Coconut Pineapple Chia Pudding

Coconut Pineapple Chia Pudding

Let’s talk about chia seeds and how you can make them into a delicious pudding for breakfast, snack or even dessert. But first let me tell you a little bit about their nutritious properties. Chia seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, protein and are a good source of iron, magnesium, and calcium. (if you want to learn about what constitutes “good source”, “excellent source” or any labeling rule you can read the CFR title 21 part 101.)

How to make chia pudding?

The basic idea is to soak the tiny seeds in some sort of flavorful and creamy liquid. The seeds absorb all the liquid and become soft and viscous. The key here is to make that soaking liquid sweet and flavorful. Also, a good ratio of liquid and chia seeds is important to get a pudding-like consistency. 

1. The first step is to mix the chia seeds with a plant based milk and whisk to prevent clumps.
2. Next is adding your fruit,  flavors and sweeteners.  Add freshly cut fruit or even frozen.  Don’t be afraid to use different spices. I like cinnamon, cardamon, vanilla, cacao powder, even ginger and turmeric. It’s a great opportunity to get creative here, just make sure you taste as you go and adjust flavors. Finally add your sweetener.
3. Place the mixture in the fridge and wait for 1-2 hr or overnight. I like to have things ready to go so I usually do it at night for the next day.

Other things to make with chia seeds

Chia pudding is my favorite way to use them. But there are other things you can make to use them frequently and take advantage of their nutritious profile.

Chia gel: Chia gel is just chia seeds soaked in water. I use this gel all the time just to boost nutrient content in smoothies. I prefer to add soaked chia seeds rather than dry seeds to my smoothies since it does not affect the viscosity of it.

Chia water: Add a teaspoon of chia seeds to 12 oz of water. Squeeze some lemon juice and ice and enjoy.

Egg replacement: Mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 Tablespoons of water and wait a few minutes until it becomes viscous. 

Pancake batter: Add some chia seeds to your pancake batter, waffles, cookies etc. Adjust liquid/flour ratio if adding extra chia seeds. 

Recipe

¼ cup chia seeds

1 cup of cashew milk. (For best flavor and results)

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp shredded coconut 

1 cup of chopped pineapple

2 chopped pitted dates.

A pinch of salt

Procedure

1. In a mason jar or medium bowl, add the chia seeds, and plant based milk. Wisk until well combined. 
2. Add the maple syrup, shredded coconut, vanilla extract, pineapple and chopped dates. Wisk once again, to prevent the chia seeds from clumping. 
3. Place it in the fridge in an airtight container or mason jar with a lid. Wait 1-2 hours or overnight. 
4. Enjoy!

Tips:

After mixing, wait about two minutes and give it another mix. This helps prevent the chia seeds from clumping.

Try to choose a plant based milk that has a good amount of fat, like cashew or coconut.