This Pomegranate Orange Chia Seed Pudding recipe is the perfect grain-free, vegan, and gluten-free snack, breakfast, or dessert. The base of the pudding involves two ingredients, coconut milk, and chia seeds. It is then mixed with fresh pomegranate seeds, orange slices, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Since there is no added sugar, it is the perfect guilt-free treat.
This past summer I went on a two month long elimination diet to help with my recent diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The elimination diet which was focused on healing RA was very restrictive. And as someone who enjoys her sweets, unfortunately, there wasn't much I could eat. One of my go to and easy 'treats' was chia seed pudding with a mix of berries and cinnamon. After completing my elimination diet, chia seed puddings became one of my favorite make-the-night-before breakfasts and easy snacks. I really like this fruit combination of pomegranate and orange. With a little bit of cinnamon, the pudding has some holiday flavors, but it is still light and refreshing.
A couple notes about Pomegranate Orange Chia Seed Pudding:
How to cut up a pomegranate:
I have found multiple ways to get those little red gems out of a pomegranate and they all result in my shirt being stained. After ruining a few shirts with splattered pomegranate juice, I came across a video by Alton Brown who had a genius way of extracting all the seeds without a mess. I could not find the video, but Saveur has a video showing the same technique. This method tends to be pretty clean, but I still recommend wearing an apron just in case!
Let's talk about sweetness:
I do not use a sweetener in this recipe since the cinnamon, vanilla and fresh fruit make it sweet enough for me. If you want to add a little more sweetness, I recommend starting with half a tablespoon of maple syrup or honey and increase the amount from there.
Pomegranate Orange Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
For the chia seed pudding base:
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup chia seeds
For the pomegranate orange chia seed pudding:
- 2 oranges
- 1 pomegranate
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the chia seed pudding base:
- In a large mason jar combine the coconut milk (or your nut milk of choice) and the chia seeds. Stir to combine. Allow the chia seeds to rest for 5 minutes and then come back and stir again. The chia seeds will start to absorb the liquid and will fall to the bottom. Stirring again will redistribute them in the liquid
For the pomegranate orange chia seed pudding:
- Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt to the chia seed pudding base. Mix until incorporated. Add any desired sweeteners at this point as well
- Scoop the pudding into four bowls
- Remove all the seeds from the pomegranate. If you are unsure how to do this, please review my notes about getting the seeds out without making a mess
- Remove the peel from the orange and slice. Repeat with the other orange
- Top the chia seed pudding with pomegranate seeds, the orange slices, and a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy chilled!
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