Elana's Pantry

New York Times Bestselling author Elana Amsterdam founded Elana’s Pantry, the go-to website for easy, healthy, grain-free, Paleo recipes, in 2006

Keto Chocolate Chia Pudding

Keto Chocolate Chia Pudding

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A while back, my awesome mother-in-law (MIL) asked me to create a healthy chocolate chia pudding recipe. My MIL loves that my recipes are the easiest out there, and this Keto Chocolate Chia Pudding is as simple as can be. With 6 ingredients total –chia seeds, cacao powder, coconut milk, vanilla stevia, water, and salt– you can whip this up in a couple of minutes.

Keto Chocolate Chia Pudding

In this recipe, I use stevia rather than maple syrup or honey as I am following a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) Keto Diet. I’ve been eating this way since 2014, and it feels like another piece of the health puzzle is now in place for me.

Dealing with Sluggish Gut Motility on a Keto Diet

This Keto Chocolate Chia Pudding is the perfect dessert, and a functional food as well. Full of healthy insoluble fiber it will kick start your digestive system when things are feeling sluggish!

Print Recipe
Keto Chocolate Chia Pudding
Serves:4
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a vitamix, combine coconut milk, water, cacao powder, stevia, and salt
  2. Blend until smooth
  3. Transfer mixture to a one quart mason jar
  4. Add chia seeds and shake well
  5. Refrigerate overnight to let chia seeds soften and absorb liquid
  6. Serve

Low-Carb Chocolate Chia Pudding

If you’re not a fan of stevia feel free to use maple syrup or honey to sweeten this healthy dessert. I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how much sweetener you’d need in place of stevia. It would also depend on how much of a sweet tooth you have. I would guess a tablespoon or two would suffice.

Easy Keto Chocolate Pudding Recipe

For this recipe, it’s important to blend the coconut milk in a high-powered blender. This way you’ll have a smooth and creamy pudding, rather than one with little lumps of coconut milk in it. If you’re not a chocolate lover try my regular Chia Pudding recipe.

More Sugar-Free Dessert Recipes

For more LCHF sugar-free dessert recipes you’ll want to check out my Keto Diet Dessert Recipes page. Here are the most popular on Elana’s Pantry!

This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first published this recipe in 2015.

Comments

  3. Hello Elena,

    I made the recipe for the first time last night and this morning the mixture had not firmed up, which I expected. It was like a thick milk-shake consistency. Is that what it’s supposed to be like?

    It’s really delicious though! Than you so much for sharing!

    Reply

    • Janie, yes that’s a good consistency for this. If you use the recommended coconut milk that I link to in green text in the ingredients portion of the recipe, it will likely be even thicker :-)

      Reply

    • I use a Ninja and have this consistency, too, but it makes a wonderful base for Whey protein shakes! I make it once a week. So good!

      Reply

      • Jess, thanks for your comment! Just a quick word of caution, this can have the opposite effect if it is too dry and the fiber in the seeds will be binding to the digestive system. If you allow the seeds to soak up the moisture overnight this will thicken perfectly :-)

        Reply

  4. I have eczema and I need to be careful what I eat but this recipe looks too good not to try.
    Thanks for a great article.

    Reply

  5. I am wondering if you could recommend a good intro Keto book? I am considering the diet and would like to read more about it.

    Thank so much.

    Reply

  6. This looks fantastic! I have heard of the keto diet, but have never quite been able to figure out how to make it work. If I can find more recipes like this one, I might be able to manage it!

    Reply

  7. Question.. I made this recipe (Keto Chocolate Chia Pudding) – I don’t have a vitamix but blended in a bullet.
    The fat of the coconut milk just solidified on top and did not mix in.
    Did I do something wrong.

    Reply

  9. Hi Elana another great recipe! I have been following you for years now and. I was wondering if you could maybe do a day or 2 of what you are eating and drinking?

    Reply

  10. I made this and found that the full fat coconut milk made the texture feel grainy in my mouth. I know it’s the particles of coconut milk fat that solidifies in the fridge. I can’t get around the texture so I may try it with another type of non-dairy milk.

    Reply

    • Carol, thanks for your comment. If you use the coconut milk product that I link to in the ingredients portion of the recipe this pudding will be perfectly smooth :-)

      Reply

  11. Hi Elana,
    I made this pudding using almond milk, as I had about 900ml in my fridge I needed to use so I left out the water. I didn’t have vanilla Stevia so used plain Stevia. The coconut milk version would probably have been creamier & richer (I’ll try that next time) but it turned out well, anyway. A perfect summer pudding for those of us sweltering in Australia!

    Reply

  13. I’m in my first week of a keto diet and this recipe didn’t disappoint. It’s delicious and helps with my sweet tooth.

    Reply

  14. Hi Elana,

    I’ve been a follower of your website for a few years now. I have all your cook books. I have recently been told by my environmental specialist to follow a Keto diet to go along with the Bravo Yogurt Kit I must take everyday.

