Cocoa Cashew Coconut Chia Delight (Printable Version)
Vegan chia pudding with cashew-coconut cream, toasted coconut and dark chocolate — wholesome breakfast or dessert.
# Ingredient List:
→ Chia Pudding
01 - ¼ cup chia seeds
02 - 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
03 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
04 - 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
05 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - Pinch of sea salt
→ Cashew Cream
07 - 1 cup raw cashews, soaked 2–4 hours and drained
08 - ½ cup coconut milk
09 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
10 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Toppings
11 - ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
12 - ¼ cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped
13 - 1 ounce dark chocolate, shaved or chopped (optional)
14 - Fresh berries (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the chia seeds, coconut milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt until thoroughly combined and no clumps remain. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
02 - Combine the soaked and drained cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a high-speed blender. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy. Add additional coconut milk, one tablespoon at a time, if a thinner consistency is desired.
03 - Spread the shredded coconut in a dry skillet and place over medium heat. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the coconut turns golden brown and becomes fragrant. Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a plate to cool.
04 - Divide the chilled chocolate chia pudding evenly among four serving glasses or bowls. Layer a generous scoop of the cashew cream over the pudding in each glass.
05 - Sprinkle each serving with the toasted coconut, chopped roasted cashews, and shaved dark chocolate. Garnish with fresh berries if desired. Serve immediately or chill the assembled parfaits for up to 2 hours before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- You will feel like you are eating a decadent mousse dessert but every single ingredient is doing your body favors.
- The contrast between the thick chocolate chia base and the pillowy cashew cream will ruin store bought pudding for you forever.
- It requires zero cooking and only about fifteen minutes of actual hands on effort, which means you can make it while barely awake.
02 -
- If your chia pudding is still runny after two hours, you likely needed more chia seeds or your coconut milk was too thin, so whisk in another tablespoon of seeds and wait another hour.
- Skipping the cashew soaking step will give you a grainy, unpleasant cream no matter how powerful your blender claims to be, so plan ahead or use boiling water for a quick thirty minute soak instead.
- The toasted coconut goes from perfectly golden to charred and bitter in what feels like half a second, so never walk away from that skillet.
03 -
- Whisk the chia pudding once after about thirty minutes in the fridge to redistribute any seeds settling at the bottom, because rehydrated chia on top and dry chia underneath is a textural disappointment.
- For the smoothest cashew cream imaginable, pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer and marvel at what gets left behind.