The combination of mint and chocolate has quite the following as far as ice cream flavors are concerned. In fact, mint chocolate ranks in the top ten most popular flavors, and it isn’t too hard to see why! There is just something special about the smooth, cool taste of mint against a deliciously rich chocolate that makes this flavor combo such a winner to so many people.
While you’ll most commonly find this pairing on the shelves of your grocers ice cream aisle, the mint chocolate combo has been popping up in all kinds of recipes, ranging from cookies to shakes, and seemingly everything in between. Today I want to introduce you to a healthy way to get your mint chocolate fix that’s just as decadent as any ice cream, but half the fat and calories. It is truly a dessert you can eat without guilt! Beyond being full of good for you ingredients, this delicious chia seed pudding is 100% natural and free of gluten, dairy and both refined and artificial sugars.That perfect green coloring of the coconut mint whipped cream is also natural, believe it or not. Food coloring is probably one of the most unnatural things out there, so we definitely don’t want to include it in a clean eating lifestyle. The solution? All natural food coloring from other foods! Sounds crazy, but it actually works. In this case, I used matcha tea, which is a vibrantly hued Japanese green tea. As you can see, it worked perfect as a green food coloring replacement in this recipe, and you don’t need a whole lot of it to get the color you want. You can find matcha in your local health food store or even online, but just be sure to remember that matcha is quite different from regular green tea powder, so be sure to use matcha powder if you’re wanting to use it for food coloring.
By now, we have all heard how wonderful chia seeds are for us, but if you’re new to eating them, here is a quick list on some of the many benefits they offer:
- Help weight loss by reducing food cravings
- They provide hydration for those who are active
- Reduce blood pressure
- They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 available – They actually contain more Omega-3 than salmon
- They are easy to digest
You really can’t go wrong with this recipe, and the touch of green makes it a perfect dessert to get in the spirit of St. Patrick’s day. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
- ***Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding:***
- 1.25 cups unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk(I used So Delicious brand coconut milk)
- 1/4 cup chia seeds (I used white chia seeds)
- 2 Tbsp. organic cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. 100% pure maple syrup
- ***Mint Coconut Whipped Cream:***
- 1 can of chilled Thai Kitchen brand unsweetened coconut milk; the full fat version, the light version won’t work
- 1/4 tsp. mint extract
- 1/2 tsp. matcha green tea powder to color
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine your chia seeds, coconut milk or almond milk, cocoa powder and maple syrup. Stir to thoroughly mix. You will continue to stir every 2 minutes or so for about 10-15 minutes, or until mixture has reached a pudding like consistency.
- In a separate medium-sized dish, take your chilled Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk and scoop only the thick white cream part out. The rest of the liquid can be thrown away or used in a smoothie.
- Add in your 1/2 tsp. of matcha powder to color and 1/4 tsp. of mint extract to flavor.
- With a hand mixer, whip your coconut cream on high for 3-5 minutes or until cream forms a whipped cream texture.
- When finished, take your serving dish and layer a small amount of your pudding, top with your finished whipped cream and finish with another layer of pudding.
- Serve and enjoy!
Bibs @ Tasteometer
March 11, 2014 at 5:24 am (10 years ago)Having recently discovered Chia Seeds, I purchased some. This dessert looks delicious and I have all the ingredients except the mint extract so off to buy some. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa
March 12, 2014 at 7:26 am (10 years ago)Yum! I love the layers you made, looks so pretty!
Danielle
March 12, 2014 at 4:09 pm (10 years ago)Thanks Melissa!
christina reynolds
April 1, 2014 at 3:15 am (10 years ago)Hello I really want to try this recipe but I cannot seem to find the mint extract or matcha green tea powder. Can you please tell me where I can get these products online?
Danielle
April 1, 2014 at 11:28 am (10 years ago)Hi Christina! Below I posted links to both mint extract and matcha green tea powder I found through Amazon. Hope that helps!
Matcha green tea powder -http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_7?url=search-alias%3Dgrocery&field-keywords=matcha+green+tea+powder&sprefix=matcha+%2Cgrocery%2C213&rh=n%3A16310101%2Ck%3Amatcha+green+tea+powder
Mint Extract – http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_6/187-8330017-8634429?url=search-alias%3Dgrocery&field-keywords=mint%20extract%20pure&sprefix=mint+e%2Cgrocery%2C247
syahirah
June 29, 2014 at 2:26 am (10 years ago)Can i change mint with cheese??
Danielle
June 29, 2014 at 10:59 am (10 years ago)I am not sure how it would turn out, but if you want to try it your more than welcome to!