Well color me surprised! If you ever told me I would be writing about Pumpkin Chia Pudding, I would have called you a big fat liar. Not really my thang. But a couple weeks ago I ran across a post called Chia Seed Pudding Is Disgusting, and You Know It and
I also felt compelled to set the record straight. True, the commercially produced products that the author referenced can be “gelatinous, slimy, and look like frogspawn”, but I have the secret ingredient for a homemade version, and it’s probably already in your pantry. Pumpkin puree. The author of the post, Bailey Bennett, seems to be most horrified by the mouth-feel (“chewy mucous”………are you howling yet?? Come on!!! It’s a healthy seed, people, not the apocalypse). I propose that with the mere addition of pumpkin, it is neither slimy nor looks like tadpoles in training. This is not the first time I have let pumpkin do my heavy lifting. A client once had me try to sneak a secret healthy ingredient into a dessert bar. They wanted brownies, but I knew it would be too obvious – I went with pumpkin pie bars, figuring that pumpkin was already famous for making the leap from vegetable to dessert. I needed to merely ride her coattails.
Adding pumpkin to chia goo actually makes for a hearty breakfast pudding (or porridge, your call) that takes zero cooking and can be made ahead. To serve, I just zap it in the micro with a splash of coconut milk (the beverage in the refrigerated milk alternative section, not the canned full-fat Asian ingredient) and top with chopped almonds for added protein. It’s also great straight from the fridge – kind of like Siggi’s pumpkin yogurt, minus the dairy devil.
Mine is a creamy, full-flavor, dessert-like breakfast dish, ready on the fly. None of the “gelatinous mold that wiggles, jiggles and squelches with every touch of a spoon”. I can’t be sure, but I suspect Bailey’s brother stuffed chia pudding in her sneakers at some point. I had a similar experience with Vienna Sausages and I feel her pain.
Chia is an herb in the mint family and a rich source of Omega 3, B Vitamins, Calcium, and Manganese. (For more on those nutritional benefits, check out Health Ambition). For me, the real rock star is its protein content. A life-long struggler with eating in the a.m. (I went to work in television at 4am way too often, sometimes after closing the restaurant at 2 am), breakfast was for me theeeeee meal to skip. And if I grabbed something in the studio, I can assure you it was not worthy. No doubt, it was carb-heavy and protein-free. Though I wanted to….I. Just. Could. Not. The elusive fantasy meal needed to be tasty, high protein (or sleepless me would sugar-crash soon), portable, and bonus points for being able to be sucked down. Fast. During my Bush’s Best Beans days, I concocted a smoothie secretly filled with Great Northerns. It worked really well for a long time, but then Greek Yogurt came on the scene and caught my eye. I am nothing if not a serial breakfast loyalist. More recently I have wanted to find several options of the perfect combo (delish, hi-protein, fast, portable) with less reliance on dairy. After devouring everything written by Lyn-Genet Recitas, creator of The Plan, I committed to 10 grams of protein for breakfast – non-dairy. Whaaaaaaaaaat? You’re scaring me!!!!!! How will YOU EVER do that?????? That’s when I started dabbling with spelt flakes, flax granola and chia pudding. And, we’re back. Chia Pudding! Pumpkin Chia Pudding!!
This recipe is made in 2 minutes – dump and stir – and packs 8-10 grams of protein (depending on how many almonds in your topping (shout out to pumpkin seeds – a small handful has 9 grams of protein and is a great source of zinc)). It’s very low in sugar (bonus in preventing late morning crashes) and is high in fiber – 45% of your RDA. And of course, all those spices are amazing for digestion and so much more. Cinnamon alone aids digestion, is helpful with controlling type 2 diabetes and cholesterol, and serves as an anti-inflammatory. It’s all good!
But most importantly, it’s tasty and easy to take to work or eat on the fly. And it does not, I’m quite sure, include, as Bailey suggests, the “tears of all the poor souls who’ve wasted their afternoon snack on a bowl of grayish goo.”
Pumpkin Chia Pudding
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
This rich and creamy pumpkin chia pudding is actually a healthy, high-protein, high-fiber, low-sugar breakfast-on-the-run kind of dish. It doubles as a dessert.
Ingredients
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage (I like Silk, Trader Joe’s, or So Delicious – 45 calories per 8 ounce cup. The sweetened versions have another 40–50 calories of sugar).
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
Instructions
This is basically a dump and stir recipe. But, I’ve listed the ingredients in the order I like to add them:
First – the chia and 5 dry spices. Dump. Stir.
Then the milk, maple syrup, and two extracts. Dump. Stir.
Once they are combined and the spices are dissolved, then I fold in the pumpkin.
Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container.
To serve, microwave with an additional splash of coconut milk until warmed through (or serve cold) and top with chopped almonds and coconut flakes.
Notes
Serving suggestions: chopped raw almonds and/or toasted coconut flakes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Method: Dump & Stir
© Copyright: KatyKeck.com 2016. All rights reserved.
Katy: you have convinced me to proceed immediately to my whole foods shopette to engage in procurement of chia seeds. I must still be recovering from a bad Christmas when pet chia rocks made their debut. But onward, I will report on this first engagement with the chia Keck reck. Sounds as ever, delish!
Wait – did you just merge chia pets and pet rocks into one holiday must have? I think so!! They do still make chia pets in really crazy shapes – I regret to inform you can get all the candidates in chia form. I hope that doesn’t put you off this delicious breakfast dish!:)
If you can take it, I can take it. I feel brave enough try this one. And your “dump and stir” recipe means that even I can make it!!! I’ll report back after I give it a go.
Love to hear that. Please report back!
Katy, This is really good. We both had seconds!
That is fantastic! It’s super easy to double the recipe or tweak the spices to your liking. I like to think of the pumpkin as a blank canvas that can be tailored to your tastes.
I love this Katy! Besides getting to read your hilarious humor story it”s a great vegan recipe that I’m going to make for the boys pronto! Keep ’em comin’.
Perfect! I will keep trying to sneak something vegan and healthy in but just don’t tell anyone its good for them, K??
Now this is my kind of recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
Awesome! Let me know what you think!
Love this breakfast pudding! – great idea to add the pumpkin! After the pudding sets, I distribute into small jars and make ” to go” servings- -a great replacement for grabbing a yougurt on the run. A breakfast favorite!
Great idea! Love the go jars!!
Looks yummy. Do you know the carb count for this recipe?
Hi Tatyana! Yes!! Total carbs are 17.6g, with 11g fiber and 4.5g sugar. Hope you will give it a try!
Nothing better than an easy “dump and stir” recipe. Thanks and I will be trying this. jk
No way to mess this one up. And all spices are of course at your discretion. Feel free to experiment!
Just read this recipe to my sisters and we’re all dying to try it. Thanks, Katy!
Just had a subscriber make it with a combo of fresh carrots and squash that she roasted, in lieu of the canned pumpkin, and it was delish!
Judy made this on Thanksgiving. Yum! Everyone loved it — ages 10 to 84.
Impressive! Hope you had a great gathering!
Would this work with another alternative milk; like almond, milkadamia, hazelnut or rice? I wanted to make this for someone facing surgery but they are allergic to coconut and soy.
Julie, It would work equally well with any of the milks you mention. The pumpkin puree adds a creaminess that is a bigger factor than any liquid choice, and the spices drive the flavor profile, so I doubt you would notice any difference by switching milk. Katy
Chia seeds are a game-changer for weight management! Their ability to expand in liquid helps keep me full longer, curbing cravings and supporting my fitness goals.
★★★★★
Indeed! Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, taking longer to digest which promotes GI health and helps prevent heart disease and diabetes.