Chocolate Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding with Unsweetened Almond Milk

This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze Almondmilk.

Chocolate Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding - TheFitFork.comI’ve really grown to love almond milk as a staple in my healthy diet. I’m not lactose intolerant nor do I have any other concern about dairy milk, but I find that the addition of almond milk makes a tasty alternative in my cooking, baking and smoothie-making.  My absolute favorite “flavor” is unsweetened vanilla. With no added sugar, I am in control of how I want my milk or recipe outcome to taste and what type of ingredients I’ll use to do so. I will admit, in the winter, I do have cravings to mix in stevia-sweetened chocolate syrup – it makes a rich, creamy and low-calorie treat.  It’s hard to believe, but one cup of Unsweetened Almond Breeze Almondmilk  just has 30 calories – and, it has no saturated fat or cholesterol and is low on the Glycemic Index.

Trail Running - TheFitFork.comIn addition to mugs of hot chocolate, I can’t tell you how many smoothie creations I’ve made with unsweetened almond milk as the base.  Pear Maple Chia Smoothie, Watermelon Chia Smoothie, Creamy Cranberry Orange Smoothie and dozens upon dozens more. Making a smoothie is such an easy way to refuel after a good run – but I was looking for a new snack to have waiting and ready after an unseasonably warm trail run last week (it’s now cold again, ugh).   Pairing chia seeds with almond milk seemed like the perfect way to pump of the protein for muscle recovery . . . seeing as I did it so often in my smoothies!

Chocolate Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding with Almond Breeze - TheFitFork.com Just like unsweetened almond milk, there’s so much love about chia seeds. These little guys are an abundant source of Omega 3 fatty acids, surprising high in protein, and rich in other vitamins and minerals like calcium. I’ll be the first to admit, the gelatinous texture of chia seeds – even just the word gelatinous – freaks me out a little. However, blend in some chocolaty cocoa and raspberries and all of a sudden the mouthfeel is marvelous. This recipe makes a stunning and super sensible dessert and is so nutrient-packed; it even gets my approval for breakfast.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding - TheFitFork.com

Chocolate Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding
Prep Time
3 mins
Total Time
8 hrs 3 mins
 
Rich cacao powder and raspberries are perfectly paried -- add chia seeds and almond milk and you have a dessert that is creamy, dreamy and a delight for your healthy diet. Unsweeted almondmilk makes a great base that lets you choose how much sweetness to add.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Servings: 3 1/2 cup servings
Ingredients
Chocolate Chia Pudding Layer:
  • 9 tablespoons Unsweetened Almond Breeze Almondmilk equals 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 packets stevia
Rasberry Chia Pudding Layer
  • 12 frozen raspberries
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Breeze Almondmilk
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut
  • 3 packets stevia
Instructions
  1. Set out two 1-pint microwave-safe containers with tight-fitting lids. In first container, add ingredients for chocolate pudding layer. Secure lid tightly and shake vigorously to combine.
  2. In second container, add raspberries and thaw in microwave on defrost for about 30 seconds, or until thawed and juices released. Use fork to mash up raspberries. Add remaining ingredients for raspberry pudding layer fasten lid and shake until combined.
  3. Set both containers in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. To serve, spoon puddings in alternate layers. Top with additional raspberries and coconut. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

{Slow Cooker} Salted Caramel Chocolate Crunch Holiday Gift Recipe

Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Chocolate Crunch - TheFitFork.com

I would be thrilled if you would head over to Love Grown Food’s Facebook and/or Pinterest page and vote for my holiday recipe creation (by “liking” or pinning) – {Slow Cooker} Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Crunch! This scrumptious salty-sweet snack couldn’t be easier to make in the slow cooker . . . . yes, Crock Pot power! Just dump in everything but the chocolate and let it mingle and caramelize together while you tend to other holiday tasks like wrapping gifts, addressing cards and hauling out the holly. Chocolate chips are melted in at the end and then it just cools for a bit on parchment paper. By using Power O’s, a crunchy cereal made from a blend of beans that adds protein, I’m able to bring a little balance to this sweet snack mix.

If you don’t gobble up the entire recipe at once, this Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Crunch makes a nice addition to any holiday party snack lineup or can be packaged up in jars with pretty ribbon for gift-giving.  Remember to go vote through the Facebook or Pinterest links, it’s really easy.  Thank you.

Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Chocolate Crunch - TheFitFork.com

Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Crunch Recipe

  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups “O’s” cereal like Cheerios or Love Grown Power O’s
  • 2 cups mini pretzels
  • 2 cups oyster crackers
  • 2 cups toasted almonds
  • 2 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Stir in sugar and vanilla until well blended.
3. In a large slow cooker, combine cereal, pretzels, almonds and crackers. Pour in melted butter mixture and stir to coat.
4. Cook on high for 2-3 hours with the LID OFF, stirring occasionally. Mixture will be done when sugar caramelizes to create a glaze over ingredients. Please keep an eye on ingredients, as slow  cooker temperatures can vary from model to model or with age of the appliance.
5. Turn heat to low and stir in chocolate chips. Put lid on slow cooker and let chocolate soften for about 5 minutes.
6. Remove lid and stir mixture to distribute melted chocolate. Do not continue to slow cook after chocolate has melted.
7. Spread mixture on parchment paper and immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt. After mixture has cooled and hardened, store in an airtight container.

Makes about 10 to 12 cups.

Moreo Blondie Bars Loaded with Yum + Cookie Recipes

Moreo Kitchen Sink Blondies - TheFitFork.comIf MORE means “a greater or additional amount,” then my Moreo Blondie Bars have more MORE! This delicious treat is overflowing with a greater amount of good things than I typically eat at once – like Oreo cookies, M&Ms, chocolate chips, lots of butter and sugar.  Even though I preach clean eating most of the time, the holiday season is not the time to say “NO” to festive, frivolous and nourishment of dubious (yet delicious) quality – Halleluiah!  You HAVE to read on after the recipe to see my brother’s awesome idea of MORE – it’s a Cherblumpkin!

Moreo Blondie Bar Cookies with Oreos and Candy - TheFitFork.com

So, if you’re making Christmas cookies at home, these Moreo Blondie Bars are very easy to make – just mix up the ingredients and plop in the pan. I highly recommend lining the baking dish in foil before adding the batter. When baked and cooled, simply lift out the by the foil edges and then neatly slice into bars. If you don’t want to go whole hog, check out my recipe for The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie – it’s a classic.Moreo Blondie Cookie Bar with Milk - TheFitFork.com

Moreo Blondie Bar Recipe

  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 15 double stuffed chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely broken
  • 1 cup broken pretzel pieces
  • ½ cup M & M candies
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
  2. Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Add sugars and stir until combined and then mix in eggs.
  3. Stir in baking soda, salt and flour until combined, but don’t over mix.
  4. Mix in crushed cookies, pretzels, candies and chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.
  5. Line 9” x 13” baking pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.
  6. Add dough to pan, patting down with fingers or spatula.
  7. Bake on center rack for 25 minutes or until edges and top turning light golden brown and center looks set.
  8. Let cool completely in pan.  Remove contents from pan by lifting foil. Peel sides of foil back and cut into 12 bars.

Cherblumpkin Cake - Cherry on Blueberry on Pumpkin

Here it is . . . .the Cherblumpkin! It’s a cherry pie stacked on a blueberry pie stacked on a pumpkin pie – frosted to look like a layer cake. The contest was for Cherpumpple (cherry-pumkin-apple),but my little brother shook up the system with his heart stopper of a pie-cake hybrid, so proud of him.

Cherblumpkin - Cherry Blueberry Pumpkin Pie Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Virtual-Cookie-Exchange-recipes-galoreIf you need more holiday goodie ideas, the Fitfluential ambassadors having a Virtual Cookie & Treat Link Up. Lots of goodness here, recipes to suit both sensible and sinful cookie bakers!

What’s your favorite holiday baked item — please share?

Watermelon & Chocolate Recipes – Day 5 #LivingOnTheWedge

Living on the wedge watermelon chocolate

Watermelon and chocolate are two of my favorite sweet things to eat in this world. Summery sweetness meets indulgent richness – the unusual but oh-so perfect pairing was inevitable and why I didn’t think of it sooner is beyond me! So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my Whirled Watermelon Chocolate Pie – one bite and I’m sure you will also become best friends forever with this duo of deliciousness. What a lip smacking way to end a summery meal, perhaps even after a grill-up of my recipe for Grilled Watermelon Shrimp Kebabs with Sweet Spicy Glaze

frozen watermelon chocolate pie dessert

Whirled Watermelon Chocolate Pie Recipe

For Watermelon Filling:

