This recipe came to me while dumpster diving through my neighbors’ recycling bins. No, really, it’s true.

I am obsessed with the adorable glass jars Yoplait’s Oui Yogurt comes in, and I basically went from bin to bin on trash day before the trucks arrived to see if anyone on my street was getting rid of some. (If you’re on my newsletter list, you’ve heard the entire story.) Major score when I found them a few doors down!

The photo really doesn’t do the jar justice. (I am not a trained photographer—can you tell?) The pudding looks better in real life, too. And it tastes awesome!

I used my favorite new-to-me sweetener, Medjool dates, and an extra spoonful of cocoa powder to kick up the chocolate. Then whirled in omega-3-rich chia seeds, and topped it off with some creamy, non-dairy whipped topping. So good!

Oh, and those chia seeds… In addition to being high in omega fatty acids, they’re loaded with antioxidants (1), fiber, and protein, and have been shown to lower high blood pressure—a major risk factor for heart disease (2, 3).

Chia seeds are heart-healthy, but would I call this dessert healthy? Yeah, I would. It’s definitely better for you than the conventional cup of pudding you’d find at the grocery store. And certainly worth the glass-jar upcycle!

Ingredients 

• 1/3 cup Mama Love Chocolate Protein
• 1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) Lite Coconut Milk, unsweetened
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 4 Medjool Dates, pits removed
• ¼ cup Chia Seeds
• Dairy-free Whipped Topping (optional)

Instructions

Add Mama Love Chocolate Protein, cocoa powder, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and Medjool dates to a blender, and blend on high until smooth. Swirl in the chia seeds with the blender on low. Pour into containers and cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Serve with whipped topping (optional). Makes 4 servings. 

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 1

Calories 297 (not including whipped topping) 

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Sources:

1. Martínez-Cruz, Oliviert, and Octavio Paredes-López. “Phytochemical profile and nutraceutical potential of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) by ultra high performance liquid chromatography.” Journal of chromatography. A 1346 (2014): 43-8. doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2014.04.007
2. Toscano, Luciana Tavares et al. “Chia flour supplementation reduces blood pressure in hypertensive subjects.” Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands) 69,4 (2014): 392-8. doi:10.1007/s11130-014-0452-7
3. Vuksan, Vladimir et al. “Supplementation of conventional therapy with the novel grain Salba (Salvia hispanica L.) improves major and emerging cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: results of a randomized controlled trial.” Diabetes care 30,11 (2007): 2804-10. doi:10.2337/dc07-1144