Blueberries + Cream Chia Pudding

In celebration of our friend Melissa King's newest cookbook, Easy. Whole. Vegan: 100 Flavor-Packed, No-Stress Recipes for Busy Families, we're delighted to share an easy and healthy dessert to make. If you’ve never had chia pudding, you simply have to try it—this is a perfect example of a whole food alternative that’s better than the boxed pudding most of us grew up eating. You can use nondairy milk with what you have on hand—granola, berries, and more—to make it to your liking. Chia pudding is just as easy to make as an overnight oats recipe ; however, unlike the overnight oats, this can be ready to eat in about half an hour. The instant stuff you find in the stores promises pudding in about the same time, but chia pudding is far healthier. The added fresh blueberries and cream make this a fabulous dessert.

Blueberries & Cream Chia Pudding 

Makes 4 servings / Prep time: 35 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 ml) almond milk 
• ¼ cup (40 g) chia seeds 
• 3 tablespoons Basic Cashew Cream  
• 1 teaspoon ground vanilla beans 
• 1 Medjool date, pitted and chopped  
• 1 cup (150 g) fresh blueberries 

Steps

1) In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the blueberries together. Make sure you stir very well, because the chia seeds tend to clump together at the bottom of the bowl. Add the blueberries and stir to incorporate. 

2) Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set. 

3) If you want to make travel-size portions, put each serving in an 8-ounce stainless steel round. Then you can just grab and go on those busy mornings. 

Variations 

• If you don’t like dates, use 2 teaspoons maple syrup. 
• To add some extra protein, mix in 1 tablespoon hemp hearts. 
• Cacao nibs or chocolate chips could also be added for a nice crunch. Use about 1 tablespoon.

Recipe from Easy. Whole. Vegan.: 100 Flavor-Packed, No-Stress Recipes for Busy Families © Melissa King, 2016. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold.  theexperimentpublishing.com