To love and be loved…and I don’t mean just the romantic kind…is one of the best feelings in the world.
A Happy and Healthy Valentine’s Day to all our subscribers! Next week brings the day of love, chocolates, flowers, greeting cards, balloons, and marriage proposals.
Japanese Hello Kitty Heart stamps
Every store you walk into is elaborately decorated with red hearts and streamers, making it hard not to remember that Valentine’s day is next week. I even got a gift in the mail from our young and lovely friend Mayu, who lives in Kyoto, Japan. The air mail box was full of Hello Kitty hearts.
A Fresh Perspective of Valentine’s Day
Back in the day, we used to scramble to find reservations in a good restaurant in order to have a romantic dinner, but soon realized that the grandiose notions cooked up by clever marketing companies were tainted by traffic jams, hard-to-find-parking, harried waiters, noisy atmosphere, order snafus, heightened stress, and the invariable fight that would follow between my husband and I over something totally trivial! I am sure several of you have been through this process.
The older and wiser we got, we started making Valentine’s Day special by cooking thoughtful, made-from-scratch dinners, lighting up the fireplace and enjoying a lovely meal with a great wine pairing. This year, we plan to have a pot-luck with old friends who have moved into the Dallas area after having lived in sunny California for several years and catch up on each others’ lives.
Chia Seed Pudding with Cacao Nibs & Trail Mix
Why is Chia Pudding Healthy?
What to make that celebrates the day AND your body?
I’ve promised to bring a dessert, and I wanted to make something with a “chocolate” base to honor Valentine’s Day. We are all healthy eaters that are trying to avoid added sugar, so that throws quite a few desserts out of the window.
I’ve picked Chia Seed Pudding as my choice. It has chocolate in the rawest, purest form – raw cacao. A dessert filled with Pure Goodness on a day celebrating Pure Love. Appropriate, I thought.
- Super creamy
- Seriously yummy
- Naturally sweetened
- Nutty or Chocolatey or Fruity
- Loaded with nutrients
- And easy, easy!
Simple Ingredients:
This recipe is very simple, requiring just two basic ingredients. No additives, or sweeteners, nothing unpronounceable. Just pure goodness. Check it out:
- Milk: Any kind of nut milk from almonds, cashew nuts or coconuts works great. So does raw, unpasteurized, non-homogenized milk. For sources of raw milk near you, check out Real Milk. Still buying almond milk from the grocery store?? Its ultra easy to make your own almond milk at home. Check out our DIY Almond Milk recipe here.
- Chia Seeds: These are easily available in grocery stores across the United States. They are available in white or black. I am used to using the black chia seeds, but if you try this recipe out with the white chia seeds or a mixture of black/white, leave us a comment on what you thought of it. Order your chia seeds online.
Toppings & Sweeteners:
You can let your imagination wild child loose here. Below are a few toppings that I’ve tried and liked:
- Sweetening Agent: There are several options to choose from, depending on how sweet you want your pudding to be. Medjool dates, maple syrup, local raw honey, over-ripe bananas, sweet apples or mangoes make excellent choices. You can blend this into your dairy or nut milk before adding the chia seeds.
- Toppings: Again, an endless list. I’ve used cacao nibs, coconut flakes, wild blue berries (fresh and frozen), saffron strands, strawberries, banana, peaches, mango slices. dehydrated apple, homemade trail mix and anything else that I can lay my hands on.
Basic chia seed pudding with nut milk and chia seeds
Plan Ahead:
Sometimes I make this the night before for a decadent breakfast or mid-day snack. Or, I prep it in the morning for a hands-off, simple dessert to unwind from the day.
I make a few servings so they last for a couple of breakfasts or snack-time options.
I am giving you the basic recipe here. Use whatever sweetening agent you wish to use, and top it up with goodies. Send me your comments and let me know what you used. I’d love to try your combinations too!
Want other ways to show your love? Check out our other healthy desserts
- Vegan Walnut-Goji Berry Fudge
- Mango Rasayana
- Hesarubele (Split Mung) Payasa/Kheer
- Sweet Pongal (Huggi)
- Gasagase Payasa (Poppy Seed Kheer)
- Date Almond Boats
- Creamy Instant Pot Carrot (Gajar) Halwa
- Akki-Haalu Payasa (Rice Kheer)
- Zucchini Banana Bread
Let’s all enjoy February 14th and celebrate LOVE!
Chia seeds are a quick and easy-to-use source of protein, healthy fats, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, all rolled into one neat package. Added with the goodness from nut milk, and other nuts and fruits, this makes for a wonderfully healthy and nutritious recipe that you can make over and over again with different permutations and combinations.
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Easy Chia Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup
Almond Milk - Make your own almond milk. Substitute with Raw Milk, Cashew or Coconut Milk, if preferred. See Recipe Notes - 6 Teaspoons Chia Seeds - I have used black chia
- 1/2 Teaspoon Raw Cacao - Powder
- 3 Large Dates - Medjool dates (Pitted). Substitute with honey, maple syrup, ripe mangoes or bananas
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract - Optional. Substitute with few saffron strands
Instructions
- In a high speed blender like a Vitamix, blend nut/dairy milk, with a sweetener. See Recipe Notes for my suggestions.
- Empty blended liquid either into a large dish, or into smaller serving dishes. Add 1.5 teaspoon chia seeds into individual containers (or the entire 6 teaspoons if into one dish).
- Stir a few times to make sure the chia seeds have not clotted.
- Cover dish(s) and store in refrigerator for 6-8 hours. The chia seeds will expand and will turn the watery nut milk into a yummy creamy pudding.
- Top with fresh or frozen berries/fruits, nuts, saffron strands or cacao nibs before serving. Or let your inner wild child decide on the toppings! See Recipe Notes for my suggestions.
Notes
- Sweetening Agent: There are several options to choose from, depending on how sweet you want your pudding to be. Medjool dates, maple syrup, local raw honey, over-ripe bananas, sweet apples or mangoes make excellent choices. You can blend this into your dairy or nut milk before adding the chia seeds.
- Toppings: Again, an endless list. I've used cacao nibs, coconut flakes, wild blue berries (fresh and frozen), saffron strands, strawberries, banana, peaches, mango slices. dehydrated apple, homemade trail mix and anything else that I can lay my hands on.
Such an awesome and easy to make dish HI and what a beautiful writing and presentation! Will definitely make it soon!
Thanks Uma. I’d love to hear back from you after you’ve made it.
Chia seed pudding is a heavenly treat that’s as delicious as it is nutritious! The combination of creamy texture and the health benefits of chia seeds makes it my guilt-free dessert indulgence.
Indeed!