“Jenn, I’m in the car on my way to work, but I just had to call you!” My friend Alaina exclaimed early the other morning. While a sense of urgency like this may send someone into panic mode, I knew exactly what it was about. Food.
“I created this chia seed pudding for breakfast, and it’s amazing. You have to make it.” Yup, I was right.
These updates are just a regular happening amongst my close friends and family. Texts, photos, e-mails…We MUST know what everyone is eating, particularly when it’s something new and exciting.
I’ve had chia seed pudding a few times and I love it. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it for awhile now, wanting to order more from the place in town or even make it myself. It’s sweet, has a unique rice-pudding-like taste and consistency, and is healthy enough that I feel good about eating it. Despite the way it sounds, this superfood has nothing to do with those grassy pets you see on infomercials.
I wrote down Alaina’s instructions and ran right down to my kitchen to get started. I poured the chia seeds in the milk and wondered to myself how this would hold up. Where were the thickening agents like cornstarch and xanthan gum? Why wasn’t I boiling this over the stove? I stirred for a few moments and realized why. Like magic, the chia seeds expanded (similar to those cool capsules we had as kids that would grow in water), and suddenly the mixture became full.
I added the cinnamon and vanilla, but made a few tweaks using almond milk instead of regular and agave syrup over honey. I also stirred in some mashed banana and shredded coconut for extra texture and flavor. What else could I try next time? Dried fruit? Nuts? Dark chocolate gogi berries? Cocoa powder? I’m not a simple person when it comes to these kinds of creations. The next morning I substituted chocolate almond milk and added a packet of chocolate protein powder to the mix. Wow. I think I’ve found my new favorite breakfast!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup vanilla coconut almond milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla (possibly more if using unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 mashed banana
2 teaspoons shredded coconut
A few dashes of cinnamon to taste
Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients together.
Eat and enjoy the magic of chia seeds!
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