Coconut Chia Pudding with Honey

It is a rare thing to find a 3-ingredient recipe that truly seems complete. And I doubt you’ll come up with one more satisfying than this. Coconut chia pudding is cool and creamy, lightly sweet, and deliciously filling. That’s huge payout for the investment of 3 simple ingredients – coconut milk, chia seeds, and honey – and just 5 minutes of effort.

One of the reasons we find this unique pudding so appealing is because it’s utterly toppable. While it’s delicious on its own, it is absolutely amazing layered with ripe mango and strawberries, with nectarines and blackberries, or just with some bits of candied ginger (my fave). My son tops it with granola, or even peanut butter! You truly can’t go wrong here (which is why there’s always a batch hanging in our fridge).

How do chia seeds work?

Chia seeds, known scientifically as Salvia hispanica L., have been in the food supply for thousands of years. The seed has a delicate shell easily penetrated by moisture, and can absorb up to 10x its weight in liquid. This allows chia seeds, when mixed with a liquid such as milk, to thicken it to a pudding consistency. The seeds provide a texture a bit like tapioca pudding.

And in addition to the the gel factor, chia seeds come packed with protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. Totally worth adding to your pantry. Then you can try them in other easy recipes, like spiced strawberry chia jam or vanilla latte overnight oats.

Tips for Perfect Chia Pudding

• Whisk the mixture well for about one minute. Chia seeds have a strong affinity for each other and for the sticky honey. If you don’t take care to mix it well, there will be a few large clumps of seeds, rather than cute little seeds dispersed throughout. I learned this the hard way so that you don’t have to. You’re welcome

  

• Liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup or agave will work just as well as honey.
• Can you make coconut chia pudding without honey? Absolutely! It’s creamy and delicious, with or without the honey. This allows, too, for you to take your chia pudding in a savory direction if you choose.
• The general ratio of milk-to-chia is about 3:1. This creates a consistency a little thicker than regular yogurt. However, you can alter the thickness of the pudding by upping the chia seeds (for thicker pudding) or decreasing the chia seeds (for thinner pudding). Going two tablespoons in either direction will be enough to alter the consistency. Play around with it.
• While coconut milk gives this pudding a subtle coconut flavor, you can use whatever milk you have on hand (cow’s milk, soy, almond, rice, oat). The magic of the chia seed works on all kinds of liquids.
• When it comes to toppings, truly the sky is the limit, but here are a few of our faves:
  • Ripe mango, strawberry slices, and coconut flakes
  • Slivers of candied ginger and a bit more drizzled honey
  • Granola and banana slices
  • Mixed berries and peanut butter drizzle

Coconut chia pudding is cool and creamy, lightly sweet, and deliciously filling.