[Recipe] Dairy- Free Chia Pudding

Dairy Free Coconut Chia Pudding 

Chia pudding is all the rage these days. I don't usually jump on bandwagons so after I hesitantly made a batch of this so called pudding, I was surprised at how delicious it was. The reason why I am not so trusting of the super foods and recipes out there is that flavor and taste can be lacking while the food's nutrient properties are blow out of proportion. I believe strongly in eating food that tastes good and hate to promote foods or recipes for their nutrient content rather than how delicious they are. 

My sister has an allergy to milk protein which means, if I want her to enjoy anything I make, I have to leave out the milk, cream, butter, yogurt, cheese and of course any ingredient that "may contain milk" (this includes more foods than you can imagine!). This is why this recipe leaves out any of these ingredients.

Serves 6 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chia seeds,
1 can coconut milk,
1 cup soy milk,
2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup,
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon,
1/2 tsp nutmeg,
pinch of salt,
1/2 cup water ,
1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted,
1 cup sliced fruit, any kind of your choosing ,

Instructions:
1. Place chia seeds in a medium sized bowl and add all of the ingredients except for the shredded coconut. 
2. Whisk well to combine all the ingredients. 
3. Let chill in the fridge for at least 30min but it will probably need more like 12 hours to gel up. Since this version doesn't have any yogurt or other thick and creamy ingredients, it requires all the thickening power to come from the chia seeds. This means they need time to absorb all that water. 
4. Top with fruit and toasted coconut.

Note: I found that this recipe was the best thick consistency after 24 hours- which is a long time to wait for pudding! If you are in a hurry, try leaving out the water. If you eat dairy, you can try this version that includes yogurt for added flavor and creaminess.