  • 5 cups seedless watermelon cubes
  • ½ teaspoon liquid stevia
  • 2 packets unflavored gelatin
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon liquid stevia

For Chocolate Filling:

  • 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream (divided)
  • 2 pre-made chocolate pie shells (8 – 9 inch diameter)

Directions:

  1. Add seeded watermelon to blender; use wooden spoon to mash it up and get juices releasing. Puree watermelon until as smooth as possible.
  2. Measure out 2 ¾ cups of watermelon puree; any remaining can be used for another purpose. Stir ½ teaspoon liquid stevia into watermelon puree.
  3. Pour ¼ cup of the juice in a large bowl and sprinkle with gelatin powder; let dissolve for 2 minutes.
  4. Add ½ cup of watermelon puree that has been heated in microwave for about 45 seconds (near boiling); whisk into bowl with gelatin.
  5. Mix in lime juice and the remaining 2 cups watermelon juice into the bowl; place in refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.
  6. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a medium size bowl until stiff peaks form; set aside; clean and dry beaters.
  7. Beat the heavy cream in mixer until it holds soft peaks; add liquid stevia and beat for a few more seconds; refrigerate.
  8. When the watermelon mixture starts to firm up, add about one-quarter of the whipped cream and beat with electric mixer until smooth.
  9. Gently fold in beaten egg whites and remaining whipped cream with a large rubber spatula, breaking up any globs of whites or whipped cream.
  10. Transfer watermelon mixture to another bowl and return to refrigerator. Thoroughly wash and dry mixer bowl and whisk attachment to make chocolate filling.
  11. In microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and ½ cup of heavy cream by heating and stirring in 15 second intervals until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes or until near room temperature.
  12. Add chocolate mixture and remaining 1 cup of heavy cream to mixing bowl and beat for approximately 2 minutes, until smooth.
  13. Ready the 2 chocolate pie shells. Spoon in ¼ of watermelon mixture into bottom of each. Next, spoon in “blobs” of the chocolate mixture. Repeat the watermelon and chocolate layers until pie is filled (should just be about 1 more set of layers).
  14. Use the tip of knife to create a swirled pattern. Loosely cover pies and freeze for at least 2 hours, or overnight. To serve, let partially thaw for 10 minutes and slice each pie into 8 pieces. Makes 2 pies (serves 16)!

slice of watermelon chocolate pie

By the way, please notice that this recipe makes TWO pies – if, for some unheard of reason, you are opposed to making TWO pies, just cut the amount of each ingredient in half. I also found that any leftover fillings make really good Frozen Watermelon Chocolate Pops – just pour into a frozen treat mold or paper cups.

watermelon chocolate pops

Watermelon.org also has great dessert recipes that feature watermelon and chocolate. Check out these two family favorites:

watermelon chocolate fondueWatermelon and Spicy Mayan Dark Chocolate Fondue –  I’m just looking out for your health, people! While it might look decadent, this hot fondue is rich with polyphenols found in cocoa powder – and dark chocolate is also great source for iron and magnesium. Plus, you’ll add extra potassium, lycopene and vitamins A and C to your diet with each dunk of watermelon!

 

 

 

watermelon smores dessert Watermelon S’mores — need I say more?

 

 

 

 

 

 

watermelon pinterest boardIf you have a watermelon recipe to share, please post it in the comments. Or, better yet, join #LivingOnTheWedge Pinterest board.

win wantermelon prizesAlso, check out my other posts on watermelon featured all week and don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a great Watermelon Prize Pack.

 

 

The National Watermelon Promotion Board is providing me with compensation to share my love of watermelon. However, the opinions and content (unless otherwise noted) shared are my own and NWPB did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

Strawberry Greek Yogurt Tart w/ Gluten-Free Crust

Is there anything that a strawberry dessert doesn’t make better? Not only do these beautiful berries make both sweet and savory dishes sing with the flavors of the season, just the smell of them lifts my mood for the better. Plus, it has only 202 calories per slices (with 12g fat, 16g net carbs, and 7g protein).

Chocolate Yogurt Tart with Strawberries - TheFitFork.com

This recipe for Strawberry Chocolate Greek Yogurt Tart (with Gluten-Free Coconut-Almond Crust) is made in honor of my mom on a past Mother’s Day. Read on to get the recipe and find out why I picked strawberries over other berries — you’ll be surprised.   Continue reading