heat over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Then, remove the pot from the heat, and mix in the remaining milk. Let cool to room temperature.
- Mix and chill: Add the cooled chocolate milk to a glass container with a tight-fitted lid or a glass jar. Add the chia seeds and mix well, then let it stand for about ten minutes. Give the mixture another good stir, then cover and refrigerate overnight—fluff with a fork before serving.
Raspberry Chia Pudding
- Make the raspberry milk: Puree the raspberries in a food processor or high-speed blender. Add a cup of milk and maple syrup, and pulse a few more times to combine.
- Mix and chill: Pour the raspberry milk mixture into a glass container or a mason jar. Add the chia seeds and mix well. Let it stand for about ten minutes, then stir once more. Cover and refrigerate overnight, then fluff with a fork and serve.
Recipe Video
Here is the recipe video to help you make it:
4 Ways to Assemble Chocolate and Raspberry Chia Dessert
These four chia desserts are made by combining the same ingredients in a slightly different way.
1. Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberries
This chia dessert is made by simply combining the chocolate chia seed pudding with raspberries.
Although you can use fresh or frozen raspberries to make this dessert, fresh raspberries are preferred because they hold their shape better and don’t contain extra moisture.
2. Raspberry Chia Pudding with Chocolate Chunks
This chia dessert is made by combining raspberry chia pudding with chocolate chunks. You can use fresh or frozen raspberries for this chia pudding.
Make sure to use a good quality 70% dark chocolate and make chocolate chunks yourself by simply chopping the chocolate with a knife. You can also use cacao nibs.
Decorate this chia dessert with a few raspberries to add some color.
3. Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberry Sauce
This chia dessert is made by combining chocolate chia pudding with raspberry sauce.
You can make the sauce smoother if you push it through a mesh strainer to remove the tiny raspberry seeds.
4. Chocolate Raspberry Chia Pudding
This is the original recipe that was first published in December 2013.
This chia dessert is made by combining the chocolate chia pudding with raspberry chia pudding and garnishing it with some chocolate chunks and raspberries.
The chocolate chia pudding is heavier than raspberry chia pudding, so it’s better to put it on the bottom layer.
Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips on how to customize the recipe:
- Make it even sweeter – To me, flavoring chia seed pudding with chocolate or raspberry sauce is enough sweetness, but if you’d like to make yours sweeter, try using sweetened non-dairy milk or add a bit more maple syrup or your favorite natural sweetener.
- No added sugars – This is a great tip submitted by a reader. Instead of adding maple syrup, blend a ripe banana in with the milk and chocolate (or raspberry) sauce, and then use that mixture to soak your chia seeds.
- Raspberry sauce for chia pudding – To make a quick homemade raspberry sauce for chia pudding, blend the raspberries until smooth, then add maple syrup, and pulse to combine. Pour the sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds and pulp. Check out this post for more info.
Storing
Once the pudding thickens, portion it out into meal prep containers, and keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.
Remember, the flavors will diminish the longer it’s refrigerated. I found the integrity of the chocolate flavor holds up better than the raspberry.
The assembled desserts can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few related questions about making chia pudding:
Do you soak chia seeds before making chia pudding?
No. If you soak your chia seeds beforehand, the chia won’t have the capacity to absorb the milk, so it won’t thicken into a creamy pudding. For chia pudding, the seeds are always soaked directly in milk.
How long do chia seeds need to soak in milk?
The longer chia seeds are left to soak and absorb the milk, the more hydrated and moist they become.
So, at the bare minimum, let the chia seed milk mixture stand in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
But for an even softer and creamier texture, let the pudding stand in the refrigerator overnight.
Why is my chia seed pudding runny?
If your chia pudding has a watery, sticky consistency, you may have overmixed the ingredients, or the chia seed-to-liquid ratio was off.
Next time, blend the milk, chocolate or raspberry sauce, and maple syrup before adding the seeds; when you add the seeds, mix until combined.
How do you make vegan chocolate chia pudding?
To make chocolate chia pudding without dairy, use your favorite vegan milk alternative and ensure your chocolate bar is dairy-free.
A reader mentioned making this with coconut milk and using cocoa powder plus a splash of vanilla instead of dark chocolate with great results!
