Blended Peanut Butter Cup Chia Pudding

when you want health but also want dessert

Hi everyone! I hope you’re having a nice week.

I am so unbelievably happy that it’s April. Why did March feel like a total train wreck?!? I blame it on Mercury…

me

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april intentions sort of

For the start of a new month, I always like to think about a couple of intentions or questions to guide me - not in a formulaic or clinical way, but just to get me moving through the month in a way that feels thoughtful. Here are some of my thoughts…

1. How would you move through your day if you knew everything was going to work out? Would you be stressed / anxious / wondering? Or just staying present in each moment? Both the past and the future are not accessible, so what’s the point of worrying about either? Be here now.

2. Stop creating stories in your head out of fear and not fact. When we catastrophize, we just put baseless negative thoughts in our head - and 99% of the time, our fake, fearful stories are worse than what actually ends up happening in reality. Watch where you place your attention.

3. Read more. Like, a physical book. It is a more meaningful escape than TikTok scrolling, though both have their time and place…

4. Carve out an hour in your week just to think. Imagine THAT. Have a meeting with yourself! We have meetings with everyone else, so why don’t we do it with ourselves? Send yourself a calendar invite and give yourself the space to think, process, dream, write, whatever speaks to you.

P.S. I recently launched a column for CULTURED Magazine called Chef’s Orders. I’m SO excited. I hope you consider reading my first installment :)

the recipe: Blended Peanut Butter Cup Chia Pudding

I love this chia seed pudding. With the texture of a chocolate pudding / mousse, it’s creamy and delicious while still hiding lots of chia seed health benefits within its chocolatey guise.

What I like to do here: make the pudding, top it with an even layer of salted & roasted peanuts, a smooth layer of chocolate (that’s been melted with coconut oil), sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and enjoy as an anytime dessert or mid-day sweet treat. Blending the chia seeds with the rest of the ingredients gives it such a luscious texture that you really wouldn’t even know that there were chia seeds inside. If you have an issue with the texture of a traditional chia seed pudding, this will change the game for you.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

(makes 2 servings)

ingredients

1/2 cup chia seeds

3 tbsp peanut butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

4 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups dairy-free milk

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

2 tsp coconut oil

chopped, salted peanuts

flaky salt

method

1. In a high-speed blender, combine chia seeds, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and milk. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. You might need to scrape down the blender a couple of times to get it there. Transfer the pudding into glasses, jars, or cups.

2. Melt chocolate chips by combining with coconut oil, and either microwaving in 15 second increments, stirring between each interval until glossy and smooth, or by using the double boiler method.

3. Top the pudding with an even layer of peanuts. Pour the melted chocolate in a smooth layer right on top of the peanuts. Smooth with the back of a spoon until evenly distributed. Sprinkle with flaky salt and transfer to the fridge to lightly set.

4. Enjoy!

Thanks so much for being here, see you in your inbox again soon…

x Samah