Pumpkin chia pudding

November 6, 2015 at 11:13 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Dessert, Monthly menu plan: brunch, Pudding, Website / blog) (toddler-approved)

Alma really likes my Mom’s almond chia pudding, so I started looking for some more recipes using chia seeds, and I came across this recipe for pumpkin pie chia pudding.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut milk or 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• A pinch of ground clove
• 5 medjool dates, pits removed
• 3 Tablespoons chia seeds

Instructions:

1. Puree everything but the chia seeds in a blender until smooth, combined and thick. You may still see a few little bits of the dates, that‛s OK.
2. Pour the mixture into a mason jar, and then stir in the chia seeds. Make sure to stir well to combine.
3. Put the lid on the jar. Keep in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours.

My notes:

I used storebought almond milk, but I bet it would be great with coconut milk. I had small dates (not mejdool), so I used a few more than the recipe calls for. It was plenty sweet though, so next time I’d just use five of the small ones.

Both Alma and I enjoyed this pudding. I had to ration it out. I think Alma would have eaten a cup of it if I had let her! Maybe adding fewer dates next time will help with that.

Update Nov 2019: I tried a new chia pudding recipe in which you blend the chia seeds. The recipe is from Dreena Burton. I used cooked sweet potato not pumpkin, because that’s what I had on hand. But the texture seemed pretty similar to canned pumpkin puree to me. When I put it in the blender with the almond milk, chia seeds, and other ingredients (except the coconut sugar), my blender quickly came to a standstill. I have a decent blender, but it’s no  Vitamix. I had to add quite a bit more almond milk to get it to blend. Then I tasted it and it didn’t taste right. I didn’t love the maple syrup in it. It tasted too syrupy sweet, and I missed the dark notes from the molasses I usually add to pumpkin pudding. Also the spices weren’t quite right. I ended up about doubling the sweet potatoes and chia seeds, and adding lots more almond milk, salt, vanilla and spices, as well as some date syrup for the darker notes. Finally it tasted about how I wanted. I gave a bite to Derek and he said it tasted chalky, so I blended it some more. I tasted it again and decided it needed a bit more richness, so I added a tablespoon of hazelnut butter.

I refrigerated it overnight and we had it for breakfast. Both Alma and Derek really liked it. Derek doesn’t normally like chia pudding, but I think the fact that it was blended helped win him over. The pudding wasn’t chalky at all. It tasted very silky smooth, like pumpkin pudding made from silken tofu. It was a tad spicy from the ground ginger, but Alma didn’t complain.