{chia seed pudding 3 ways}

I have been seeing dessert recipes using the incredibly healthy chia seeds popping up everywhere. The seeds are incredibly rich in antioxidants, protein and fiber which doesn't sound like a typical dessert ingredient, but I figured it was worth a shot to see what all the hype was about.  Since the prep time for a chia seed pudding is about 5 minutes I decided to try out multiple flavor combinations to see what I preferred.  The simple answer is that I prefer them all and chia seeds are surprisingly tasty with a texture similar to mini crunchy tapioca.  In other words...I get what all the hype is about.

Scroll down for the three different recipes for chia pudding that I tested out- my favorite was the simple and sweet vanilla coconut pudding, but the pistachio was a close runner up.  These recipes use either unsweetened almond milk or vanilla coconut milk, but you can substitute for any dairy you prefer such as regular 2% milk.  Regardless of which flavor chia pudding you chose to make, you will definitely need to add a small amount of sweetener to the mix.  For these recipes I experimented between maple syrup, honey or agave nectar as sweeteners and between the three I find that the agave nectar was my favorite.

Each recipe below makes two large servings.

Vanilla Coconut Chia Seed Pudding:

• 1 cup vanilla coconut milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl then transfer to serving bowls.  Place in fridge to set for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Ideal garnish would be dried coconut chips although I tried it with shaved dark chocolate!

Raspberry Lemon Chia Seed Pudding:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, combine raspberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, almond milk, honey & vanilla extract.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in chia seeds.  Place into desired serving bowls and let set in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Garnish with fresh raspberries & lemon zest!

Pistachio Chia Seeding Pudding:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/4 cup agave nectar

In a food processor, combine almond milk, pistachios and agave nectar.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in chia seeds.  Place into desired serving bowls and let set in fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Garnish with chopped pistachios!