Have you tried chia pudding yet? It is probably one of the easiest recipes you could make; simply mix up seeds in a bowl or jar with liquid (e.g. milk) and maybe a few optional extras, pop in the fridge and ignore overnight! These small but mighty chia seeds then absorb up whatever fluid they have been immersed in to form a creamy pudding akin to tapioca, and hence probably the name!

I love this chia pudding for breakfast, but also, as a healthy snack and by jazzing it up, sometimes as a dessert too.

Chia seeds are incredibly nutritious. Legend has it that the Aztecs went to war on them. They are packed with protein, fibre and omega-3s. This amazing combination means that chia seeds help keep you fuller for longer and so may help in weight loss and helps balance blood sugar levels. Maybe the Aztecs had it right!

Chia seeds soak 8-10 times their weight in whatever fluid they are immersed in. For this reason, avoid eating chia seeds dry as they can get stuck in your throat. I love including a chia in my breakfast (be it in puddings, muesli or porridge) and use their absorbent quality in my bakes to avoid soggy bottoms, as a thickener for sauces and to make 3 minute sugar-free jam. Sounds too good to be true? Read on!

I have also included some optional extras if you wish to bump up the nutritional content. This being acai berry Omega-3 superpowder, protein powder and yoghurt.

Preparation time: up to 8 mins

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

For the pudding:

• 8 tbsp. chia seeds
• 450ml plant milk
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tbsp. maple syrup, agave or brown rice syrup or 1/8 tsp. of stevia
• Optional extras:
  • 2 tbsp. protein powder (pea or soy)
  • ½ tsp. Omega-3 Superpowder
  • 2 tbsp. yoghurt

For the raspberry chia jam:

• Two large handfuls of fresh raspberries (this also works with frozen raspberries)
• 1 1/2tsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp. water or lemon juice or lime juice
• ¼ tsp. stevia or ½ tsp. liquid sweetener like date syrup, rice syrup, agave.

To decorate: fresh berries. I have used a large handful of blueberries and pomegranate seeds.

Method:

• Place all the chia pudding ingredients in a jar or a bowl. Mix all ingredients together until no lumps are visible. Cover and pop in the fridge for 6-8 hrs to allow the chia seeds to do their thing!
• You can make the chia jam just before serving or at the same time as making the chia puddings. Place the fresh raspberries, chia, citrus juice or water in a bowl and sweetener of choice and mash using the back of a fork. Set aside for at least 2-3 mins or overnight if preferred, to allow the mixture to thicken up to form a luxurious spoonable raspberry fruity jam.
• Time to assemble the puddings! Spoon into glasses alternating layers of chia pudding, raspberry chia jam, blueberries and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.