Mama’s Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding & Chia Health Benefits

Very trendy right now are chia seeds and chia pudding, so we have been enjoying chia puddings along with everyone else.

You can probably find over 150 recipes if you look on Pinterest alone! 

hydrophilic chia seeds rich in omega-3 fatty acids including lignans and linolenic acid (ALA)

Since it has turned all fall-like and cozy-feeling, I’ve been making this {raw, gluten-free, dairy-free, processed sugar-free} chia pudding concoction with pumpkin for breakfast and snacks…anything to add more pumpkin to the season!

Get your printable elderberry syrup recipes!

Our visit to the pumpkin patch was just perfect for that crisp autumnal day!

Two basic ways to use chia (see main recipe below)

1. A basic healthy SNACK recipe:

• 2 tablespoons (TBSP) of chia seeds
• a hefty pinch of sea salt  
• 1 cup milk or milk alternative
• Add any *flavor plus sweetener* to taste (raw cacao powder, raspberry puree, apple sauce, bananas, almond butter, etc.)
• Let sit in the refrigerator overnight

It makes itself while you sleep!

By morning it will be thick and creamy – amazing for topping with berries or few nuts for a healthy breakfast or an afternoon snack or dessert.

2. Use chia as a GEL or THICKENER in recipes:

Once made, this chia gel can be stirred into sauces, dips or salad dressings to lend a more satisfying texture to otherwise lean items.

• Mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 cup water (or other liquid, such as coconut water) 
• Let sit for 20 minutes

Chia gel can also be substituted for some of the fat in baking recipes, though I have not done this.

Chia seeds don’t have much, if any, flavor of their own. Instead, they take on the taste of whatever you add them to. I feel they make your cooking even more appealing by:

• amplify flavors
• add desired bulk

Mama’s Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding Recipe:

(4-6 servings)

Ingredients 

• 3 cups of coconut milk or milk alternative of your choice
• 1/2 cup (~8 Tbsp.) chia seeds – I buy in bulk to save money (they are shelf-stable)
• 1 -15 oz. can pumpkin puree or just under 2 cups of your own baked pumpkin
• 2 – 3 Tbsp of maple syrup or raw honey or substitute stevia to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 – 2 level tsp. pumpkin pie spice, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, optional to taste
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, optional to taste
•  1 tablespoon walnuts and pumpkin seeds to garnish, optional
• a dusting of cinnamon to garnish

Directions:

• Mix milk and seeds together in a glass or bowl until seeds are fully submerged/dispersed in liquid and not clumped.
• Mix the rest of the ingredients together and stir into the mixture, smashing out any lumps.
• Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 3 hours.
• I try to stir it once before I go to bed to make sure the seeds don’t become too gelatinous.

Benefits of this Tiny Seed!

Among the most powerful anti-cancer foods are flax and chia seeds, which are a rich source of lignans. Lignans have ANTI-estrogenic effects that inhibit cell growth in breast tumors.

And long-term dietary intake of chia seed is shown to increase bone density, gut and liver health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073254/

Some say chia seeds help with weight loss, but the 2 studies that have looked at chia refute that they help with weight loss.

However, the seeds do seem to keep me from wanting to snack between meals. They provide an excellent source of fiber (11 grams per 2 tbsp!) – both soluble and insoluble – which helps you feel full and keeps things moving smoothly.

They offer significant amounts of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, niacin and zinc. 

I love this delightful, useful tiny black seed!

Get your printable elderberry syrup recipes!

So put on an extra sweater
and some nice thick socks;
Wake up for Mama’s puddin’
served up with bagels and lox.”
~Jacqueline