Chocolate Chip Cookie Chia Seed Pudding Parfait
Naturally sweetened chocolate chia seed pudding layered with silky whipped cream and topped with crispy chocolate chip cookie crumbles.
Some of you might have heard this already, but I read an article last week that stated a common deficiency in the standard American diet is magnesium.
If you’re not familiar with it, magnesium is a vital mineral that helps regulate blood pressure, blood sugar and energy metabolism. It can be found in foods like nuts, seeds, leafy greens, legumes, avocados and bananas but because the average American consumes a diet based largely around refined grains and processed foods and also suffers from regular stress (another contributing factor to low levels), studies have found deficiencies in up to 80 percent of the population.
The thing is, most people who are deficient have no idea because only 1% is distributed in the blood, making it virtually undetectable with a serum blood test.
I’m guessing that most of you who find yourself here are probably eating the right foods so you don’t have to worry about any of that, but just in case, I thought I’d catch you up before I offered you a sinfully luscious dessert that’s packed with magnesium.
The pudding is made from a mixture of chia seeds, pure cocoa powder, and dates which are all excellent sources of the mineral. The whipped cream and chocolate chip cookies might be another story but hey, it’s okay to indulge as long as it’s in moderation, right?
Well it has to be because the smooth texture of the pudding and the whipped cream paired with crunchy bits of chocolate chip cookie are just so right together.
For the cookies, I used Glutino’s chocolate chip cookies and their light and crispy texture made for the perfect topping.
Plus if you use one cookie per parfait, you’re only adding 60 calories and 5 grams of sugar. Not too shabby.
Okay, thinking about this is making my mouth start to water. Looks like I’m going to have to go make myself one for dessert. You know, to get my daily dose of magnesium. ;)
Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 cup pitted dates (aprrox. 6-7)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup (or more to taste)
pinch of salt
whipped cream and chocolate chip cookies for topping
Instructions
- Start by placing the pitted dates in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and then set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile combine the almond milk, chia seeds, and maple syrup in a blender. Add the cooled dates and then blend on high for 1 minute.
- Add one tablespoon of cocoa powder at a time and blend for 10 seconds between each one. Sprinkle with salt and blend for another 30 seconds then transfer to a jar or glass container for storing. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Once the pudding has solidified, transfer to a serving dish then layer with whipped cream and top with chocolate chip cookie crumbles. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Chia pudding adapted from Oh She Glows
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Sverve on behalf of Glutino, however all opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for continuing to support Making Thyme for Health and the brands I work with!
You can check out more gluten-free recipes and also find information for gluten-free events in select Wal-Mart stores by clicking here.
This looks delicious! Great recipe – I have wanted to try making a chia pudding for a while now and the chocolate makes it even better. :-)
This dessert is so awesome, I love that it’s super clean. I can’t wait to try it! I would probably sub in whipped coconut topping since I’m lactose intolerant. Amazing!
Jill
Oh, dang, I didn’t realize so many of us were lacking in magnesium! I used to drink Calm, which is pretty much pure magnesium, because I had a hard time sleeping at night. The stuff worked wonders, for sure! I’ve also heard most Americans are Vitamin D deficient. All this talk makes me want to go get a multi-vitamin and eat all the chia seeds and bananas!
LOVE this thick and healthy chia pudding! And those cookies? Lemme at ’em!
Desserts packed with essential nutrients? Yes please!
Yum! Chia, chocolate, and dates – this has got to be amazing!
I haven´t tried chia seeds yet as they are insanely expensive over here (or so I think) and I don´t know if I´ll like them or if they´ll spend the rest of their life in the cupboard :D. But if I give them a try I´ll try this recipe for sure, it sounds awesome!
Thanks, Anne! They’re definitely worth a try. You can use them to replace eggs in a lot of recipes too. I hope you’re having a great week! :)
DROOOOOL. This pudding is genius and the cookie topping IS so necessary. Also, love those cup/bowl things… where are they from?
Thanks, Erin! They’re actually from Home Goods AKA the land of random crap that keeps sucking me in. ;)
Oh my gosh, this look so good. I don’t have ANY chocolate in my house right now and I really wish I did now.
Sorry! haha
This looks heavenly, Sarah! I’d totally eat that right now (in place of dinner!). ;) I had chocolate chia pudding before made with coconut milk and loved it. I’m sure I’d enjoy the almond milk, too.
Oh, I bet a coconut milk version is extra creamy!
I regularly make chia puddings but never have thought to make a choc chip cookie flavoured version before! What a delicious recipe and idea!
That is so good to know! I’ll be more aware of my magnesium intake, especially because I’m one stressed-out girl! I LOOOVE the cookie crumbles on top of this luxurious chia pudding :)
Glutino… sound like a cute Italian name :) I love that you speak about nutritional issues in your country. It’s important to get balanced nutrition messages across. Also, it is just great that you can make up healthy recipes that look like irresistible treats.
Oh heyyyy yummy looking dessert! For some reason I’ve never made chia seed pudding before… might need to try it soon! Also, I made homemade whipped cream for the first time recently, and gahhh, I couldn’t stop eating it. SO GOOD.
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I don’t think you know how much I love chocolate pudding!! How are the chia seeds and do they affect the texture too much? Like does it make it taste gritty or grainy at all? I imagine it does a little?
If you have a Vitamix or similar high powered blender then it actually turns out completely smooth. I have a $100 Ninja that’s not high powered and it was half smooth, half chia seeds. So for me there was a little crunch here and there. But the addition of the whipped cream an cookies makes it so that it’s not as noticeable. I really loved it!!
I have a question for anyone who is a chia seed aficionado: Why is it that the chia seed puddings I’ve gotten in restaurants are super smooth, but mine made at home end up crunchy with chia bits/hulls that just won’t soften no matter what I do? Is it the kind of chia I’m buying? Is there some deal I have to make with the goddess of the chia seed? Help!