Chia Seed Pudding or Ice Cream

I just got my order of ‘chemical-free’ chia seeds in the mail from http:www.HealthEGoods.com.  The order arrived less than 48 hours after I placed it, and the price was the best I have found online. I have been wanting to make chia seed pudding forever, and today seemed like the perfect day to try my hand at it. Chia seeds are awesome for soothing and healing the intestinal tract and are way higher in essential fatty acids and antioxidants than flaxseeds.

This recipe was inspired by the lovely Kristen of Kristen’s Raw Holiday Chia Seed Pudding.  I have been following Kristen’s blog for over one year now, her incredibly positive and upbeat attitude really keeps me inspired to eat and live healthy. I can’t wait to the recipe out with the shredded coconut as Kristen uses it in her recipe, it would add a really nice texture. But the below recipe is super delicious as-is! It is also, raw, vegan, and low-glycemic.

I also can’t wait to try out another chia recipe by one of my other favorite bloggers, Elana of Elana’s Pantry. She has a Raw Vegan Tapioca Chia Pudding Recipe I have been dreaming of making for months now!

For a visual or what a chia pudding looks like (except in this pic the seeds aren’t blended), check out yet another chia pudding version at the delightful swell vegan blog.

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. chia seeds
• 1/3 c. raw organic cashews
• 1 tablespoon cold-pressed organic coconut oil
• 1 c. water
• 2 cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch sea salt
• Ice cream variation: use only 1/2 cup water instead of 1 and add in 6 ice cubes before blending.

Method

1. Soak the chia seeds for 5 minutes in 1 cup water until the chia seeds form a gel-like paste
2. Pour the chia/water mixture into a blender, add in all of the other ingredients
3. Let sit in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, if you want it to be ice cream let it sit in the freezer for 20 minutes.
4. You can also just eat it right away, but it will set-up nicer and be more pudding (or ice cream like) if you wait a bit.