I accidentally made a legitimately nutritious dessert

I’ve been contemplating the “your body is a temple” thing. And while I have made a big push in the past year to consume only wholesome homemade meals, it comes with its caveats. One being, when I can’t stop thinking about a certain food, I have to be the one to make it. Better yet, I have to develop a recipe for it!

disclaimer: the app used to scan for AI writing says AI wrote this…I can assure you it didn’t and I stayed up way too late writing this with my little dog curled up next to me.

I’ve been on a Tiramisu kick recently and this idea came to me one night when I was Jonesing for my next fix 😂

I’m not going to pretend I’m the first person to make something like this, because I’m not. I googled it when I thought about it and found a few recipes, but this one is mine and I honestly believe it’s one of the best things I’ve ever made.

The base is a basic espresso chia seed pudding made with ultra-filtered milk, mascarpone, maple syrup, sea salt and vanilla. But the part that really makes this like tiramisu instead of coffee-flavored chia pudding is the thick layer of whipped mascarpone cream.

Do. Not. Substitute. Especially not with cottage cheese. 😳

Finished with a generous dusting of salted Dutch-process cocoa, it’s creamy, coffee-forward, not too sweet, and legitimately feels like eating dessert.

Except this dessert also happens to boast roughly 15 grams of protein per serving when made with ultra filtered milk, plus a substantial amount of fiber from the chia seeds.

Your body is gonna thank you.

Tiramisu Chia Pudding

Yield: 4 generous servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: At least 4 hours, preferably overnight

Espresso Chia Pudding

• 2 cups ultra-filtered milk

• 1/2 cup chia seeds

• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

• 2–4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, to taste

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Maple Mascarpone Cream

• 1 cup mascarpone cheese, cold

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold

• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or to taste

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Small pinch fine sea salt

For Finishing

• Dutch-process cocoa powder mixed with a pinch of fine sea salt, for dusting

• Finely grated dark chocolate, optional

Instructions

1. Make the espresso mixture

Warm a few tablespoons of the milk just enough to dissolve the espresso powder. Stir until completely dissolved, then combine with the remaining cold milk.

2. Make the chia pudding

In a medium bowl, whisk together the espresso milk, mascarpone, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until mostly smooth.

Add the chia seeds and whisk thoroughly.

Refrigerate for about 20–30 minutes, then give the mixture another good stir. This helps redistribute the chia seeds before the pudding fully sets and prevents clumping.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but overnight is better.

3. Make the mascarpone cream

Add the cold heavy cream to a bowl and whip until it begins to thicken and form soft peaks. I accidentally whipped it too much, but adding a bit of unwhipped cream into the whipped stuff will bring it right back to where you need it to be.

Add the mascarpone, maple syrup, vanilla and a small pinch of salt. Continue whipping just until thick, creamy and fluffy.

Don’t overwhip — you’re looking for a soft, luxurious mascarpone cream rather than a stiff frosting. Again, you can add a little cream to loosen if you need to.

Taste and add another drizzle of maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter.

4. Assemble

I layered mine in one large glass dish like a trifle, but you can absolutely make several individual jars.

Start with the chia pudding layer, spread a layer of mascarpone cream, another layer of chia, mascarpone, and top with a generous dusting of salted dutch process cocoa powder.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Notes:

Use espresso powder. If you do instant coffee, this is now your recipe and not mine. And mine will be better.

Don’t skimp on the mascarpone cream. The contrast between the coffee chia pudding, rich mascarpone and slightly bitter cocoa is what makes this recipe. Plus you want that thick layer.

Adjust the sweetness to your taste. I don’t like super sweet desserts, this is just right for me, you can always add more maple syrup if you’d like.

Make it ahead. The chia pudding is actually better after an overnight rest, making this a fantastic make-ahead breakfast, snack or dessert.

I’m calling this dessert.

Could you eat it for breakfast? Probably.

Could you eat it out of a jar in front of the refrigerator wearing only your underwear?

Absolutely.