As a Health Coach, cooking easy and healthy snacks is one of my passions.
I’m a huge fan of chia pudding. The taste, the texture, the simplicity and the ability to make endless versions of it makes chia pudding a true favorite of my kitchen.
Before we dive into specific recipes, why do I love chia seeds so much? Chia seeds are an unprocessed, whole-grain seed that happens to be among the healthiest foods on the planet. They’re loaded with nutrients that can have important benefits for your body and brain: high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. They are a great source of protein and are packed with fiber. Adding chia seeds to recipes will dramatically boost their nutritional value, and they are so easy to incorporate to so many recipes!
Now you know why I am in love with these small gems, you get why chia pudding is very high on my list when I want to prepare an easy, healthy and satiating snack.
Basic Chia Pudding Recipe
For the basic recipe, you only need 4 simple ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chia seeds (can be black or white)
- 2 cups nut milk (check my post How To Make Nut Milk) or water
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or raw honey (or some sort of added sweetener, if you’d like)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Just combine it all in a bowl and place it in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to set (or overnight if you prefer). When you remove it from the fridge, the chia seeds will have turned into a gel and the whole mixture will be thick, like pudding.
You can cook a large portion and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Creative Versions Of Chia Pudding
Once we’ve covered how to make the basic, plan version of chia pudding, it’s time to put on our creative hats. From the batch, you can take portions and mix with other add-on ingredients… turning a basic chia pudding into an exciting and exotic creation.
Ideas to add to your chia pudding:
- ½ cup blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or mango. Blend them and add them to the bottom of a glass jar. Top with the chia pudding from the fridge. To serve, top off with some fresh fruit.
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, matcha or natural peanut butter. Add to the prepared chia pudding. Stir to combine until it’s completely mixed.
- Any fresh fruit (strawberries, mango, kiwi, banana…) thinly sliced. Place the slices around the inner sides of a glass jar and then fill to the top with the chia pudding from the fridge. To serve, add a couple of fruit slices on top.
Getting hungry? Let’s get cooking!
Find me @soniaribascoach and share your creations. Have fun and enjoy!
Sonia Ribas
@soniaribascoach
