Chia seed pudding is made by soaking chia seeds in liquid like milk, nut milk, or juice for at least 2 hours or overnight. The chia seeds absorb the liquid and become gelatinous, creating a texture that’s similar to tapioca pudding, but with smaller pieces.
*****INGREDIENTS*****
- Chia Seeds – You’ll need chia seeds to make a proper chia pudding. That said, linseeds (a.k.a. flaxseeds) will act similarly.
- Light or Thin Coconut Milk – You are looking for the second or third pressing of the fruit, or the kind that is usually sold in a paper carton. If you use thick canned coconut milk (which is from the first extract), then add ¼ cup water and mix very well to create a homogenous, slightly thin consistency.
- You can also use any nut milk like almond milk, coconut milk or cashew milk. Soy milk or oat milk are also great options. You can even use dairy milk if you like, but note that dairy and certain fruits should not be combined per Ayurveda.
- Coconut Sugar – Adding sweeteners is optional but I do prefer to sweeten the mix so it tastes more like pudding. Aside from coconut sugar, you can also use any of the following sweeteners.
- unrefined cane sugar
- palm sugar
- jaggery (Indian unrefined sugar)
- honey
- maple syrup
- fruits pastes, purées and preserves like dates paste, dried figs paste, any berry preserves, apple sauce, banana puree, or mango puree.
- sweetened chocolate sauce
- Flavoring – I like to add ground green cardamom, ground cinnamon and/or vanilla extract to give the chia pudding lots of depth.
- Fruits: I like to top my chia pudding with fruits like chopped apples, bananas, mangos (when in season), strawberries, blueberries, cherries, or sapota. Feel free to mix and match to your heart’s content.
- Nuts & Dry Fruits: Use the dry fruits & nuts of your choice to add a bit of texture. You can add from the following nuts and dry fruits – raisins, cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, dried berries.
*****OPTIONAL VARIATIONS*****
- For chocolate chia pudding: Dissolve 3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder or drinking chocolate with the nut milk first. Sift the cocoa powder before adding it to the milk so it dissolves easily. Add milk in parts and mix very well to get a lump-free mixture. Later add the chia seeds, sweetener, and flavorings (as required). Mix and refrigerate.
- For peanut butter chia pudding: Swap in ground peanut powder or peanut butter in place of the cocoa powder described above. You can also make a chocolate peanut butter pudding by using half of each!
- For extra fruity chia pudding: Use the fruit juice of your choice in place of the milk.
- Flavorings: You can choose and pair accordingly — vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, lemon zest, orange zest and edible natural flowers or fruit extracts. Other options include (but are not limited to) pumpkin pie spice, almond extract, maple extract, rose water, or orange blossom water.
*****INSTRUCTIONS*****
Add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to a glass or jar. If you want you can rinse the seeds with water in a superfine strainer first.
- Add ¾ cup light coconut milk or the liquid of your choice. For a less thick pudding, add 1 to 1.25 cups light coconut milk.
- Sweeten with 2 tablespoons coconut sugar.
- Sprinkle with 2 pinches of ground cardamom or ground cinnamon. You can even flavor with ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Mix everything till the coconut sugar is dissolved. Break up any lumps with a spoon. Cover the glasses and place them in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.
- Later, remove the glasses from the fridge. You will see that the pudding has nicely thickened.
- Stir again and break up any lumps. The pudding will be thick.
- Top chia pudding with your desired toppings like chopped fruits and nuts, then serve. Most of the time I add bananas (as they are a staple in my home), strawberries (when in season), and blueberries.
