Coconut Cream Chia Pudding

It's official. I have gone Chia crazy. First, let me tell you about last night's dessert. If you like coconut cream pie, this is a pretty good substitute. It tastes wonderful. The texture is not quite the same, but the health benefits of chia seed meal far outweigh that issue. Bear in mind, that this recipe uses the white seed. The normal black would work the same, but would have many more dark flecks from the darker seed. Here is how I made ours.

Coconut Cream Chia Pudding

1 14 ounce can Coconut Milk
3 Tablespoons of White Chia Seed Meal (or ground whole seeds)
1/2 cup sweetener of choice, or equivalent
3 drops Coconut Cream flavoring drops (optional)
2 Tablespoons unsweetened dehydrated coconut flakes
(plus 1 tsp. toasted, reserved)

Mix the first five ingredients. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes and stir again. Chill for an hour. Stir again. Chill until ready to serve. If pudding sits overnight, you may need to stir in some water to reach the desired consistency. Toast coconut to sprinkle on the top of the pudding. Carbs will vary with the brand of Coconut Milk and sweetener used. Mine worked out to 3-4 carbs per serving

In addition to the pudding, I also played around with some beverages. In Mexico, chia seeds are added to lemonade. If you don't mind gelatinous little globs floating in your drink, it is quite appealing. I think it is fine as long you are expecting it. If not, you might think you just got served some frog spawn. eeeuuuw. In Mexico, they call it Chia Fresca. I added a twist. I first soaked my chia meal in raspberry DaVinci syrup. That gave the gel a bright pink hue. Very pretty. Then I made glass of lemonade, and added a spoonful of the chia meal to the drink. The result was very nice. You should drink this with a straw to keep the Chia suspended in the beverage. Kinda cool even if it is a little scary at first...and very good for your health.



One more thing, Chia is also good stirred into tea. I made Chai Chia. I didn't get a photo because I drank it all for breakfast. If you think I am too weird, just google "bubble tea" and find out that I am not the only one!