This Chocolate Protein Chia Pudding is a great breakfast to start your day with protein and fiber. The base of this chia pudding is almond milk and protein powder. Add nut butter (like peanut butter!) to add a more rich flavor and some healthy fats. 6 grams net carbs per serving.
High Protein Chocolate Chia Pudding
Chia Pudding is a great grab-and-go breakfast option. Chia seeds are high in fiber and omega 3 fatty acids, making them a nourishing addition to any diet.
Keto Chia Pudding is simply a blend of chia seeds, milk (almond milk is low carb), and a sugar free sweetener. The chia seeds absorb 10xs their weight in liquid, thickening the mixture to a pudding-like consistency.
High Protein Chia Pudding is made with additions like Greek yogurt, blended cottage cheese, and protein powder. Choose the options that work best for you.
As written, this recipe has 26 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber per serving. Increase or decrease based on your needs!
This version uses cacao powder and optional peanut butter (or almond or sunflower seed butter) for an indulgent treat. Who doesn’t want chocolate for breakfast?
Swap your overnight oats! Chia pudding is a great meal prep option. Grab a few jars, and fill them up with this high protein chia pudding – I use larger jars for breakfast and smaller jars if I want snack-sized options.
Don’t need extra protein today? Try this classic Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe or this basic Keto Chia Pudding.
What You’ll Need
- Chia Seeds
- Milk of Choice (unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or hemp milk recommended)
- Greek Yogurt (or blended cottage cheese)
- Cacao Powder (or natural cocoa powder)
- Peanut Butter, Sunflower Seed Butter, or Almond Butter (optional, but adds healthy fats and an ultra creamy texture!)
- Protein Powder (I use a plain/unsweetened whey protein isolate. Using a plant based protein powder will result in a thicker consistency, so more liquid might be necessary.)
- Collagen (optional)
- Sweetener of Choice (monk fruit sweetener, allulose, sugar free maple syrup or honey)
- Vanilla Extract
The Best Protein Powder to use for Protein Pudding
The best protein powder for any recipe is determined by what you digest the best. Many protein powders will work in this recipe.
Chocolate Protein Powder or Vanilla Protein Powder: My personal preference is to use plain protein powder and add cacao powder and my own sweetener. This way I get to choose the quality of my ingredients and adjust the sweetness to my preference. If you’d ilke to use your flavored and sweetened protein powder, reduce or omit the added sweetener. Reduce the cacao powder if using a chocolate flavored option.
Whey Protein Isolate: Whey protein isolate is one of the highest quality protein powders. It’s absorbed quickly, meaning it’s immediately available for muscle protein synthesis. It tastes amazing so you can use unflavored varieties!
Collagen Protein Powder: I love collagen and try to include it in my diet daily. However, collage is not a complete protein. It is best used in conjunction with other proteins. If you are sensitive to other protein powders and like to use collagen, that’s fine. Try taking essential amino acid supplements in conjunction with your breakfast or smoothie made with collagen.
Plant Based Protein Powders: Vegan protein powder is my least favorite choice because they don’t taste good unsweetened, so lots of sweeteners and flavor enhancers are added. Be careful to read the ingredient label and be aware of the carb content if you’re concerned about a low carb diet. Because they have naturally occurring starch, they will make the chocolate chia seed pudding thicker, so additional milk might be necessary to thin it out.
How to Make Chocolate Protein Chia Pudding
Step 1: Into a blender, add the milk, Greek yogurt, protein powder, collagen, cacao powder, and vanilla. If using, add peanut butter or other nut butter. Blend until a chocolate milk mixture forms.
Step 2: Add chia seeds and pulse to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes so the chia seeds absorb some liquid. Pulse a second and a third time, allow time in between for seeds to absorb liquid, to prevent clumping.
Step 3: Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes so the chia seeds absorb more liquid. Whisk again to prevent clumping. Repeat this process twice.
Step 4: Add chocolate protein chia pudding to individual glass jars for storage and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight to fully thicken the pudding.
When ready to serve, top with fresh berries, a drizzle of nut butter, cacao nibs, or coconut.
How to Store Chia Protein Pudding
Chocolate chia protein pudding is great stored in individual jars. Leave some space at the top for toppings! If you don’t have jars, any airtight container will work.
Refrigerate chia seed pudding for 3-4 days. Do not freeze chia pudding.
How to Serve Protein Chia Pudding
Each chocolate chia pudding as is, or add fun toppings to add nutrition, texture, and flavor!
- Nut Butter (peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, or almond butter are awesome!)
- Berries (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries)
- Banana
- Coconut or Coconut Butter
- Dark Chocolate Chips or Cacao Nibs
- Greek Yogurt (a layer on top is a great texture blend and adds more protein!)
- Nuts or Seeds (pecans, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds)
Variations: See options for fun flavors of chia seed protein pudding. Or, try adding protein powder and Greek yogurt to this fun Matcha Chia Pudding or Lemon Chia Pudding.
Other Chia Seed Recipes
- Sugar Free Raspberry Jam (a chia jam recipe!)
- Chia Seed Crackers
- Keto Coconut Clusters
Try this recipe? Be sure to share your cooking with me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, and tag @BlissfullyLowCarb !
Chocolate Protein Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond milk or coconut or hemp milk
- 1 cup Greek yogurt unsweetened/unflavored
- 40 grams whey protein isolate (unflavored/unsweetened)
- 20 grams collagen optional
- 1/3 cup sweetener allulose, monk fruit sweetener, maple syrup, honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl (or blender), add milk, yogurt, sweetener, protein powder, collagen (if using), cacao powder, and vanilla. Optionally add nut butter. Whisk to combine.
- Add the chia seeds, and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to sit about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the chia pudding again. Allow it to sit 5 minutes. Continue with this process, whisking about every 5 minutes, until the mixture has begun to thicken. This prevents the chia seeds from clumping.
- Refrigerate the chia seed pudding for at least 1 hour, up to 5 days. It will continue to thicken as it chills.
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