I am a relative newcomer to chia seed puddings. I’m not sure why, because I’ve been adding them to other things for ages. Anyhoo, recently I’ve read a number of articles on the health benefits of these tiny little power balls {full of omega-3, fibre, protein, manganese and phosphorous, help you keep fuller for longer, and the list goes on}, so I thought I’d give the pudding idea another go.

Then I remembered why I wasn’t overly excited … snot. The texture that is. Eeeeeiiiiwwww.

Having stepped passed that juvenile thought {well, stepped around it maybe} I set out to extend my repertoire to all manner of flavoured puddings. Maybe Love Bug will even eat them? If she can get over the snot thing that is.

All of the amounts below are for a single serve. For larger quantities, simply multiply depending on how hungry you are, how large your Mason jar is or how many mouths you’re feeding!

Basic Chia Pudding
½ cup of your choice of organic non-dairy milk {almond, coconut, quinoa, etc}
2 tablespoons of chia seeds {this is a big hit of fibre though so if you’re going from a diet with not a huge amount of fibre, you might want to start at 1 tablespoon and work your way up}
½ teaspoon of either organic vanilla essence or raw honey

My go to quick breakfast pudding of the moment is the above with coconut milk, ½ teaspoon organic vanilla essence, cinnamon and shredded coconut. Generally topped with a handful/grating/dallop/slices of whatever fruit is handy. Delizioso!

I decided to get a little creative … the results were pretty good if I do say so myself.

Banana choc pudding
Basic mixture {using almond milk and honey}
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
2 extra teaspoons of raw honey
1 large banana
Extra ¼ to ½ cup almond milk if needed for consistency

Blend everything except chia seeds until well combined. Add extra almond milk if it’s a bit too thick. Pour into jar with chia seeds and shake really well to ensure seeds distributed through the mixture. Pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours {or overnight is even better}.

Strawberries and cream pudding
Basic mixture {using coconut milk and honey}
½ cup strawberries
1 extra teaspoon of raw honey

Blend everything except chia seeds until well combined. Mix chia seeds in and pour into jar. Refrigerate for a couple of hours/overnight.

Summer mango pudding
Basic mixture {using coconut milk and vanilla}
½ cup mango {plus extra for topping}
1 tablespoon of shredded coconut

Blend everything except chia seeds until well combined. Mix chia seeds in and pour into jar. Refrigerate for a couple of hours/overnight. Top with extra mango crushed and drizzled with honey {optional}.

Berry pudding
Basic mixture {using almond milk and vanilla}
½ banana
½ cup berries of your choice {we had blueberries on hand} and extra for topping

Blend everything except chia seeds until well combined. Mix chia seeds in and pour into jar. Refrigerate for a couple of hours/overnight.

Apple pie pudding
Basic mixture {using almond milk and vanilla}
½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg
½ cup stewed apple {I usually have a jar of stewed apples/pears in the fridge – they come in very handy as natural sweeteners}

Blend everything except chia seeds until well combined. Mix chia seeds in and pour into jar. Refrigerate for a couple of hours {I prefer overnight}.

Love Bug’s favourites? Apple Pie and Strawberries and Cream. Although she did ask about the funny chewy bits. I told her they were snot. She tilted her head just like Beary does, then laughed and said Snot?

You’re a silly mumma!