More Recipes with Chocolate and Raspberries
If you love chocolate and raspberries as much as I do, check out these healthy recipes:
- Healthy Chocolate Waffles
- Raspberry Hot Chocolate
- Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
- Hot Chocolate Oatmeal
- Healthy Raspberry Muffins
Chocolate and Raspberry Chia Pudding (4 Ways)
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Ingredients
1. For Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberries (makes about 3 to 4 small or 2 large chia desserts):
- 2 oz (60 grams) dark 70% chocolate
- 1¼ cup milk of your choice
- 3 Tbsp chia seeds
- 6 oz (170 grams) raspberries (fresh raspberries are better but frozen will work too)
2. For Raspberry Chia Pudding with Chocolate Chunks (makes 2 chia desserts):
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries (+ a few raspberries to decorate)
- 1 cup milk of your choice
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp chia seeds
- 0.5 oz (15 grams) oz/ 30 g dark 70% chocolate (chopped)
3. For Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberry Sauce (makes 2 chia desserts):
- 2 oz dark 70% chocolate
- 1¼ cup milk of your choice
- 3 Tbsp chia seeds
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 2 tsp maple syrup
4. For Chocolate and Raspberry Chia Pudding (makes about 3 to 4 small or 2 large chia desserts):
- 2 oz (60 grams) dark 70% chocolate (+ a few chocolate shavings to decorate)
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries (+ a few raspberries to decorate)
- 2¼ cup milk of your choice (divided)
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 6 Tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
Chocolate Chia Pudding (yields about 1¼ cup):
- Place the chocolate in a small pot and add 1 cup of milk. Start melting the chocolate by warming it up over medium heat. Make sure the mixture doesn’t become too hot. Stir until the chocolate is melted and combined with the milk.
- When the chocolate has melted, take the pot off the heat and add the remaining ¼ cup of milk. Mix and let it cool to room temperature.
- Once the chocolate milk is cool, pour it into a jar or glass container and add 3 tablespoons of the chia seeds. Mix well until all the chia seeds are covered with the liquid. Let it stand for about 10 minutes then stir one more time. Cover the container with a tight lid and place in the refrigerator.
- Keep the chocolate chia seeds in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Once ready to prepare the dessert, stir the chia pudding with a fork to loosen it up.
Raspberry Chia Pudding (yields about 1¼ cup):
- Puree ½ cup of raspberries in a food processor or blender. Add 1 cup of milk and 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and pulse a few times to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a jar or a glass container and add 3 tablespoons of chia seeds. Mix well until all the chia seeds are covered with the liquid. Let it stand for about 10 minutes then stir one more time. Cover the container with a tight lid and place in the refrigerator.
- Keep the raspberry chia seeds in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Once ready to prepare the dessert, stir the chia pudding with a fork to loosen it up.
#1. Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberries:
- Prepare the chocolate chia pudding following the above instructions.
- Once the pudding is ready, arrange it in dessert glasses or bowls by layering the pudding and raspberries.
#2. Raspberry Chia Pudding with Chocolate Chunks:
- Prepare the raspberry chia pudding following the above instructions.
- Once the pudding is ready, arrange it in dessert glasses or bowls.
- Sprinkle with the chocolate chunks and decorate with raspberries.
#3. Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberry Sauce
- Prepare the chocolate chia pudding following the above instructions.
- To prepare the raspberry sauce, place the raspberries into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and pulse a few times to combine. You can also push the sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
- Once the pudding is ready, arrange it in dessert glasses or bowls and top it up with the raspberry sauce.
# 4. Chocolate and Raspberry Chia Pudding:
- Prepare the chocolate chia pudding and the raspberry chia puddings following the instructions above.
- Once the puddings are ready, arrange them in glasses or dessert bowls. Place the chocolate chia pudding on the bottom and the raspberry chia pudding on top.
- To decorate the chia pudding, add about 2 tablespoons of the shaved chocolate and a few raspberries to each dessert glass.
Video
Recipe Notes
The nutrition facts are an estimate. Variations in ingredient brands, portion sizes, or substitutions can affect the final nutritional values. For the most accurate information, please use a nutrition calculator or consult with a healthcare provider. Always ensure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.
The Story of This Recipe
The classic flavor combination of chocolate and raspberries is often used to create traditional desserts, cakes, and ice cream. It’s also one of my favorite flavor combinations.
