You may have seen chia seeds in the supermarket already – they are available in black and white, and some call them little dinosaur eggs because they kinda look like that.
The truth couldn’t be further though – chia seeds derive from the chia plant and are rich in omega 3 amino acids – perfect if you are eating vegetarian or vegan.
Chia seeds are also incredibly helpful when preparing plant based cremes, custards or puddings ( – they absorb liquids just like flax seeds and turn everything into jelly.
This is also the reason why recipes with chia seeds will keep you full longer, and this is why I love chia puddings and everything chia!
This cardamom vanilla pudding tastes sensational, but you can also create other flavours, such as chocolate custard (by adding cacao powder), or gingerbread custard if you add some cinnamon, cloves or allspice.
RECIPE FOR CARDAMOM VANILLA PUDDING
Ingredients:
2 cups water *
2-3 TBSP almond butter *
1/2 cup chia seeds (8 TBSP)
10 drops stevia or another sweetener of choice to taste (coconut syrup, dates, maple syrup, xylitol, etc)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cardamom
* you can also use 2 cups of almond milk instead of water and almond butter, or any other plant based milk.
Preparation:
In your high speed blender, blend everything except for the chia seeds smooth.
Add the chia seeds and either pulse blend briefly, or stir through with a spoon.
Pour into a jar or bowl.
Let the chia seeds do their magic for 20 minutes, they will turn the mixture into gelatinous pudding.
Stir once again, and keep refrigerated until serving.
Tips:
- Chia seeds absorb liquids best when everything is at room temperature – if you place the mix into the fridge straight away, it will take a little longer.
- If you let the pudding sit for longer, it will simply thicken a bit more.
- In case it does not thicken: add some more chia.
- You can also add 1 tsp psyllium husk or ground flax seeds as thickening agents.
Have you ever made chia pudding? What is your favourite pudding flavor?
Comment below or send me an email 🙂
Notes:
C = cup, 240 ml
1/2 C = half a cup, 120 ml or / TBSP
1/4 C = quarter of a cup, 60 ml or 4 TBSP
TBSP = table spoon, 15 ml or 3 tsp
tsp = tea spoon, 5 ml
“soft dates” = medjool are usually best. If necessary, soak briefly and drain. The soaking water is super sweet by the way!