Cacao Bliss Bowl - For Breakfast!

Before I went Paleo, I used to love making overnight oatmeal for breakfast.  It was super easy (all you have to do is mix everything in a bowl and put it in the fridge overnight) and you could get really creative with flavors and toppings, so it was never boring!

This morning I wanted to make something different for breakfast (I've been having a lot of eggs recently) so I tried out a chia seed breakfast bowl, which I have accurately named 'Cacao Bliss Bowl.'  If I had thought about this last night, I would have made this dish in the same manner as overnight oats.  The longer the chia seeds sit in liquid, the more gel-like they get.  However, I didn't think of this idea until the morning and was too impatient to save it for tomorrow.  The chia seeds begin to get gel-like pretty quick, so if you're in a hurry just mix and let it sit for at least 15 minutes (I waited about 30 minutes). 

For those of you in the middle of the Whole30, this breakfast bowl can work for you as well!  Just don't add any honey.  It will still taste like heavenly cacao bliss!

*In case you're wondering, almond meal is okay on the Whole30 if you use for thickening or to coat meat before cooking.  It is NOT okay to use almond meal to make muffins, breads, etc. on the Whole30.  Those are the items that you're focusing on eliminating during the Whole30.  I used the almond meal in this recipe to thicken it up.  However, you could easily omit the almond meal, especially if you soak the chia seeds overnight (they will  thicken up to a pudding-like texture at that point).

Cacao Bliss Bowl

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

4 oz. full fat coconut milk

3 oz. water

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

1 banana, sliced

1/4-1/2 cup strawberries, diced

1 Tablespoon raw cacao nibs

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon raw cacao powder

2 Tablespoons almond meal (optional)

1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)

*Other suggested mix-ins: Nuts, blueberries, raspberries, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds (Just use anything you have on hand that sounds tasty!)

Directions

1) In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the coconut milk, water, and chia seeds.  Cover and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, or overnight. 

*If you use lite coconut milk, you can omit the water and just use 7 oz. of the coconut milk.

2) Remove chia seed mixture from the fridge after the seeds have turned gel-like and it has turned into more of a pudding.

3) Mix in your remaining ingredients and enjoy!  It really does taste like chocolate bliss :)