So, a few years ago, I decided to try and make a chia seed dessert with chocolate and raspberries. It worked really well, and I published the original recipe for the Chocolate and Raspberry Chia Pudding (#4) in December 2013 here on the blog.
As time passed, I came up with three more ways to make this dessert using the same ingredients.
So in May of 2017, I updated this post to include Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberries (#1), Raspberry Chia Pudding with Chocolate Chunks (#2), and Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberry Sauce (#3).
I also improved the original recipe by adjusting the ratio of the chocolate pudding and adding a small amount of maple syrup (the original recipe didn’t include any sweetener, and many people commented that the dessert wasn’t sweet enough).
Meet Maria
Maria Ushakova is a holistic nutritionist and food blogger. She focuses on developing easy recipes using real food ingredients. She believes that healthy food is delicious and anyone can learn how to cook it. Maria’s work has appeared on numerous popular websites as well as in print.
This is the best recipe for chia pudding I’ve tried. Thank you for sharing 🙂
This was delicious!!! Very creative recipe. Thank you for sharing.
This was delicious!!! Very creative recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Wow 4 recipes in 1!
This has been pinned! Any combo of raspberries and chocolate is fab…especially if it’s for breakfast & good for you too. For the person concerned about the sweetener, you can also sweeten in a ‘no sugars added’ way by blending a banana with the milk & then using that to hydrate the chia seeds. Banana also gets along ok with chocolate & raspberries can easily over power the banana’s flavor leaving mostly the sweeter taste.
Delicious recipe, thankyou! Perfect amount of sweetness and amazing texture. How long would this last in the fridge?
It good for 2 days. After that it starts to get a little bland not noticable. I kept it for 5 days for my friends who could never make it. They kept saying they would come please keep it (after seeing the pics I posted) they loved it after 5 days. But I could notice a slight decrease in flavour.
Hi, Abbey! I am so glad you like the recipe. Like Mangalore Cafe said it keeps well for about two days. The chocolate chia pudding would last longer than the raspberry. But if they have been mixed, especially if you’ve added the berries, I wouldn’t keep it more than two days.
Agave also works amazingly well with this recipe, i would not recommend honey in this recipe because it seems to take over the flavor, For my first ever chia pudding it was amazing!
I added a bit of organic maple syrup to both the raspberry and chocolate mixes. Also I am vegan and did not have any vegan chocolate chips handy so I substituted those for cocao powder and a splash of vanilla. I also substituted coconut milk with almond milk as it was the only thing I had. Turned out great! The chocolate layer was nice a rich and the tartness of the raspberries complimented it nicely. It was also very easy and I am a college student so anything that is quick and easy is right up my alley. Thanks for the post!
What chocolate did you use? There are so many options for dark chocolate and I’m never sure which one is best. Thanks for your help.
I used 72% dark chocolate. I would say anything 70% and up is good. For this recipe or any other recipe where you have to melt the chocolate, it’s better to buy the chocolate in a bar or large chunks and not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have stabilizers in them that help to keep the shape when baking and for this reason, they don’t melt well. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other question.
What kind of coconut milk do you use. 100 % coconut milk out of a can? And how many grams is a chocolate square?
Hi Julie, I use coconut milk beverage which is coconut milk out of a box, like So Delicious brand, for example, but you could use one from a can and just dilute it with water. Plain coconut water works too. I am not sure how many grams the chocolate square is because I don’t have it on hand right now. I only know the size which is 2 X 2 inches for 1 square. It should yield about 2 tablespoons when it’s melted. It doesn’t have to be super precise. I usually melt a little bit and then see if it’s approximately 2 tablespoons and if not I melt some more. You can also put a bit less chocolate too. Hope this helps 🙂
Love this recipe! I’ll definitly try it out! 🙂
I made mine with macadamia milk, pineapple, brown sugar and some grapes added. It was awesome. I didnt use cinnamon only cocoa powder.
