What's for Dinner (Breakfast or Bedtime Snack?) An Easy, No-Cook Summer Delight!

It's hot, hot, hot in my home which means I crave cool, cool, cool and delightful treats.  For me, that sometimes means chia pudding! 

So quick and easy to make and chock full of chia -- a "super food" lauded as a nutrient powerhouse, chia pudding is what was for breakfast and bedtime snack yesterday, as well as what was for picnic dinner just a couple weeks ago. 

We made these servings with a extra seeds for stiffness, so it was easy to scoop from jars to single serving containers at a dinner picnic.

Chia seeds absorb up to 10 times their weight in fluid and add fiber, protein, calcium, zinc and omega-3's to our diets, but do not create a texture that any of my kids loudly protest!  (Granted, given the day, at least one of my three kids only takes a small serving of pudding.  But, if 4 out of 5 people in my home love a dish, I consider it a "keeper!")

How do I make chia pudding? 

Chia pudding is quick, easy and adaptable to make!  My two favorites are vanilla and chocolate:

Vanilla Chia Pudding

 
Ingredients

• 1 can organic coconut milk
• an overflowing 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• a few shakes of sea salt
• 3 tablespoons raw, local honey

Procedure

Put all ingredients into a blender, whiz, pour into a jar, put in the fridge, shake a few times and let sit for a couple hours or overnight.  Then enjoy with toppings of choice - for me, that means berries!

Increase or decrease the chia seeds to achieve stiffer or soupier consistancies and adjust the sweetener to taste.  (Maple syrup works well, too!)
  

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 can organic coconut milk
• 1/3 scant cup chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• a few shakes of sea salt
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup

Procedure
 
Put all ingredients into a blender, whiz, pour into a jar, put in the fridge, shake a few times and let sit for a couple hours or overnight.  Then enjoy with toppings of choice - for me, that means coconut flakes and berries!

No blender?  

No problem.  Just mix the ingredients together in a jar and shake.  The seeds don't actually need to be blended.  I just prefer the texture that way.

No room in the fridge?

No problem.  Mix it all together, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and enjoy. It just won't be as cold and refreshing unless your coconut milk was pre-chilled.

Where do you buy chia seeds?

We often find chia seeds at local discount stores like Ocean State Job Lot, TJ Maxx or Marshalls, but sometimes we purchase them from grocery stores or specialty stores.  If you cannot find any locally (or want to help us out by clicking through an affiliate link to make a purchase), you can also also find plenty of chia seed choices on Amazon, of course.
 

Cooling off before bed with some vanilla chia pudding...

We tend to use black chia seeds, because it is what our local stores most often carry.  However, we occasionally use white ones, too, which are more aesthetically pleasing in vanilla pudding to some of our children. 

Either way, we enjoy our chia pudding, and I am thrilled that preparing requires no cooking.  I also find it tastes that much more delightful to me knowing it contains "super food"!

What are some of your favorite quick, cooling, no-cook treats?  Do you enjoy chia seeds in other recipes?