Chia Pudding Recipe

Chia, while it has been known and used in Central American cuisine for centuries, is a fairly recent discovery in the western world. The tiny black and white seeds have gained tremendous popularity because of its unique physical properties and consistency, and even more so because it’s packed with nutrition.

1 ounce of chia seeds contain:

• 137 kcal
• 4.4g of protein
• 6.5g of polyunsaturated fat (including 4.9g omega-3 fatty acids)
• 18% DV of calcium
• 27% DV of phosphorus
• 30% DV of manganese
• 42% DV of dietary fiber

That is a LOT of nutrition in such a small serving.

How Can You Take Advantage of All That Nutrition?

While chia can easily be added to almost any recipe, including soups, salads, breads, and toppings, it often isn’t enough to really get the bang for your buck.

Additionally, with most of these recipes, you can’t experience one of the coolest properties of chia; when you let it sit in liquid, a slimy, mucilaginous coating. One seed will absorb up to 12 times their weight in water! It turns from crunchy seed to tapioca-like in under an hour.

If you haven’t tried it before, it might not sound all that appetizing. Once you try it, however, you will likely get hooked.

One of our favorites is chia pudding: it is a great vegan breakfast or dessert, can be mixed and matched in a thousand ways, and it allows you to have significant amounts of chia, rather than just a bit here and there as a topping.

Below is a chia pudding starter recipe, which is perfect if you are just trying it for the first time. There is no cooking involved, and all you’ll need is a fridge to store the chia in overnight and let it do its magic. Feel free to get creative and add your favorite fruits, nuts, and spices to it!

Overnight Chia Pudding Starter Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (you can also use coconut, cashew, or even soy milk)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (for a lower-sugar version, you can add stevia or another non-calories sweetener)
• ¼ cup blueberries or raspberries

Instructions

1. In a mason jar, mix together the milk, sweetener, and vanilla. Add the chia seeds, put the top on, and shake.
2. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, and shake again, to keep it from caking. Repeat 2-3 times.
3. Put the mason jar in the fridge overnight.
4. In the morning, add blueberries as a topping, or mix it in.

Enjoy! You have made your first chia pudding recipe! Feel free to add powdered cocoa, almonds, banana, pecans, and anything your heart desires.