Ok people, I’m going to keep this short and sweet for you today because I’m having one of those insanely busy weeks where I’m running around like a madwoman. I have literally a million things to get done!

Ok maybe not literally a million things, although it sure feels like it, but you know what I mean right?!

So much to do, so little time! I honestly don’t know if I’m coming or going but, what I do know is that I need to stop for 5 minutes to tell you about this insanely delicious chocolate orange chia pudding!

It’s decadent, rich, velvety smooth and intensely chocolaty with a light, fresh zesty hint of orange and I know you are going to love, love, love it!

Let me think . . . what do I need to I tell you about about this insanely delicious, seriously chocolatey, orange infused, nutritional power house of a pudding cup that we’re making, apart from the fact that it’s insanely delicious and you need it in your life like, yesterday!?

It’s decadent and rich without being overly sweet. The slight bitterness of the cacao combined with the subtle tart, sweetness our coconut yogurt and that light, fresh, zesty hint of orange really is the perfect balance!

I have made quite a few different variations of chia pudding over the years and I have to say, I think this could be one of my best yet! I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the extra acidity of the orange.

The extra acidity really seemed to break down the chia seeds a little more than any of the other puddings that we’ve made and I have to tell you that the end result is, without a doubt, one of the lightest textured puddings I have tasted!

It’s so light it’s almost like chocolate mousse!

Seriously you guys are going to love it!

Let me see, what else do I need to tell you about this luscious little pudding cup . . .

It’s all natural made with no refined flours or sugars which means it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly!

It’s rich in antioxidants, packed with protein, high in calcium, fiber, magnesium and those all important omega 3’s!

It really is the perfect little treat for any time of day.

Here’s how you make it –

Coconut yogurt is combined with vanilla almond milk, a little cacao, a touch of vanilla, a splash of orange extract, some freshly grated orange zest and we can’t forget about those cheeky little chia seeds.

You simply stir everything together, then pop it in the fridge for a 2-3 hours (or overnight) to let those cheeky little chia seeds work their weird and wonderful chia-licious magic.

Once that’s done, all you have to do is throw it into your blender, give it a nice little blendy mcblend and you’re done!

Well that’s not entirely true, you still have to stir through those dark and delicious chocolate chips and I should mention that all that blending heats the pudding slightly so you’re going to want to pop that pot of deliciousness back into the fridge for 30 or so minutes to chill before serving but once that’s done, sprinkle over a little extra chia and chocolate and voila’ – p-p-puddin’ time!!!!!

Now, you guys know I have a texture issue with straight up chia pudding but and the only way I can eat it is by blending it up. That way it gets super smooth, thick and creamy and all kinds of delicious!

If you don’t have the same texture issues that I do you can totally skip the blending stage, totally up to you, do what you feel baby just promise me you’ll make it Ok?!

You could serve it as a secretly healthy, deliciously indulgent, decadent little late night dessert but, it also happens to be light enough to enjoy for breakfast!

Especially if you serve it with a some fresh strawberries, a few slices of banana and  some of this quick and easy, paleo friendly, coconut “muesli” (and a big ol’ vat of coffee of course)

And, um hello, chocolate pudding for breakfast = yes please!!!

Ok I gotta go and get back to work and you guys need to go make yourself a pudding cup!

All natural, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, velvety smooth, thick, creamy, seriously chocolatey, delicious, nutritious, orange infused choc, chip chia pudding . . .

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Chocolate Orange Chia Pudding {Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly
Makes approx 2/3 cup of  All natural, decadent, rich, thick and creamy, velvety smooth, delicious, nutritious, seriously chocolately, orange infused chia pudding

Ingredients –

1/4 cup of coconut yogurt (or yoghurt of choice)

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

3 Tablespoons of  chia seeds

1 Tablespoon of cacao

1 Tablespoon of coconut butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of orange extract

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

A pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of dark chocolate chips (or cacao nibs) , roughly chopped

1 teaspoon of maca – optional

1 scoop of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides – optional

Method –

1 – Place all pudding ingredients except for your chocolate chips into a small bowl or jug and stir to combine.

2 – Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, (overnight is best). Make sure you go and give it a little stir every now and again to remove any lumps and just to make sure those cheeky little chia seeds haven’t settled at the bottom of the bowl.

3 – Once your pudding is nice and thick, place the mixture into your food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy.

4 – Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary, you could add a splash of maple syrup or honey or even some stevia if you like things on the sweeter side but don’t forget we are going to stir through those dark and delicious chocolate chips in a minute and that will add a little extra sweetness too.

5 – Stir through 3/4 of your chocolate chips and then pour your pudding mixture into cute little cups or bowls and place it back in the fridge for an hour or so to re-set and chill (it gets a little warm and the consistency thins out thanks to the warmth and friction created while your blending it).

6 – To serve, add a the last of your chocolate chips, sprinkle over those extra cheeky chia seeds and voila’ – it’s puddin’ time baby

Enjoy xoxo

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Question of the day –

Are you a fellow chia pudding fan? What’s your fave method, recipe or flavor combination?

Feel free to share recipes or leave links to recipes in the comments below and please, for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your pudding cup (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to 🙂

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