Cherry, Chia and Oat Pudding
My Instagram has been flooded with pies, cakes, tarts, galettes and a million other desserts making use of summer fruits. This trend started out great, but now I feel like I'm in a virtual sugar coma. Don't get me wrong I love dessert as much as the next person. But alas, seeing all these sweets has become exhausting.
This week, I wanted to celebrate summer fruits in a way that didn't require cups on cups of sugar. So, I turned to 2012's favorite health food: chia seeds. If you're not familiar, chia seeds have an impressive ability to absorb five times their weight in liquid. They puff up like balloons and stick to each other, creating a gummy, pudding-like consistency.
Before this week, I had only made chia pudding once before. When I first tried it, I was expecting something similar to tapioca pudding. However, I added zero sweeteners and used unsweetened milk. Needless to say, my first encounter with chia pudding was a major let down.
Fast-forward about five years. This time, I was determined to create something healthy that actually tastes good. To accomplish this, I added in some oats and flax to promote the pudding-like consistency without amplifying the chia flavor. I also added a bit of sweetener and almond extract. The result is a yummy, healthy and refreshing way to eat your summer fruit.
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 15 minutes, plus at least 6 hours of chilling
Serves: about 4 bowls
Ingredients
For the pudding
2 1/2 cups unsweetened milk of choice
1 cup old fashioned or rolled oats
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seeds (AKA flaxseed meal)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
a pinch of salt
for the cherry compote
3 cups of pitted cherries
I used Bing cherries, but Rainier or other sweet cherries would also work well
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
for the toppings
Granola, nuts or seeds to taste
Extra maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter pudding
Methods
Combine milk, oats, chia seeds, ground flax, syrup, almond extract and salt in a 1-quart glass jar or lidded container. Stir or shake to combine and let sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
While the pudding is chilling, make your compote. Add cherries, orange juice and almond extract to a small saucepot over medium heat. Heat until the cherries soften, about 10 minutes. Chill until ready to eat.
When you're ready to eat, layer about 1/2 cup pudding with 1/4 cup cherries and toppings to taste. Eat up!
Sustainability tips
Milk: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to use vegan milk options. Check out my vegan milk replacement post to learn all about vegan milk options!
Maple Syrup: Go for local syrup! This will decrease GHGs from travel and may even help you get to know your local syrup producers. Read all about it in my liquid sweeteners post!
Cherries: Make sure cherries are in season when you make this dish (early summer is perfect in most places). This will make it easier to buy organically and as locally as possible. Buying organically and locally will ensure that your cherries don't contribute to pesticide contamination or excessive greenhouse gas emissions during travel.