Instant Vanilla Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

So i just got back from spending a week in Tennessee and am madly in love. no joke. those cowboys are b-e-a-utiful. oh, and the state is pretty charming as well. but still, the men (well, i admired the view from afar, i find that I am becoming increasingly more and more creepy as I get older).

oh AND the food. my pant buttons were holding on for dear life on my return home yesterday, poor lil guys. definitely going to have to replace a couple that went awol. basically anytime I ordered something I had to make room for clogged arteries and a possible (probable) heart attack. It also didn’t help that I ordered the worst (and by worst i mean THE BEST) foods in the world…. famous hot chicken, brats and burgers,  cronets, BUSHWHACKERS (literally one and done, a milkshake has never left me feeling so good before).

However treating myself to a week of 100 percent indulgence with no shikaka given, I had already planned ahead a week of getting my junk back on track. or semi on track. like maybe a partial wheel on the track and the rest of the wheels are kind of hanging off the track. the kind of track that has a bench next to it that i can sit on and just admire the tracks view from afar.

that sounds like more my speed…

Instant Vanilla Coconut Chia Seed Pudding, because a milkshake filled with booze just isn’t an option.

But real quick, before I jump into the recipe notes. let’s focus on the word instant. because you almost never see that next to “chia seed pudding”. as per always, i have zero patience (most of the time). And when I hit a craving I need it, like now, and the longer i delay the craving the worse it becomes (one innocent spoonful of ice cream turns into an entire pint after an hour of craving). So meet chia seed puddings new best friend, xantham gum. If you already do a lot of gluten free baking, then you are more than likely familiar with this product, however, for those of you who are gluten lovers (i am one of those) then this ingredient might be completely foreign to you. First off, its just a white powder that is commonly found in the baking aisle (I use bob red mills) and the SMALLEST amount goes such a long way. My favorite thing about using xantham gum is that there is no starchy aftertaste (since you are using such a small amount) and for this dish in particular, it actually enhances the creamy factor. And the BEST PART!? Your chia seed pudding is ready in an instant. Boo-yah.

(and NO, this post is not sponsored in any way shape or form, I am just sincerely passionate about my food hacks, especially this one).

Recipe Notes:

I used imitation vanilla extract for this recipe because I wanted the flavoring to be more “dessert” like. Imitation vanilla is great for doing just that – think funfetti cake batter flavoring. However if all you have is pure vanilla extract, that works great as well.

I wanted to keep this recipe paleo friendly so I used maple syrup for the sweetener, and a little goes such a long way. It also warms up the dish with its fall like flavoring.

2 tbsp of chia seeds is really all that you need since you are using xantham gum as a thickening agent. Chia seeds are jam-packed with fiber so feel free to add more!

When adding the xantham gum, i recommend waiting a half hour after you add the chia seeds since they are normally used as the thickening agent for this pudding. However it isn’t necessary. What you DO need to do is give the xantham gum a good three minutes before deciding that you need to add more. Trust me, a little goes a LONG way.

Add whatever fruit toppings you like! I chose peaches because they are in season and are sinfully sweet. Granola works as well (and so does chocolate syrup =D)

5.0 from 5 reviews

Instant Vanilla Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

 

Author: Julia Calleo // My Lavender Blues

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  35 mins

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Ingredients

• 2 cups original unsweetened almond milk
• 1 can lite coconut milk (13.6 oz)
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp imitation vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp xantham gum

optional:

• fresh fruit topping
• granola
• chocolate syrup

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl add your almond milk, coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk together.
2. Next add your 2 tbsp chia seeds and salt, whisk and place mix in fridge for thirty minutes (though this isn't a necessary step, this pudding is much better when chilled and the thirty minutes allows for the chia seeds to start expanding and thicken the pudding naturally before adding xantham gum so you don't over thicken it)
3. Once pudding has chilled for about thirty minutes remove from fridge and add a ¼ tsp at a time your xantham gum, whisking and letting pudding sit for a couple of minutes before each addition until you reach desired thickness (it is crucial you give it a couple of minutes in between additions because a little goes a very long way).
4. One desired texture is reached, eat solo or add fresh fruit toppings. Store in fridge.

3.5.3208