Chia seeds are supposed to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. They are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, quality protein, calcium, magnesium and other minerals. I discovered them a few years ago and since then we always have some chia seeds in our pantry. At the beginning I was just using them as a supplement – a tablespoon soaked in about half cup of water creates a gel-like drink. At some point I started experimenting and today I’d like to share with you how to make chia seed pudding that our family loves. I like to prepare it in the evening and refrigerate overnight. That way in the morning we can start the day with super healthy and easy breakfast. There are tons of possible variations of chia seed pudding recipe and you can probably come up with your own favorite combinations of ingredients but here is what you’ll need to start…

 

CHIA SEED PUDDING INGREDIENTS:

• 2-2.5 cups of almond milk (plain or vanilla) – we were out of almond milk so I used this coconut milk beverage from Trader Joe’s you can see on the photo above. You can also use rice milk or combine almond milk with a cup of canned coconut milk. Dairy milk, kefir or yogurt work, too.
• 1/4 chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
• chopped fruit – I love to use fresh fruit but dried works, too. You can try oranges, strawberries, bananas, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, mango or cherries. Here are some dried fruit options: raisins, cranberries, chopped figs, dates, apricots, goji berries or mulberries
• chopped nuts – walnuts work great but you can also add pecans, cashews, sliced almonds or pistachios

Optional ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• zest from one orange
• unsweetened coconut flakes
• granola
• cinnamon, cocoa, ginger…

HOW TO MAKE CHIA SEED PUDDING:

1. Pour milk into a quart jar, add sweetener, vanilla and orange zest and mix well –  I personally always use orange zest because I love the flavor that it gives but you can skip it.
2. Add chia seeds and stir to mix everything together. I like to close a lid and shake the jar very well  to combine.
3. After 5 minutes stir or shake again, and again after another 10 minutes – mixing it several times at the beginning is quite important because otherwise you can get  huge clumps of soaked seeds on the bottom that will be difficult to break. When I shake the jar every 5-15 min the seeds distribute evenly. After a few shakes put the jar in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Here are photos of how it will look when the seeds expand:

4. The next day stir the  chia seed pudding again to make sure there aren’t any clumps, pour into bowls and top with fruit of your choice, nuts, granola or coconut flakes.
5. You can store the pudding in the fridge for a few days and just keep adding fruit when you’re ready to eat it. You could make a big batch on weekend and eat it all week 🙂

If you’ve heard about chia seeds but never tried them this is a great and easy recipe to start with. Give it a try and I’m pretty sure you’ll like this healthy and super nutritious dish perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert. And if you come up with your favorite chia seed pudding flavor please remember to share!

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