18/08/2018

Creamy Chia Pudding

Name: Creamy Chia Pudding
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 250 ml canned coconut milk (see Recipe Notes if replacing with other milks or yogurt); 250 ml water (see Recipe Notes); 1 dessertspoon honey or other sweetener to taste; 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional); 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional); 3 tbsp chia seeds (approx 75g); to serve: fruit, nuts, seeds, smoothies (optional)

Deliciously creamy chia pudding makes a fabulous breakfast, snack or dessert and you’ll love this easy, overnight recipe.

Great on its own or customize it by adding fruits, nuts, seeds or even a layer of smoothie.

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I’ve only recently got into chia pudding, but I’m finding it rather addictive!

Creamy chia pudding is simply chia seeds which have been soaked in your choice of liquid.

The chia seeds themselves are actually very bland. But it’s what you flavour and serve them with that’s the deal breaker.

WHAT ARE CHIA SEEDS & ARE THEY GOOD FOR YOU?

Chia seeds are members of the mint family and come originally from central and south America. Besides making chia pudding you can use them like any other seed, adding them to porridge, smoothies, baked goods etc.

Due to chia seeds’ high soluble fibre content, they can absorb many times their own weight in water. After soaking, they become gel-like and this is known as ‘chia pudding’.

Many health claims have been made for chia seeds, most notably because they’re high in omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for good health, including brain and heart function. The bad news is that the type of omega-3 found in plants such as chia seeds (called ALA) is the sort which the human body finds very difficult to convert to the form it needs: DHA.

So, to get your recommended weekly amount of omega-3 you still can’t beat animal sources such as 2-3 portions of oily fish like sardines, anchovies, mackerel and herring.

However, there’s no denying that chia are an excellent source of fibre. Just one tablespoon of these tiny black seeds will provide nearly a third of your daily fibre needed for a healthy digestive system.

Compared to many plants, chia seeds are also relatively high in protein and rich in calcium so I think they’re a good choice for breakfast, a snack or dessert.

Read more about chia seeds and their health benefits here

CREAMY CHIA PUDDING

Confession time: my first attempt at Creamy Chia Pudding was not very successful.

If you look at chia pudding recipes you’ll see that seed to liquid ratios vary wildly. Indeed, so set and stiff was my first batch that I’m sure it would’ve come bouncing back at me if I’d thrown it against the wall. By the way, I didn’t throw it against the wall. I mixed in more liquid so as not to waste it, but it didn’t have the creamy texture I was after.

After some experimentation, I’ve found my perfect combination of seeds and liquid that gives a beautifully creamy chia pudding every time.

It’s softly spoonable, luscious and velvety – exactly what I wanted to achieve. In the recipe at the end of this post, you’ll see that just 3 tablespoons (around 75 grams) of chia seeds and 500ml of liquid are all you need to make four portions.

You might prefer a firmer set to your creamy chia pudding, so play around and find the consistency that you like. You may also find that seeds from different suppliers soak up varying amounts of liquid, so get experimenting!

WHICH SOAKING LIQUID?

For my creamy chia pudding I tend to use canned coconut milk to soak the seeds. I love the taste and creaminess of coconut milk, but because it can be quite firm when it’s been in the fridge I dilute it with 50 per cent water. This still gives a lush texture and coconut flavour, while also being a little lighter and less calorific.

Alongside cans, I keep powdered coconut milk in the cupboard too; not only is it useful when you only need a small amount, but you can make a less rich milk that’s suitable for chia pudding.

Of course you don’t need to use coconut milk for this creamy chia pudding. You can use any milk you like, plant or dairy, diluted or not, yogurt, or any combination of these.

To add a little sweetness and flavour to the soaking liquid, I stir in some honey, cinnamon and vanilla extract. You can leave these out if you want to, or include some of your own favourite flavours.

WHISK & LEAVE OVERNIGHT: EASY!

Making this creamy chia pudding couldn’t be any easier. All you do after flavouring your soaking liquid is pour it into a suitable lidded container, sprinkle over the seeds and whisk together.

After 5 – 10 minutes you’ll find that some of the seeds start to clump together, so break them up by whisking again. You can then pop a lid on, put the container in the fridge and forget all about it for a good while.

I always make my chia pudding in the evening and leave overnight as that’s convenient for me. If you want to eat it the same day, then organize yourself so that the seeds get a good 4 hours soaking to achieve the right consistency.

Creamy chia pudding is fine to keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and I always make enough for two day’s worth for the two of us. If you want to make more, or less, just amend the ingredients accordingly.

SERVING

My creamy chia pudding tastes great just as it is, but for a balanced breakfast I think you need to add a few extras. Happily, this will also make it extra delicious!

When I first started making it, I just layered the chia pudding with some chopped fresh fruit and sprinkled some whole or milled seeds over the top. But I’ve now discovered an even better way to eat creamy chia pudding and fruit: add a layer of smoothie!

For the green smoothie you can see in these images, I whizzed up avocado, lime juice, frozen banana, frozen spinach and a little diluted coconut milk. In between the layers of creamy chia pudding and smoothie is chopped, juicy kiwi fruit with a few hemp seeds sprinkled on top. The result is fantastic – like a healthy sundae.

I wonder if you can guess what’s in the gloriously salmon pink smoothie I layered into this creamy chia pudding?

The strawberries and, if you can make them out, the nectarines, give part of the game away but for this one I added some grated carrot too. With smoothies, I always try to add some vegetables as well as fruit to keep things balanced.

FRUITY CREAMY CHIA PUDDING

If you don’t want to serve a smoothie with the creamy chia pudding, then why not stir in a fruit or vegetable puree?

For this beautiful blueberry flavoured version, I whizzed up some blueberries and stirred them into the chia pudding. Purely for visual effect I divided the pudding in two so that I could see the difference in adding varying amounts of the puree.

Be aware that adding this extra liquid will make the pudding a little runnier. If that bothers you then either include the puree in the measured soaking liquid, or just reduce the total amount of liquid.

I can’t wait to start dreaming up some new variations of my creamy chia pudding. How do you like yours?

Like this recipe? Why not make some of my Grain Free Granola to sprinkle on your Chia Pudding?