This is the sixth and final quinoa-based courses from Alyssa Rimmer, aka
The Queen of Quinoa. Check out her first five courses, Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms,
Roasted Red Pepper and Quinoa Soup, Kale and Quinoa Salad,
Almond & Quinoa Crusted Chicken and Curried Quinoa Stuffed Squash.
We’ve loved having Alyssa join us at Easy Eats with this delicious series.
Visit her at Queen of Quinoa for more mouthwatering recipes and photos!
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By Alyssa Rimmer -
Chocolate pudding was never really my thing. I wasn’t one of those kids that had parents who would fill my lunch box with Snack Packs, or that even had anything
worth trading for something like that. No, my health-conscious parents sent sandwiches served on “seed bread” (multi-grain for my little kid brain). But we’re
not talking about those sugar-laden, artificially flavored, chemical infused chocolate containers of custard for this post.
No, we’re talking about all-natural, healthy, vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free chocolate pudding. A protein-filled, nutrient-dense dessert that is rich, decadent and elegant enough to serve during the holidays.
To me, there’s almost nothing better than enjoying a beautiful bite of a sweet chocolate treat. When I removed dairy and refined sugar from my diet, chocolate
fell by the wayside. I used to have a small chocolate square every single night with
my cup of mint tea, but it seemed like every single chocolate bar that I looked at
had sugar in it.
So to curb my chocolate cravings, I’ve had to get creative. Over the past few years,
I’ve come up with easy, delicious, sugar-free (and gluten-free) ways to enjoy
chocolate. And this is one of the best ones yet.
This is my new (and much improved) version of rice pudding. Subtract the rice, the cream and the sugar; substitute quinoa, almond milk and maple syrup – with the added nutrients of cocoa powder and chia seeds – and you’ve got one super healthy chocolate treat on your hands. So please enjoy some guilt-free Chocolate Quinoa Pudding with me.
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Pudding
1 cup quinoa
3 cups almond milk
¼ cup pure maple syrup
3–4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
Garnish ideas: toasted coconut, chopped nuts, sprinkle of cayenne pepper, fresh
fruit, pomegranate seeds, chocolate chips, etc.
Add quinoa, milk and maple syrup to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in cocoa powder. Cover with a lid ¾ of the way, stirring frequently
for about 30 minutes, until the water has almost entirely been absorbed. Remove
from the heat, stir in the chia seeds (if using) and serve. Garnish with your desired topping and enjoy.
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Alyssa Rimmer is the quinoa-obsessed girl behind the gluten-free
blog Queen of Quinoa. Alyssa loves experimenting with nutritious and whole-food ingredients and seeks to encourage the everyday home chef that cooking and eating gluten free can not only be healthy, but also delicious and fun. Hang out with her on Google+, like her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and pin her on Pinterest.