    My problem is I have never been able to tolerate Stevia, the taste turns me off completely and cannot eat anything with it in it. I was wondering if Erythritol, Swerve, Lakanto or Sukrin would be Paleo friendly.

    Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. I’m a senior, chronically ill, most of my life, with Chronic Lyme Disease, Fibromyalgia, environmental illness, Celiac, and many, many more chronic illnesses. I’m hoping the Bravo and Keto will have some beneficial aid to my health.

    Reply

    • LindaRose, thanks so much for your wonderful comment! I cannot digest any of those sweeteners, but we are all biochemical individuals so they might work for you. I would recommend implementing the tips from this post which may have a tremendously positive impact on your health:

      https://elanaspantry.com/simple-steps-to-reduce-emfs/

      They’ve made a huge difference for me!
      Elana

      Reply

      • I have recently been using monks fruit instead of Stevia because I find the taste to be very nice and neutral. It’s getting easier to find than it used to be. A company called nunaturals has a nice powdered version.

        Reply

        • Michael, thanks for your comment! Monk fruit is a fantastic low-carb sweetening option when it is pure and there is no sugar or erythritol added :-)

          Reply

  15. Does this taste like coconut at all? I don’t like coconut but love chocolate :) I can’t have regular milk.

    Reply

  16. I am not sure what I did wrong. I made this yesterday. when I checked it today, it was runny not at all a pudding texture. I used 1 can of regular coconut milk and I cup of water. Any suggestions? Should I try coconut cream instead of the coconut milk?

    Reply

    • Hi Barbara, thanks for your comment! I make this every week and it is incredible. I’m not sure why it didn’t set up for you. If you’d like it to be thicker I would leave out some of the water, but be careful as it could make the chia seeds somewhat binding. Too much fiber without liquid can be tough on the digestive system.

      Reply

    • You probably found a tin of coconut milk that uses a gum to stop the fat from separating OR one of the “drink” products rather than a tin of coconut milk with 60% coconut and water. It should turn really thick and separate if you leave it in the fridge overnight (great for whipped topping).

      Reply

  17. Hello,Just starting a keko diet SO MY ON GOING QUESTION IS— How many carbs in a cup?? I love Chia seeds.love your site.

    Reply

  20. I made this last night for today. Perfect balance of ingredients. I feel very spoiled enjoying pudding!

    You are so kind and generous!

    Reply

      • LOVE this recipe! But then what’s not to love with whole coconut milk? I can eat that by itself & it whips up do nicely with the chia seeds. I have used chia for years in smoothies, have seen & wanted to try a pudding recipe but just now finally getting around to it!
        Thanks Elana! PS – I did not find I needed any sweetener & I even added more chocolate than the recipe.
        Crazy but I have actually learned to love snacking on 100% cacao nibs or a piece of a bar…go keto!

        Reply

  23. Wow, Elana, you’ve done it again! I’ve been using a keto diet since June 7 when there was a suspicion I was in metastatic ovarian cancer recurrence. It was confirmed June 29 and I love the keto diet because not only is it helping me heal chemo side-effects from 2000/2001, I can feel a new freedom in my abdomen, I know it’s clearing tumors away. Cancer cells can only burn glucose, they cannot burn fat or ketones for energy so I’m starving them and going in for the kill with another 11 evidence-based strategies. I’m adding another two strategies this month. My goal is to heal myself and make surgery scheduled late August unnecessary. I haven’t had a dessert in a really long time, thanks for giving me a recipe to try tomorrow — I already have the ingredients in my pantry!

    Reply

    • Kathy, so glad to meet more people that are on the keto bandwagon. Good luck, my thoughts are with you all the way!

      Reply

  24. I tried this yummy recipe using Light Coconut Milk & it has half thickened. Should I have used full coconut milk?

    Reply

  25. This is a perfect sugar-free dessert! I used carob powder in place of the cacao and it turned out marvelously! This is surely going to become a staple for me. I’m thinking of adding mint extract. There are lots of possibilities with this recipe. Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply

    • However, carob contains a substantial amount of sugar (sucrose, in fact). So if substituting carob note that net carbs including net fructose will be much higher.

      Reply

  28. Omg, just finished whole30 (3rd time in three years) and really want to incorporate sweet treats that won’t lead down unhealthy road as in the past. I just made this and tried the flavor (I need to wait for the chia seeds to expand to actually eat it). It tasted exactly how I thought it would, heavenly chipcocolaty, creaminess. I do NOT like stevia so added about 1 tsp. Maple syrup. Thank you for helping others find a healthier lifestyle without forsaken flavor, richness and sweetness!