Yum, amd so pretty! I love that it’s DF
Different brands have different size “chocolate squares”. Not sure how to make my sure my measurements are correct without melting a handful of the chocolate squares I DO have, measuring out about 2 tablespoons of it, and then mixing THAT in a separate pan with the non-dairy milk. I’m not one of those women who was born with the magic ability to look at chunks of chocolate and say, “Yes, I can already tell that this will yield exactly 2 tablespoons when melted. “
I’ll definitely make it again. I made a few minor adjustments to enhance the flavors in both parts. I added a small amount of agave to both parts, I’m fine with dark chocolate but my boyfriend prefers it to be a bit sweeter, and my berries weren’t very sweet so I added it to help with that a bit. I also ended up adding a bit more chocolate than originally called for to make it a bit richer, and ended up stirring in a spoonful of blackberry jam to give the raspberry bit a touch more flavor. Overall though it was delicious. Boyfriend and I will definitely be eating this again soon! Maybe with some sliced banana and granola. Yum
Great recipe Maria but try fresh coconut water from a young thai coconut instead of boxed coconut milk. Much healthier and coconut water has magical energy power.
That’s a great idea! Unfortunately, fresh coconut water from a young coconut is rarely available around here, otherwise I would use it more often in my recipes. 🙂
It was such a mess, I did this cause I was home alone so I had to cook. I found out there was no sugar I had not extracted enough coconut milk so I had to add unsweetened Soy milk.
By mistake I added fine semolina to the raspberry and milk in the blender, thats when I realized there was no sugar it was fine semolina!!
I was in not mood to break a coconut and make some more milk. So I just strained the semolina out throw a lot of the slush added some more soy milk and then I had frozen blueberries with me!!!
Add the blueberries and it was yummy!!
I thought I was saved but there was more
I just could not follow the measurement for the chia seeds(I used turkmania seeds) it just seemed too less and when I added the chocolate to the glass and then added the raspberry(blueberry) it just mixed up together :(.
I tried to add more chia seeds but no avail. Then I just boiled a little agar agar mixed it with chocolate and let it set in the glass and then poured the raspberry on top of it. Its perfect.
But no chocolate left for garnish. I thought maybe I added too little chocolate so I added everything I had. but still it would not become thick.
Anyways it turned out well. I think the mistake I did was to saok the chia seeds in water first.
To swell. I think maybe if i added it to the milk it would asborb the water from the milk and make it thicker But it sure takes a lot of time for it to swell in coconut milk I tried it once. It was still black after 5 hours.
OMG, this is the messiest post I have ever seen about food preparation. 🙂 I immediately thought of this list: http://www.viralnova.com/awful-cooking-fails/ Yours could be easily added there, too, hahaha, but at least you were creative and brought it up to edible status. Don’t take this post seriously/personally, I just had a good laugh that’s all and even that was not in a malicious, but in a comradic way. 🙂
Oh, btw the recipe turned out very good (I had a little taste), but will refer back tomorrow, as both jars are sitting in the fridge waiting for me to eat them in the morning. Can’t wait! This was a very straightforward and easy recipe, thanks very much!
It did not turn out that bad. It was really good. That link was hilarious. Haha..
Would this recipe possibly work with dairy milk? I’m allergic to coconut and i’ve tried nearly every brand of almond and soy milk and my body just won’t digest them and I end up getting really sick from them.
I think it would work. You can also do one part dairy milk and one part water.
I have also tried it with coconut water for the berry part and almond milk for the chocolate part, if that helps.
Could I use raw milk instead of non-dairy options? Thats all I have and buy.
I think it would work just fine.
Do you have measurements for this recipe for 1 serving, or for 2 servings?
For 2 servings:
3 Tbsp chia seeds
1 cup coconut milk beverage or any non-dairy milk
3 large squares dark chocolate (yield about 1 Tbsp melted +
2 Tbsp grated chocolate to decorate)
¼ cup fresh or frozen raspberries + a few raspberries to
decorate
Looks refreshing and yummy! Thank you for sharing
You are so welcome!
I couldn’t find the nutrition information on this yummy looking recipe, could you please post.
Hi Donna, thank you for stopping by at my blog! I don’t
calculate nutrition information for my recipes because after years of studying nutrition I came to the conclusion that if we use nutritious whole foods in our recipes no nutrition information is really needed. This of course is my personal opinion only. Sorry I can’t help you on this one 🙂
Would using unsweetened coconut milk work in this recipe. Thank you and I love your recipes and looking forward to your book.
Yes, in fact I made this pudding with unsweetened coconut milk (the one from a box not from a can). I personally find that chocolate and raspberry add enough sweetness as well as chia seeds also taste a little bit sweet to me. If someone wanted a bit more sweetness, they can make it either with sweetened milk or add a bit of honey.