Serves 4-6

Is it a breakfast? Is it a dessert? Who blooming cares when it’s this tasty?! Despite its sweet and creamy exterior, this break-ssert (or is it dess-fast?) is deceptively nutritious. I am an absolute sucker for anything chocolate +orange and I absolutely adore blood orange season.

The chocolate layer is as easy and mixing a few ingredients into a bowl and leaving it to set. It’s so simple that even my 7 year old son often takes it upon himself to make some all by himself! And if I’m short on time, then I just make the chocolate chia pudding alone and sprinkle some toasted nuts or granola on top for a super speedy breakfast. But since blood orange season is so short, I love to make some blood orange chia jam to accompany it, which is also delicious on toast as a fancy type of marmalade, or stirred through a bowl of porridge or rice pudding.

I have used Kefir in the chocolate chia layer, which is a pourable cultured yogurt drink that contains gut-friendly bacteria and is a great addition to your diet. There are dairy-free kefir options available too if you have an intolerance but I used a milk-based vanilla one for this recipe. The small but mighty little chia seed is a great source of plant-based Omega 3s, and is high in soluble fibre and protein. I try to sprinkle them onto most of my breakfasts, whether it’s some yoghurt and berries, porridge, a smoothie or some granola; as it’s an easy way to boost the nutritional content of that meal with minimal fuss.

For anyone that is looking to introduce more fibre into their diets – this recipe is for you! One portion provides over HALF of our daily fibre requirements and certainly tastes a heck of a lot better than a few bowls of bran flakes! It also provides 273 calories, 9g of protein, 164% of my calcium and 160% of my daily vitamin C.

PROBIOTIC CHOCOLATE CHIA PUDDING INGREDIENTS

• 500ml Kefir (I use Biotiful which is organic and unsweetened)

• 5 tbsp Chia Seeds

• 2 tbsp Cacao Powder

• 2 tbsp Liquid Sweetener of your choice (I used Troo Chocolate Inulin Syrup but Maple Syrup works well here too)

• Zest of 2 oranges

• Optional but recommended – 2 tbsp Chocolate Chips (I used YaconViva Cacao Nibs sweetened with Yacon Syrup)

ORANGE CHIA JAM INGREDIENTS

• 8 Blood Oranges

• 3 tbsp Chia Seeds

• 1-2 tsp Sugar of your choice to taste (I used Erythritol)

PROBIOTIC CHOCOLATE CHIA PUDDING METHOD

• Simply add all of the ingredients together and leave to thicken for 5-10 mins while you prep the orange jam (I usually make the night before).

• Serve with the orange chia jam, a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkle of granola on top.

BLOOD ORANGE CHIA JAM METHOD

• Zest 2 of the oranges and set that aside.

• Peel all of the oranges and discard the skins.

• Put the orange flesh and zest into a blender and blitz.

• Gently heat over a low-medium heat until it comes to a simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

• Remove from the heat.

• Sprinkle in the chia seeds and sugar to taste.

• Mix well and leave for 5-10 mins to thicken.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories – 273

Protein – 9g

Carbohydrates – 37g

Fibre – 15g

Fat – 11g

Calcium – 164%

Vitamin C – 160%

Vitamin A – 11%

Gut-loving Chocolate Orange Chia Pudding