CH-CH-CH-CHIA

To be quite honest, I haven’t always been a fan of chia seeds/pudding. I have always admired the aesthetics but never the taste. Therefore, as superficial as it sounds – I began my quest of creating the perfect chia pudding through the vain desire of getting a cute shot for the ‘gram.

Being quarantined in Northern California with a sister who has a bag of chia seeds and no desire to do anything with them; it seems to be the perfect opportunity to familiarize myself with these eyeball-like pods. Four weeks without leaving the house, and four batches of chia pudding later – I’ve finally I found the one. It’s no longer just about appearances to me, but as a matter of fact I really enjoy this seedy snack!

Of the four batches I made, three were good, and one was a dud. The last one was my favorite and I bet it’ll be yours! To help you from going through the trial and errors – I’m sharing my recipes and some tips below, starting with my favorite first!

Before you get started, here are some #nganstopfacts about chia:

• Chia pudding can be eaten as a quick breakfast or as a midday snack – filled with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, iron, and calcium – they’re a healthy alternative to every day sweets. They’re also high in protein to help satisfy your macros!
• You can make these overnight for an easy grab-and-go meal the next day without compromising taste. It’s great for this quarantine as you can easily make these the night before and grab them in the morning while on the Zoom meeting (impressing all your peers), or while you’re juggling the kids, the dog, and all the moving elements inside your home.
• Flavors can be versatile depending on your preference! They’re perfect for all kinds of diets: vegan, gluten free, paleo, keto, you name it. The only difference between each, is the milk base you choose.
• TSA Approved?: Pudding is not considered a liquid, so it is the perfect snack for you jet-setters trying to avoid the McDonald’s line at your local airport 10 minutes before your flight departs.

Strawberry Matcha Chia Pudding

Description: If you’re a boba addict, you’ve likely heard of the Strawberry Matcha Latte. This recipe was inspired by the drink and promotes the creamy flavors of a matcha latte along with the refreshing taste of fresh berries.

Serving Size: 4

I N G R E D I E N T S:

For Pudding:

• 1½ Cup Oat Milk (I use Oatly – for paleo use coconut milk or almond milk)
• ½ Cup Chia Seeds
• 1 Tsp Matcha
• 1 Tbsp hot water

For Toppings:

• 1 Tbsp Berry Jam per serving (I used Jackie’s Jam Triple Berry)
• 2 Tbsp Greek Yogurt per serving (I used Straus Whole Milk GreekYogurt)
• Fresh fruits of your choice (I used blueberries, strawberries, and dragon fruit)
• Granola *optional
• Honey Drizzle (or any preferred sweetener) *optional

I N S T R U C T I O N S:

1. In a small bowl or cup, whisk together hot water and matcha. Make sure the matcha is dissolved and not clumpy.
2. In a separate, larger bowl – or I like to use a measuring cup – stir together oat milk, matcha mix, and chia seeds. Stir for 2-3 minutes until all the chia seeds are submerged and milk is a lovely light green color. Total liquid should be ~2 cups.
3. *At this time, you can put the mixture from step 2 into the fridge and split into servings when ready for eating. I like to split my chia pudding servings out at this point to save time the next day. Line 4 mason jars with 1 tsp of jam each, then pour ½ cup of the chia pudding mixture into each jar. Close lid and refrigerate.
4. When ready for eating – top each serving with 2 tablespoon of Greek yogurt, fresh berries, granola and a drizzle of honey.
5. Chia pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Strawberry Oat Milk Chia Pudding

Description: Blending frozen strawberries with creamy oat milk can enhance the taste and add natural sweetness to the overall pudding.

Serving Size: 5

I N G R E D I E N T S:

For Pudding:

• 1½ Cup Oat Milk (I use Oatly – for paleo use coconut milk or almond milk)
• ¾ Cup Chia Seeds
• 1 Cup Frozen Strawberries
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tablespoon of Honey (or preferred sweetener)

For Toppings:

• Fresh fruits of choice (I used strawberries and blackberries)
• Granola
• Honey Drizzle *Optional

I N S T R U C T I O N S:

1. In a blender, blend up oat milk, strawberries, vanilla extract and honey.
2. Pour the blended-up base into a bowl or large measuring cup. Mix in the chia seeds for 2-3 minutes until all seeds have submerged.
3. *At this time you can choose to refrigerate the entire mixture and split into servings when ready for eating. I like to split out my servings at this point to save time the next day. Evenly split the pudding into 5 mason jars and store in the refrigerator.
4. When ready to eat, top each mason jar with your fruit of choice, some crunchy granola, and a drizzle of your favorite sweetener if needed.
5. Chia pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Base Chia Pudding

Description: Looking for a basic, anything goes pudding – this is your gal. Use this as a base to experiment and customize your pudding to your own liking!

Servings: 4

I N G R E D I E N T S:

For Pudding:

• 1½ Cup Oat Milk (I use Oatly – for paleo use coconut milk or almond milk)
• ½ Cup Chia Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Agave (or your preferred sweetener)

For Toppings:

• Fresh fruits of choice (I used strawberries, blueberries and blackberries)
• Granola
• Honey Drizzle *Optional

I N S T R U C T I O N S:

1. In a bowl – or I like to use a measuring cup – stir together oat milk, agave, and chia seeds. Stir for a 2-3 minutes until all the chia seeds are submerged. Total liquid should be ~2 cups.
2. At this time you can choose to refrigerate the entire mixture and split into servings when ready for eating. I like to split out my servings at this point to save time the next day. I lined 4 mason jars with fresh cut strawberries, then poured ½ cup of chia pudding in each and refrigerated.
3. When ready to eat, top each mason jar with your fruit of choice, some crunchy granola, and a drizzle of your favorite sweetener if needed.
4. Chia pudding should only be stored in the fridge for 3 days max when adding fresh fruits to the base for storage. Fruits won’t stay fresh past the 3 day mark.
   • Omitting the fresh strawberries when storing your pudding will keep the pudding up to 5 days.
   • I did it for the ‘gram

#Nganstoptips:

• I prefer to add sweetener to the pudding when ready to eat – I feel like this achieves the ‘less is more’ effect. When adding sweetener to the milk base – 1 tablespoon of honey is not enough to have a noticeable difference in taste. The creaminess of the milk and jelly of the chia seeds dilutes the sweetness, thus causing me to want to add more sugar. In contrast, when drizzling a small strand of honey on top of the solidified pudding – you taste enough sweetness; though amounting to less than 1 tablespoon for 4 serving.
  • I noticed this in my last and favorite batch of pudding. Notice I did not add sweetener to the base.
• You can add protein powder into the base for a higher protein content. I like using Vital Proteins Collagen Powder – Unflavored, this dissolves without a trace, making it the perfect additive to not ruin taste. Add this to the milk and let fully dissolve before mixing in chia seeds.
  • Note: I’ve used a vanilla flavored protein powder in the ‘dud’ recipe and I would not recommend adding in 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder. This made the pudding overly powdery and gave off that artificial protein shake taste.
• Chia pudding is a healthy snack – but make sure to portion out the servings. They are high in healthy fats, but too much too quick can turn this healthy snack into a fat bomb.
• Be experimental with your pudding! Cater it to your taste – for example, if you like chocolate – try adding Cocoa Powder to your milk base or use chocolate milk! Drizzle the finished product with some nut butter, chocolate chips, and/or coconut flakes. If you prefer a thinner pudding, reduce the amt of chia seeds to 1/3 cups.