Chia Pudding

Chia pudding is a delicious breakfast dish, snack, or dessert made with chia seeds and liquid such as water, milk, yoghurt, or skyr. The seeds absorb the liquid and expand to create a pudding-like consistency. It originated in Central America and has gained popularity as a convenient food due to its easy, primarily hands-off preparation. It may be customized with a variety of toppings such as fresh fruit, berries, nuts, and granolas, and can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a quick and easy meal or snack on the go.

Having a stash of breakfast chia pudding in your fridge for quick meals and snacks makes eating well easy! Simply mix milk, yoghurt, and chia seeds, cover it, and place it in the fridge. Leave the seeds to absorb the liquid, expand, and gel to create the lovely, creamy consistency for which it is known. This takes at least 2-3 hours but for ease, you can prepare it in advance and simply leave it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, top it with fruits, berries, and nuts, and enjoy!

Chia pudding can last for up to 5 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. However, the texture may change and become thicker over time, so it is best to consume it within 3-4 days for optimal freshness. It is also important to note that the toppings or mix-ins, such as fresh fruits, berries, nuts, or granola may become soggy if added and stored for a long time. As such, it is recommended to add them just before serving.

Yes, you can freeze chia pudding for up to 1 month. However, the texture may change slightly after being frozen and thawed, as the seeds may become more gel-like, so we recommend not freezing it but simply making it fresh when you are in the mood for a delicious chia pudding. However, if you do want to freeze it, transfer it to an airtight container and leave some room at the top for it to expand as it freezes. To thaw it, place the container in the fridge overnight. You may need to give the pudding a quick stir before serving it to ensure an even consistency.

This tasty pudding has a mild, nutty flavour with a slightly sweet taste. Its texture is smooth, creamy, and thick, similar to tapioca pudding. The chia seeds absorb the liquid, forming a gel-like consistency. As they absorb the liquid, the seeds take on their flavour. As such, if they are mixed with vanilla-flavoured or fruity yoghurt, the pudding will gain a floral or fruity quality.

It may turn out runny for a few reasons. Firstly, the ratio of chia seeds to liquid may be off. For a thicker consistency, use a 1:4 ratio of seeds to liquid. If you used too much liquid, add more seeds to thicken it up. Secondly, chia seeds need time to absorb the liquid to form their creamy gel-like texture. If you did not give it enough time to set in the refrigerator, it may still be runny.

It typically takes at least 2-3 hours to set and thicken in the fridge, but it is best to leave it overnight or for a minimum of 6-8 hours to ensure that the chia seeds have fully absorbed the liquid and have developed the characteristic pudding-like texture. If it is still runny rather than forming a thick chia pudding after the recommended setting time, you may need to add more seeds or reduce the amount of liquid used in the recipe.

Chia seeds need time to absorb liquid and thicken. This makes it difficult to make it much faster than 2-3 hours. However, if you are in a rush, you can try an 'instant' version by combining the seeds with warm, almost boiling milk. The hot liquid will make them plumb up and gel immediately. Simply heat the milk, mix it with the seeds, let it sit for 2 minutes, and combine it with the cold vanilla yoghurt. Place it in the freezer for 1-2 minutes to cool it and enjoy it.