Fruit-free spiced coconut chia pudding
Our bodies react to seasonal change, and in the summer months digestion slows down due to myriad of reasons - the heat, dehydration, longer days, etc.
There are all sorts of ways you can boost your body’s digestive fire, and choosing the right foods (and how you eat them) is one of them.
While I don’t strictly follow food combining principals, the one I do follow as often as I can is to eat fruit alone on an empty stomach since pairing fruit with other foods slows down digestion and can cause aches, pains, bloating.
This means I’ve had to get a lot more creative with one of my favorite mid-day snacks - chia pudding.
It’s taken me several attempts, but I finally have a fruit-free chia pudding worth sharing.
What I love about this recipe is how simple it is - just a handful of simple ingredients and spices - and easy to make, too.
All you need are chia seeds, a little bit of quick oats, a cup of milk, simple spices, coconut, some maple syrup and a bit of patience as it thickens and gets itself ready for your dining pleasure.
You know what else I love about this recipe?
You can make it ahead of when you eat it, so you’ve got something when you need it in a pinch.
It’s also flexible. Don’t love ground cardamom? Leave it out. Enjoy a touch of something sweet in there? Add another 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup.
This little pudding is also loaded with fiber, which is super helpful for a slugglish digestive system; not only will it help get things moving but it will keep you feeling full for a while, too.
Check out the full recipe below for all the details. Enjoy it as is, or play around until you find a version that works best for you!
Fruit-free spiced chia pudding
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15-20 minutes | Yields: 2 servings
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 tbsp quick oats
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of vanilla bean powder
1 cup of full or half fat canned coconut milk* (see notes)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp toasted coconut chips (for garnish)
Directions
Combine chia seeds, oats, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour coconut milk over the ingredients and stir until everything is mixed well.
Let the chia pudding sit in the fridge for 15-20 minutes until chia gels and thickens.
Remove from fridge; spoon a cup or so of chia mixture into a small bowl and top with toasted coconut chips and additional ground cinnamon.
Store the remaining chia mixture in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days.
Notes:
I highly recommend using canned coconut milk, for flavor. You can use full or half fat - it is up to you. I have tried this recipe using unsweetened coconut milk in a carton, and it doesn’t work as well. If you have to use the carton variety, I would reduce the amount of cardamom and increase the maple syrup portion to 2 tbsp.
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