I first tried a chia pudding at a raw food workshop I attended last year, and was blown away by the amazing taste and the simplicity of the recipe.  What was surprising to me was how little I needed to eat to satisfy my chocolate craving!  There is no doubting the richness of this pudding, but I figure if something this rich means I don’t go overboard on my portion size, then that’s a good thing!

As well as a raw food fan, I am also a dedicated ‘Golden Rough’ lover.  Growing up, my Mother used to keep a bag of either ‘Golden Rough’ or ‘Mint Patties’ as our after dinner treat, and, as much as I love the peppermint discs, for me, it was all about the coconut/choc combo of the ‘Rough.

This pudding is like a ‘Golden Rough’ in ‘health’ (well, healthier) form.  It takes the basic choc/chia pudding to a whole new level.

If you were more team ‘Golden Rough’ than team ‘Mint Pattie’, you simply must give this a go.

(Mint fans never fear!  I’m working on a raw version of your favourite too!  Watch this space! Homemade Mint Patties)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white chia seeds (I used black for this batch, but I think the white look nicer!)
1/2 cup dried coconut (Check your coconut!  Most have added sugar and propolyene gylcol added.  Look for natural, dried, flakes with no additives.)
1/2 cup of raw cashews (that have been soaked in water for around 2 hours – drained)
Water – around 2 cups (though I would have preferred my end result a little ‘wetter’ so would use 2.5 cups)
2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder (or cocoa)
16 pitted fresh dates, soaked if they are a little hard.
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla powder (again, check your extract – some brands have sugar and glucose as the first two ingredients. Look for organic, sugar/alcohol free extracts.)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt.

Method:

1. In a big bowl, mix the coconut and the chia seeds until combined.
2. If you have a Vitamix or powerful blender, chuck in the remaining ingredients and mix on high speed until smooth and liquid.
3. If using a food processor, you might need to do it in two batches due to the amount of water, and the time it will take to ensure the smoothest consistency.  If it seems too thick (remembering that the chia seeds will absorb around 10 times their weight in water), pour the mix in a separate bowl and add a little more water.
4. Pour liqid mix over the chia/coconut mix and stir very well – making sure there are no clumps of chia.
5. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then stir again.
6. You can divide the mix into whatever serving bowls you like.  The pudding is rich, so using small ramekins works well.  I used some pickling jars as I was giving some as a gift.  Yoou can leave the mix in a big bowl and spoon directly into dessert bowls.

This makes a wonderful 3pm snack (raw cacao is extremely rich in magnesium, antioxidents and has a ‘bliss’ effect; seriously!), a dessert or even a breakfast.  You could add some fresh berries to serve and, if you’ve time, a raw ‘cream’ tastes delicous dolloped on top.

NOTE*Be mindful of serving foods with raw cacao to children as it can be too strong for them.