Here I will share my new go-to breakfast recipe —chia pudding, which tastes like sunshine in a bowl. The best part is that you can make individual servings today, and enjoy them all week long.
Fresh citrus, vanilla and honey are a perfect match for chia seeds, especially with a base of creamy homemade cashew milk. You can also use store-bought almond milk or coconut milk, but I really love the rich, neutral flavor and creamy texture that cashew milk provides.
This recipe don’t need any cooking at all; it just needs an hour-long (or overnight) rest to give the chia seeds time to plump up. The resulting tapioca-like pudding tastes similar to a creamsicle or an orange julius. Enjoy this one for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack. It’s a creamy, filling, and healthy treat, no matter how you serve it.
Chia seeds are high in fiber and Omega-3’s (Aztec warriors used to rely on them for energy), so this chia seed pudding will keep you going for a while! As always, please let me know how you like it.
- ¾ cup milk of choice (I prefer homemade cashew milk, but you can also use store-bought almond milk or coconut milk)
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon orange zest, preferably from an organic orange
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, more to taste
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- Recommended toppings: drizzle of honey or maple syrup, sliced bananas, fresh or defrosted berries or my berry chia seed jam, shredded coconut, toasted chopped nuts…
- In a small jar (these are perfect) or bowl, combine the milk, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla extract. Taste, and if you’d like a more pronounced vanilla flavor, add another ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract. Be sure to measure out the extra vanilla extract rather than just pouring more in—it’s easy to go overboard.
- Stir in the chia seeds, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight), until the chia seeds have absorbed enough moisture to achieve a pudding-like state.
- Before serving, stir again to break up any clumps of chia seeds. Serve with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup on top and any additional toppings you might like. This pudding will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 5 days.
Make it nut free: Use a nut-free milk, and don’t top with nuts.
Change it up: I haven’t tried yet, but I bet this recipe would be tasty with other varieties of citrus zest/juice as well. Since lemons and limes are more tart than oranges, you might want to use just 2 tablespoons juice and some extra milk.
To make 4 servings at once: Combine 3 cups milk, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 cup orange juice and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Add up to ½ teaspoon more vanilla extract for a more pronounced vanilla flavor. Whisk in ¾ cup chia seeds and refrigerate overnight.
