Instant love!
I have been enjoying experimenting more with the little super seed called chia lately. It is such an interesting and useful magical seed! Not only is it high in omega’s, plant proteins, fiber and micro-nutrients, it has the ability to turn itself into a gel that binds things together. Along with flax and psyllium, when soaked in liquid, this tiny seed forms a gel like coating that acts as a thickening agent. Like flax, it can be used as an egg substitute for vegan recipes or those with egg allergies. I got inspired to try a chia pudding this week. I must admit that I have tried chia pudding in the past and, well, I really didn’t like it much because of the seeds sticking to my teeth and the little bit of crunch they still had. My solution? Grind them up! Result? They still work like a charm! I bought some organic instant coffee recently to try a fun overnight oats Tiramisu so I was already thinking coffee and chocolate. You can’t go wrong! And it didn’t!
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Vegan/vegetarian
Ingredients:
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup non dairy milk such as almond or oat
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or substitute coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup pure cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp instant coffee or more if you like a stronger coffee flavour
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
- 7 tbsps ground chia seed or a little more if you want it thicker
Directions”
- Place all ingredients in the blender, except chia, and blend to combine. Add ground chia and give a quick pulse to integrate.
- Transfer contents to a air tight container or serving size pudding jars, cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.
- If you want this pudding to be thicker, you can always add another tbsp ground chia, mix well, place back in fridge.
- Alternatively, add chia after blending liquid ingredients, let set and then use a hand held immersion blender to whip it up before serving! You may need to experiement a little bit on how you like this best!
- Enjoy as is or top with your fave berries and whipped cream.