Sometimes you just need dessert. A chocolate dessert to be exact. You make it through New Years with your resolutions kind of flailing in the wind … trying not to be forgotten. Yes, my food resolutions aren’t where they need to be. Too many things have popped in and decided to stay and that is not a good thing. They best way to knock them back out is to make sure there are desserts on hand that are healthy and are fitting in with your sweet tooth. Chocolate is the key. I hope you get to enjoy some vegan and gluten-free Protein-Packed Chocolate Chia Pudding.

So I am a little late to chia pudding, or really chia anything. I tried to make my own chia pudding a couple years ago and I did something wrong during the process and it didn’t turn out at all so I gave up and didn’t look back. Once something doesn’t turn out for me I usually don’t want to try again. But since I wanted something healthy, decadent, and semi-sinful I thought I’d give it another try. I mean it’s just a couple ingredients – how could I mess it up again right? Believe me, I’ve got it in me to do it, so I’m trying really hard not to. But with this decadent dessert I was also wanting something that could either be breakfast or a healthy after-workout treat. Something packed with healthy calories and tons of protein. In comes my totally favorite protein powder so this dessert has no sugar in it, just a little maple syrup to sweeten it. Perfect!

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Easiest dessert ever, but it does need to sit for a loooooong time. That may be where I went wrong before. Chia seeds need time to blow up and become their big bubble selves, and since I am not patient enough to let things sit for eight hours to overnight I get impatient and just don’t make healthy things. Or bake something that doesn’t take as long and isn’t as healthy. I got my chia seeds in the bulk section at my local grocery store, which is the cheapest way to get them. A bagged version is like $10ish, bulk is like $2ish … yes, go bulk on anything and everything when you can! Dump all ingredients in a bowl with a tight lid and mix everything well. Put in fridge for at least eight hours. This turned out super-thick, so you can add a little extra milk during the process or like me, add a little before eating. Yum.

Protein-Packed Chocolate Chia Pudding,

3/4 C Chia Seeds
2 Scoops Vega Chocolate All-in-One Nutritional Shake
2 1/2 C Almond Breeze Unsweetened Chocolate Milk
1 Tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1. Dump all ingredients into a bowl that has a tight lid. Mix everything very well until completely combined.
2. Snap on lid and put in fridge for at least eight hours.
3. Take off lid and gently mix with a spoon.
4. Portion out and enjoy!