Chia seeds are a wonderful food, and healthy Chia Pudding is a fabulous breakfast, as well as a great snack! Rich in fatty acids, chia seeds contain more omega-3’s than any other vegetarian source. They are also quite high in anti-oxidants, minerals and fiber. Further, I find that they are quite soothing for my digestive system (and I’m always looking for a boost in that realm).
I got the idea for this smooth and tasty recipe from yoga teacher extraordinaire and raw foodie, Jess Price. I give her full credit for turning me on to both chia seeds and chia pudding.
Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, raw
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch celtic sea salt
- ¼ cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Place the cashews and water in a vitamix and blend on high speed until smooth
- Blend in the honey, vanilla, and salt
- Place the chia seeds in a large mason jar (½ gallon size), pour the cashew mixture into the jar and shake well (very well!)
- Place in the refrigerator overnight
- Serve
Equipment
When I have extra time I soak my cashews for several hours (be sure to discard the soaking water) which makes for an even richer, creamier treat. You can also experiment by adding cinnamon, vanilla beans, and other tasty enhancements to this recipe (in your desired quantity).
Don’t let the fancy presentation above fool you. This delicious, nutritious pudding is ridiculously easy to prepare. Throw a bit of chia pudding into a smaller mason jar and it makes the perfect driving snack –ideal for slurpping up on road trips.
If you venture into the land of chia seeds and healthy Chia Pudding please let us know how you like ’em!
Update: Per questions below, I have made this with a mixture of cashew and coconut milk and it is delicious. I have also used chia seeds to make my morning protein shakes more rich, creamy and nutritious. This chia pudding keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days. Enjoy!
Janice says
Can cashew butter substitute the cashews? And how much?
Elana says
Janice, i haven’t tried that, feel free to experiment.
Rosemarie Russell says
I love this recipe! Great breakfast, lunch or snack. I used coconut milk and added some peptides. Feeling great, with no hunger pains. You have my deepest appreciation for your efforts.
Elana says
Rosemarie, thank you for letting me know you love this recipe and for your deepest appreciation :-)
Nikki says
This is incredibly delicious. Be forewarned that this is much runnier than a traditional pudding. You could drink it. I added double the chia and it was still runny but less so. Either way it is delicious! I made mine using cashew milk instead of water.
Elana says
Nikki, thanks for pointing that out! I like to make sure that my fiber dishes have enough liquid in them to prevent them from being a binder that stops up digestion :-)
Donna says
I was wondering the calorie count per serving? I follow a calorie diet!
Thanks
Elana says
Donna, for more on that go here:
https://elanaspantry.com/nutrition-information/
Have a wonderful day!
Elana
Lora says
Has anyone tried making this with walnuts or pecans? I’m allergic to almonds and am supposed to eat cashews sparingly.
Elana says
Lora, thanks for your comment and feel free to experiment!
Maggie says
Walnuts and pecans become like a jam when blended, whereas almonds and cashews turn into a powder and then a paste (like peanut butter), so potentially the consistency would be completely different. But since this is a pudding, it could totally work
Maria says
Trying this with Bare Honey chocolate honey – can’t wait to taste it!!
Elana says
Maria, I hope you love it as much as we do!
Chris from Germany says
eeeek! Made it with almonds and almond milk……….. it came out (?) (searching for words – hahahaaa) I would like to say “special”. It was not bad, but it was not good either. Well I will try it again. But then I will do the original cashew version.
Elana says
Chris, thanks for your comment! If you follow the recipe it will be perfect. Here’s more info for you on the difference between almond milk and cashew milk:
https://elanaspantry.com/dairy-free-milk-recipes/
Enjoy!
Elana
Chris from Germany says
Dear Elana,
thank you for your answer. Finally I mad the chia pudding again with almonds…… and YES!!! It is so delicious!
Elana says
Chris, thanks so much for letting me know this is delicious!
Sylvie says
It looks very good, but I’ve never been a fan of tapioca pudding. Have you ever tried to grind the chia seeds before to get a smooth pudding?
Elana says
Sylvie, I haven’t tried that, if you do please let us know how it goes :-)
Karen McCafferty says
Hi, I just made this but the consistency wasn’t like pudding — it was thinner than pudding. Is this correct? Thanks
Elana says
Karen, if you leave the pudding in the refrigerator overnight and use full fat coconut milk it will thicken up to the consistency of pudding.