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What Is Chia Pudding? Say Hello to the Tasty, Healthy Trend

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Chia pudding is one of the biggest foodie trends on social media. Considering how healthy, tasty and downright photogenic this genius concoction is, it’s not that surprising that it’s gaining traction—much like healthy ice cream (nice cream).

As for the health benefits of chia pudding recipes, you’ve likely heard of the enormous benefits you can reap from eating chia seeds on their own. For one thing, they’re chock-full of antioxidants. For another, a mere two tablespoon serving of chia seeds has as many omega-3s as a 4-ounce filet of salmon. And on top of that, they’re also high in the crucial nutrients protein and fiber.

chia gettyvia Getty Images

It’s no wonder why people started blending chia seeds in their slimming smoothies or adding them to their salads and sandwiches. But that gets old after a while, so why not try something new?

Enter chia pudding. The dairy-free and gluten-free delight is composed of chia seeds, the dairy-free milk of your choice, and the optional mix-ins, toppings, and sweetener of your choice.

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Totally hassle-free, chia pudding can be made at home by whisking the chia seeds, milk, sweetener, and any mix-ins in a bowl or jar. Next, you just cover and chill in the fridge for at least three hours or overnight. Then, top with whatever you want and enjoy!

Most chia pudding recipes call for about two or three tablespoons of chia seeds per serving. For a thicker chia pudding, be sure to either use thicker milk (think full-fat canned coconut milk) or the maximum amount of chia seeds with a scaled-back serving of thinner milk. If you prefer a thinner, lighter pudding, aim for a basic almond milk instead with the minimum amount of chia seeds.

Once you feel comfortable with the basics, the possibilities for where you can take your chia pudding from there are virtually endless.

You can top it with fresh fruit for some added fiber—plus a pop of color.

To have color bursting throughout, you can blend fruit as part of a mix-in before you pop it in the fridge.

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You might opt for adding nuts (extra protein!) or some delicious spices like cinnamon for a boost.

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Or maybe you favor a more indulgent dish. Fear not: chocolate chia pudding is a thing. And it is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

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Depending on what ingredients you add to or top the recipe with, you can eat chia pudding as a breakfast, snack or dessert. Or heck, why not all three? Dream big!

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And in the meantime, get inspired by these creative folks who took their chia pudding recipes above and beyond in the best way.

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Why are breakfast dates not a thing? I mean forget your fancy dinner reservations at restaurants, lets go do breakfast in our pjs and hang out" : My kinda date🙌🏻 : Lavender coloured Blueberry chia pudding and blackberry and Acai smoothie hybrid with a luscious raspberry chia seed jam, fresh blueberries, blackberries and banana. A powerhouse of nutrition in one bowl👊🏼 Happy humpday!!😘✨✨✨✨" : Blueberry chia pudding and blackberry Acai smoothie hybrid with homemade raspberry chia jam swirl. Chia pudding; 1 cup of almond milk 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries 1 tsp Blueberry powder 1/4 cup whole chia seeds 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste First blend the almond milk, vanilla, Blueberry powder and blueberries together until completely smooth. Then add your chia seeds, whisk well and allow to soak for 1-3 hours in the fridge or until you have desired consistency. Once soaked give the pudding another thorough stir using the whisk to avoid clumping. Blackberry and Acai smoothie 1 large banana 1 cup of blackberries 1/2 cup of blueberries A handful of spinach 1 tbs Acai powder 1/2 cup of coconut water Blend until smooth. Raspberry chia jam 2 cups of fresh or frozen raspberries 1-2 tbs maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 2 tbs chia seeds Add the raspberries to a saucepan with a splash of water and and mash them them gently over a medium heat. Once they have broken down into a syrup type consistency add the maple syrup and vanilla and continue to stir. Take away from the heat for a few minutes then add the chia seed and stir. Put the jam into a jar and allow to set in the fridge. Will keep up to a week ❤

A post shared by Rie (@papaya_sunshine) on

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So who’s ready to get those omega-3s?

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