I think it’s hysterical that something I used to grow on my kitchen counter as a “pet” has now become a refrigerator staple. I make a big batch early in the week and have it on hand for a quick breakfast, lunch, post-workout snack or dessert. Once you know the basic formula you can customize it any way you’d like. Pack it in a mason jar for an easy-to-transport meal or snack – just don’t forget a spoon!

It takes about 8 hours for the chia seeds to fully hydrate, so start this process the night before you want to eat it. Once the seeds have hydrated, you can adjust the thickness of the pudding by adding more liquid.

Basic Formula:

1/2 c chia seeds

4 c liquid

Technique:

To avoid clumps, I like to combine the chia seeds with 1 cup of liquid and wisk until no clumps of seeds remain, then slowly add the remaining liquid.

Next Step – Flavor it! Here are some of my favorites…

Recipe: Creamy Coconut & Vanilla Bean Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

1, 14 oz cans full-fat coconut milk (look for BPA-free cans)

2 c water

1/2 c chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or scraped vanilla bean

raw honey to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, wisk coconut milk until smooth (the cream often separates.) Wisk in vanilla bean & chia seeds until no clumps remain, then add water. Refrigerate over night, stir pudding, and add more water or non-dairy milk until you reach the consistency you like. Add raw honey to taste.

Suggested Toppings: 

Almond milk yogurt, strawberries, pomegranate arils, blood orange segments, toasted coconut flakes, toasted almonds…

Recipe: Tahini & Cacao Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

1/4 c tahini

1/4 c cacao

2 TBSP raw honey

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 c chia seeds

4 c non-dairy milk (I prefer almond for this one)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine tahini, cacao, honey, sea salt & 1/2 c of your milk. Wisk together to make a smooth paste. Slowly add 1 more cup of milk, then wisk in your chia seeds. Add the remaining milk and refrigerate over night. Thin out with additional milk as desired.

Suggested Toppings:

Almond milk yogurt, pears, oranges, cacao nibs, chestnuts, walnuts, pecans…