Christmas doesn’t have to be full of unhealthy meals and desserts! This chia seed pudding is packed with nutrients, with a colorful Christmas twist.
CHRISTMAS IS FIVE DAYS AWAY. I always act like a child on Christmas… My sister and I still get excited because “Santa is coming!!!” and we make my mom read us The Night Before Christmas before we go to bed by 10 o’clock (we’re 23 and 24 years old).
Naturally, I always like to add a little Christmas spirit to everything I do or make around Christmas time, which led to this Christmas chia seed pudding!
What makes this chia seed pudding Christmas-y? Green matcha powder and red pomegranate seeds! I’ve seen all kinds of matcha recipes and finally ordered this brand from Thrive Market. Matcha is a ground up green tea full of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and amino acids. Usually you steep green tea and discard the leaves, but with matcha you actually eat the leaves, which boosts your metabolism, improves your concentration, detoxifies your body, and increases your energy. I don’t love the matcha taste all by itself, but it’s great as a drink with honey and steamed milk, or incorporated into different recipes, like baked goods, smoothies, ice cream, or this chia seed pudding.
You could always add raspberries or strawberries instead of pomegranate seeds, but pomegranates are in season around Christmas and I have been OBSESSED with them lately. It can be annoying and messy getting the seeds out of the pomegranate, but I’ve been getting pretty dang good at it. I cut it into segments like this, then hit the back of the segments with a wooden spoon into a big bowl of water (this helps separate the seeds from the white membrane pieces).
Not gonna lie, I used to be completely grossed out by chia seed pudding. The big, goopy seeds had the weirdest texture and would get stuck in my teeth. That’s before I discovered the secret to making chia seed pudding so much better–a coffee grinder.
Our local coffee shop (Karma Coffee Co.) serves brunch on the weekends, and they have the best chia seed pudding. It has the perfect texture–pudding-like without big seeds–so I asked the chef how he does it. All you have to do is stick your chia seeds in a coffee grinder and grind them for a few seconds. Other than a better texture, grinding the seeds speeds up the process of making pudding. Usually, when using whole seeds, you have to let the pudding sit for a few hours to form a gel consistency. With the ground seeds, the pudding is done instantly!
When Christmas is full of cookies, cheesy dips, and sugary cocktails, it’s nice to take a break and have a refreshing and healthy, but still Christmas-themed, dish.
Christmas Chia Seed Pudding
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| Prep: | Yield: Serves 2 people | Total: |
Christmas doesn’t have to be full of unhealthy meals and desserts! This chia seed pudding is packed with nutrients, with a colorful Christmas twist.
You'll Need...
- 6 tablespoons ground chia seeds
- 1 ½ cups milk (I use almond, cashew, or coconut milk)
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder*
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Pomegranate seeds
Directions
- Add all ingredients, except for pomegranate seeds, to a bowl and mix well.
- Transfer to two bowls and top with pomegranate seeds.
Additional Notes
*If you don’t love the flavor of matcha or this is your first time using it, I suggest adding a little at a time and tasting it to make sure it’s not too strong for you. If you find you added too much for your preference, just add a little more honey.
OH MY GOD THE COFFEE GRINDER. I would have never thought that. I honestly hope this goes viral because people need to KNOW! Freaking out, pinning and doing this!
Hahaha genius right?! I add ground chia seeds to all kinds of recipes now. I never liked the texture of them.
Looks great (and so christmas-y)! Too bad I don’t have a coffee grinder :'( Maybe when I have some chia seed meal I’d give this a shot!
Thank you Elizabeth! I actually JUST acquired a coffee grinder, maybe two weeks ago. You could try a blender, food processor, or spice grinder too!