CINNAMON VANILLA CHIA PUDDING
VEGAN | KETO | GLUTEN-FREE | LOW-CAL | LOW-FAT
I've been making this shiz on the regular for over three years now. Why I've never posted this recipe before is beyond me. My nine year old got home from school yesterday and scolded me for not making more. I promised her I'd make it and totally forgot. Actually, I promised her three days in a row and forgot all three days. There might've even been a pinky swear involved. I know, I know, Mother-of-the-Year. It's been a really busy week and for whatever reason I've had a serious mental block with the chia pudding.
After I made the pudding, which literally takes two minutes, I thought to myself, 'Why in the hell haven't I done a post about this stuff?' It's yummy, healthy, and easy to make. I mean, I'm not just talkin' easy... I'm talkin' stupid easy.
When I first started making this years ago, it was because I was looking for something sweet to eat. I have a crazy sweet tooth. Even after eight years of eating healthy, that damn sweet tooth is still there. I learned long ago to stop fighting it and simply give it what it wants, but on my own terms. So I approach my sweet tooth much like a mom trying to hide veggies in a child's meal... I trick the little bastard!
I like this pudding a lot, but my kids? My kids love it. I have to make them each their own batch because they'll fight over it. I'm gonna be totally honest here, it does surprise me that they are crackheads over this stuff. I instantly liked chia pudding and knew it would satisfy my sweet cravings, but I really didn't think my kids would love it so much. Here's why. First, it looks kind of gross. Ya, I know, not a great sell when you're trying to get people to make your recipe. But for real, it just does. It doesn't look that appealing. I'm sure it would look worlds better if I used the white chia seeds but because I use black chia seeds, it makes the pudding look weird. At least I think so. My kids have never once mentioned anything about how the pudding looks, so maybe it's just me with the problem. By the way, there isn't any nutritional difference between the black and white chia seeds. These are the chia seeds I use.
Secondly, I didn't know if my kids would be into the texture. Chia pudding has the same texture as tapioca pudding. When I was a kid, one of my most favorite foods to eat was tapioca pudding. I was a fiend with the stuff. I loved it! However, once I started eating healthy, I stopped buying it. For me, it's just one of those foods that I can't portion control with. I will eat up every last bite of it in record time. Because I started my health and fitness journey when my kids were eight months old and three years old, they don't have any recollection of tapioca pudding. I've never had a problem with food textures, but a lot of children do. Even some adults have a thing with certain textures. My best girlfriend, Di, has serious texture issues with food. Seriously, it's like a disorder. Not me, man. Food and I go way back. I will always be a foodie at heart and I certainly have never met a pudding I didn't like. I don't care what kind of texture a food has, if it tastes good, I'm on board.
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CINNAMON VANILLA CHIA PUDDING
WHATCHU NEED:
2 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk OR 1 can of Light Coconut Milk (13-14 ounces)
1/2 cup Organic Chia Seeds
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Ground Ceylon Cinnamon OR Regular Ground Cinnamon
Stevia OR honey (Optional)
Important:
Never eat plain, dry chia seeds. Make sure they have been mixed with food or liquid before consuming. Chia seeds can expand more than 20x their size and if you consume a large amount dry (not sure why anyone would), they can expand in your esophagus or belly and cause discomfort.
Notes:
I prefer my chia pudding with almond milk. It tastes very similar to the coconut milk version and saves you some calories, but I included the option because everybody likes options! My oldest daughter prefers the coconut milk, so I usually make both. You can actually substitute ANY milk in this recipe. I simply listed non-dairy milks because I don't drink dairy milk.
If you would like your pudding to have a thicker consistency, simply add more chia seeds. If you'd like it thinner, add less. You can play around with it until you find the perfect consistency for you. I personally like mine thicker and I'll often dump an extra tablespoon or two of seeds in there!
Screw top containers work great for this recipe. Mason jars work well too. What's so great about the sealed containers is that if you happen to open the fridge or be in the kitchen before the pudding sets up, you can grab the container and give it another couple shakes. The chia seeds have a tendency to sink to the bottom and the pudding can sometimes clump. So shaking it throughout the thickening process helps the pudding set up better.
I absolutely love my Ziploc screw top containers for my chia pudding! They never leak when I shake them up.
WHATCHU DO:
1. Combine all ingredients, EXCEPT for the sweetener (stevia or honey), in a sealed container.
2. Once sealed, shake or stir.
3. Put in fridge until the pudding sets up and thickens (1-2 hours).
4. AFTER the pudding sets up, then add your desired sweetener.
My youngest daughter and I prefer a stevia packet mixed in our pudding whereas my oldest daughter prefers honey. You can sweeten it however you'd like (But don't use artificial sweeteners! That stuff is poison!) or you can opt not to additionally sweeten it at all. The milk and cinnamon give it a slight sweet taste all on it's own.
Note:
You can also top your chia pudding with fruit! My oldest daughter is obsessed with topping hers with bananas and honey. It's really yummy!
I love blueberries so I will top my pudding with a giant handful of them!
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NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serving size = 1/2 cup
For Almond Milk Pudding (with stevia):
108 Calories
6.8g Fat
8.7g Carb
7g Fiber
0g Sugar
4g Protein
1.7 Net Carbs
For Light Coconut Milk Pudding (with stevia):
201 Calories
13.6g Fat
12g Carbs
7g Fiber
2g Sugar
4g Protein
5g Net Carbs
NOTE: Nutritional information was calculated by using both a calorie calculator and actual labels from brands used. Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands/products you use. The nutritional data provided is to serve as an estimate. For exact accuracy, you will need to calculate using the information on your ingredient/product labels.
I also use chia seeds in my delicious muffin recipes. Try them out!
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