    Reply

  29. So delicious – thank you! I added cinnamon to sweeten the pudding and found it was delicious just like that (no stevia or other sweetener).

    Reply

  30. I’ve tried this recipe and it’s sooo good. Even my picky husband at first was skeptical about this sugar-free chocolate pudding. Once he tried a spoon, he wants a portion for himself now. Thanks for sharing, Elana! :)

    Reply

  31. I have to agree with your MIL that your recipes are extremely easy. I did not even have to go to buy ingredients, we had them all at home. I absolutely love your blog, it’s exceptional and very good quality, even compared to the professional food writers.

    Reply

  36. The beauty of this is that is raw as well as delicious and suitable for a Paleo diet – win, win, win! Including more raw food in your diet is a fantastic way to boast the nutrient content of your diet.

    Reply

  37. I’ve made this three times already! I’ve tried it with 3 tbsp of maple syrup, and with regular stevia. I added a tsp of vanilla to both. Also, I used almond milk instead of water as I’m a glutton for creaminess. Thanks Elana, for another simple, healthy, and delicious recipe!

    Reply

  38. Once again you have another hit! This is amazing! Thank you so much for a creamy rich alternative! The stevia is just the right amount!

    Reply

  40. I recently penned an article about the nutritious value of nuts and seeds and have searched for recipes for chia seeds. I tried this one this morning and it is absolutely HEAVENLY! I love it! I would love to feature this in the cost breakdown portion of my blog, with your permission, of course! Thank you for sharing this with us! Keep ’em coming!

    Reply

  43. Thanks Jenny! Because of your comment I retested the recipe, reducing the amount of water from 1 1/2 cups to 1 cup and it is now more pudding-like.

    Reply

  44. I doubled the amount of chia seeds, and added maple syrup. Otherwise I worried it would be runny… the results are FABULOUS.

    Reply

  45. I agree! And if you’re Mother-In-Law asks you to do something….you do it!! Haha. Luckily, my mother-in-law is great =)

    Reply

  46. I make it with coconut sugar. It’s great. You can put in whatever you want. It’s up to your imagination.

    Reply

  47. Chia puddings are the bomb :) Love that you used stevia, I find when using coconut milk that you don’t really need much sweetener at all as coconut has it’s only mildly sweet taste anyway. I’ve Pinned and bookmarked this page to show my husband, he’s been talking all morning about making some chia puddings today!

    Reply

  48. I made this last night so it could sit until today. I only had light coconut milk and so I reduced the water to 1 cup. I used part of the vanilla stevia and about 1 Tablespoon maple syrup.

    When I checked on it today, it hadn’t really set properly. I was afraid of this because I was using light coconut milk. So, I added another 1/4 cup chia seeds and will let it sit again. That said, the flavor is nice – slightly coconutty, slightly chocolatey and just barely sweet.

    I am going to try to go “sugar free” after Easter and this will be a nice dessert recipe.

    Reply

    • If they make carob powder, go for it. Recipes are about experimenting and making them your own.

      I would think that for people that like cinnamon you could either add cinnamon to the recipe for a “Mexican Chocolate” taste, or simply omit the chocolate and add cinnamon to taste. Since you don’t cook this, it is easy to taste as you go.

      Elana also has a non-chocolate chia pudding recipe on the site – look at the end of her post for this recipe where you will find the link.

      Good luck!

      Reply

  50. Once again you have another hit! This is amazing! Thank you so much for a creamy rich alternative! The stevia is just the right amount!

    Reply

  51. I made this yesterday and just took a bite this morning. Heavenly! FYI – I substituted a hot chocolate mix I had for the cacao and truvia for the stevia, as I didn’t have the listed ingredients on hand, and added a touch of vanilla. Still turned out great!

    Reply

  53. My question also….for those of us who don’t use stevia. Maybe 2 to maple syrup and little vanilla? Your insight is helpful. Thx

    Reply

  54. Is there an alternative to the vanilla stevia? I’d imagine vanilla and honey, but the stevia is such a small amount, I don’t want to mess-up the consistency!

    Reply

    • I am so grateful to you Elena for your sophisticated palette and recipes.They have made me feel sated, and excited about food in a time when I could have felt deprived of ‘normal’ food. This yummy pudding recipe has particularly made my tail wag. You have combined two things I love together: chocolate and creamy!

      However, I’m picky about chewing on seeds. So I put my chia seeds in a spice mill first, then add all my ingredients to a VitaMix. Hello Chocolate Velvet! Then I tried coconut water instead of the 1 c water for extra flavor. When I first did this, I used some TJ’s new blend of coconut water with aloe vera juice I happened to have in the frig. It came out jelled and ready to eat right out of the VitaMix! With regular coconut water, however, you need to wait an hour or so in the frig for a smooth and velvety texture. Also tried the chocolate raspberry stevia and I am over the moon!

      Reply

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