Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Mousse

Isabella: Mom, is Peppermint Patty a boy?

Me: No

Isabella: But she kind of looks like a boy, and Marci calls her "Sir".

Me: True. But she's a girl

Isabella: She looks like a boy

What can I say? She does. Kind of like how this pudding looks like mousse, but it's not. Weird.

What it is? Good, velvety, cocoa-y, creamy, cold, and vegan. This is of of those recipes that non-vegans roll their eyes at and are secretly scared of because its base is something foreign, like chia seeds. What the heck are chia seeds you ask?

We talked about them a little bit in the Overnight Vanilla-Orange Steel Cut Oatmeal, but I didn't exactly tell you what they are. There's a reason. Remember those nasty cha-cha-cha-Chia pet things? Yeah, unfortunately it's that. But hark, it's also a really tasty seed. They taste nut like, and are very rich in omega 3's, even more so than flax seeds. They are also incredibly high in antioxidants, and again, unlike flax, do not have to be ground for the nutrients to be available for your body to break down. Also, they provide a good dose of fiber, calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, copper, niacin, phosphorous... are you still reading? They also do this really cool thing when you put them into liquid which, for this recipe is coconut milk and maple syrup. They puff up and get really soft and gel like. Almost like tiny tapioca. If you don't dig tapioca, you will hate this. If you like tapioca, you'll love this. Simple as that.

Maybe Peppermint Patty was created in response to the burgeoning Women's Liberation Movement that was sparked in the latter half of the 1960s, and Charles Schultz desired to create a character that defied gender stereotypes and embraced social norms that had yet to become fashionable.

Disclaimer: I am in no way educated enough to have come up with that musing. I totally wikipedia-ed it. You're welcome.


In other news, Debi from The Truth About Motherhood wrote an unexpected article about this little ole blog on Smart Mom Style, saying I'm one of her favorite people on the internet. I'm totally blushing. Read about it here. If you don't know Debi, go say hi. She is one of the most passionate, funny, and sweet people out there. Plus, she's got networking skills like mad. Something I lack something awful, I suspect.


Lastly, and finally, If you haven't entered my giveaway for the Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook "My Father's Daughter" (my favorite this year) and Essie nail polish giveaway, enter here. There are no hoops to jump through, no asking to share on your blogs or tweet about it, so the pool will be much smaller giving you a much better chance to win! Now, on to the chocolate.  

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Mousse

adapted from Oh She Glows

serves 4

1 1/4 cup canned coconut milk (see my note below before substituting for different milk)

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons brewed coffee (this helps to highlight the chocolate flavor)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 tablespoon raw cacao powder (or sub with more cocoa powder or carob powder)

1/2 tablespoon vegan chocolate protein powder (we use Sun Warrior protein powder)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon stevia (or another tablespoon of maple syrup to sub)

Stir everything together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for an hour before serving, so the chia seeds can throughly absorb the liquid. Top with shaved bittersweet chocolate, if desired.

Notes: As you can see, there are quite a bit of substitutions in the recipe. You can also substitute a thinner milk, such as coconut or vanilla almond milk in a carton, but the end result will be more like pudding than mousse because canned coconut milk is thick. It's thick luxuriousness is precisely the reason I use it here, but just know you can tweak it for your preferences. The thinner the milk, the longer you'll have to refrigerate for it to thicken, about 2-3 hours before serving.


I can't believe I haven't mentioned before now how ridiculously good for you this mouse is. It's chock full of antioxidants with very low sugar and only healthy fats. It's pretty darn healthy. It could be breakfast.

For all y'all who are still rolling your eyes over this recipe, don't worry. I have a really decadent brownie recipe coming up soon that uses butter and chocolate and white flour.