I’m not quite sure what possessed me to buy a 3 pound bag of chia seeds during my last Costco trip. I do want to make Claire Saffitz’s breakfast muffins which calls for chia seeds. And they were very cheap (six bucks!) And also Sean kind of wanted them, too, though I’m still not quite sure why. The thrill of a Costco deal has lead to weirder purchases, I guess.
- Shop: Chia Seeds
Chia Pudding: Easy With Endless Options
I decided to try making overnight chia pudding. I hoped I’d like it because otherwise, I was worried I’d have this bag of a billion chia seeds for the rest of my life. Turns out, chia seed pudding is extremely easy to make. It’s also pretty tasty and very similar to tapioca pudding which I really enjoy.
It takes about 2 minutes to stir or shake together the ingredients for chia pudding, though there is a fairly long waiting period while the chia seeds absorb the milk which thickens the pudding. As for the milk, anything will do here; I used whole milk because I was going in a dessert direction, but alternative milks will work just fine here. In fact, I want to try making this again soon with coconut milk which I think will be super tasty.
- Explore: Tater Tot Breakfast Quesadillas
Topping possibilities also abound. Add your favorite toasted nuts. In-season berries are a great idea–and I’d love to try a coconut milk chia seed pudding with tropical fruit and toasted coconut. Stir in some peanut butter. Create a parfait with layers of jam. Chia pudding is a blank slate ready for your creativity!
Breakfast All Week
Overnight chia seed pudding is a great option for meal prep because you need to let it sit in the refrigerator overnight anyway–and it’s such a fast recipe to pull together that doubling it is a snap. I think that it’s a great alternative to oatmeal as well. Chia seeds offer many of the same benefits that oats do (lots of fiber, vitamins, and good fats.) If you’re someone who eats oatmeal for breakfast often, here’s a way to change up your routine!
Video: Watch Me Make This Recipe
Overnight Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk or any alternative milk of your choice
- ½ tsp cinnamon optional
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract optional
- 6 tbsp maple syrup or another liquid sweetener like honey or agave syrup
- ½ cup chia seeds
- berries, fruit, toasted nuts, coconut, peanut butter, jam all optional toppings of your choice
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, almond extract, and maple syrup until all ingredients are well combined. Make sure the maple syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice is fully combined with the milk.
- Add the chia seeds and whisk well to combine.
- Cover the bowl and put into the refrigerator. After 30 minutes, remove the bowl from the refrigerator, uncover, and whisk well to break up any lumps of chia seeds at the bottom of the bowl. During the first 20-30 minutes, the chia seeds will settle at the bottom and the liquid at the top. This step is to ensure they are mixed together and the milk is absorbed evenly.
- Return the covered bowl to the refrigerator and let sit overnight.
- Once the pudding has fully thickened, scoop into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.At this point you can also portion into smaller jars with toppings for an easy grab and go breakfast. I would keep nuts separate until serving though so they remain crunchy.
Notes
- You can mix the ingredients by shaking in a mason jar, but I found that it was easier to mix at the 30-minute mark in a container with a wider bottom and more room to whisk vigorously to break up the chia seed clumps.
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