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This is How you Can Take your Chia Pudding to the Next Level

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Today something great happened. Banana Ice cream and chia pudding met, fell in love, and smooshed.

I’m certainly a banana ice cream and chia pudding fanatic as you may already know, but I haven’t put them together until now. And I am so glad I did. When I set out to make a batch of chia pudding layered with some fruit, I thought about making a fruit smoothie too and layering it with that. But I wanted something that was cold and more firm, and that’s when it dawned on me to add banana ice cream to it.

Chia banana ice cream pudding is what I’d like to call it.

So what kind of banana ice cream specifically?

Think more of a sorbet with this.. more fruit than banana. I went with tart fruit one, which consisted of a little bit of frozen banana, frozen cranberries and strawberries, and frozen apricots. I loved the tartness from the apricots and cranberries. I didn’t use any liquid, which made for an awesome sorbet texture. Depending on what kitchen equipment you have, you may or may not be able to do this. My Cuisinart 9-cup processor works like a charm, but it was pretty loud chopping through that frozen fruit in the beginning.

I also thought about making more of a chocolate-y banana ice cream and adding that to a chia pudding too! I don’t see that going awry so you could try that as well! I’ll report back when I get around to doing that 🙂

This treat was a success on so many levels. Here are some of the other things I did that I felt made it so enjoyable in addition to just adding the banana ice cream:

  • add some superfoods and spices to the chia pudding like shredded coconut, goji berries, cacao nibs or powder, carob powder, vanilla bean powder, cinnamon, allspice, powders like ashwagandha, maca, spirulina or chlorella, wheat grass, ginseng, lucuma, matcha, mesquite, camu camu, mangosteen, maqui berry
  • give it some crunch; add things like cacao nibs, chopped nuts or grapes
  • add some fresh fruit too; make your chia banana ice cream pudding a little fruit explosion by layering or just mixing in some fresh fruit – I did blueberries and halved grapes and LOVED IT!

Chia Pudding with Banana Ice Cream

The chia pudding was a very simple mix of chia seeds, almond milk, mashed banana, currants and cinnamon. Look below for an estimated recipe for the whole thing.

Ice Cream Pudding-14  Chia Pudding with Banana Ice Cream Chia Pudding with Banana Ice Cream  Ice Cream Pudding-41  Chia Pudding with Banana Ice Cream

My favorite way to consume this was by mixing it all together in a bowl so that the coldness and flavor from the banana ice cream  and the bits of fresh fruit could be tasted in every bite!

Chia Pudding with Banana Ice Cream

Berry Apricot Chia Banana Ice Cream Pudding
 
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This treat will satisfy your fruit cravings in so many ways!
Author:
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
  • -Chia Pudding
  • 2 tbsp. chia seeds
  • ⅓ cup almond milk
  • 1 mashed banana
  • dash of cinnamon
  • small handful of dried currants
  • -Berry Apricot Banana Ice Cream
  • small handful of frozen cranberries and strawberries
  • ½ frozen banana
  • large handful of frozen apricot
  • -Toppings and Mix-Ins
  • cacao nibs
  • goji berries
  • halved grapes
  • fresh blueberries
Instructions
  1. Mix the ingredients for the chia pudding and place in the fridge for at least a half hour.
  2. Place the frozen fruit in the food processor and process until it forms a sorbet. You may need to stop it and scrape down the sides multiple times.
  3. Add or layer the toppings and mix-ins with the banana ice cream and chia pudding.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try this and what you think of it!

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Beginner’s Guide to Stuffed Energy Dates

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Raw Goji Energy Stuffed Dates

So I made these quite awhile ago and never got around to posting them. I feel that they’re a little too pretty not to, so here they are!

But the only problem is that I never made a recipe for this. I actually made them and took pictures for a demonstration I was doing so I never wrote anything down because I just wanted the pictures. I know what’s in them, just not the amounts.

Buuut, I’m just going to go about this like I do with most of my beginner’s guides. I give you the ideas, you run with them.

I came across this raw stuffed dates idea and thought it was pretty rad. I really just experimented without following any sort of recipe and used inspiration from other recipes I’d seen. I also just used things I had in my cupboard, which I recommend. No need to go out and buy all sorts of stuff if you’ve got a well-stocked pantry.

Where to begin?

Start with the date. The food kind of date. As far as amounts go, it all depends on how much you stuff them, how big the dates are, how much mixture you have, and so on. My advice is to make a cup or two of the mixture and then stuff dates until you run out. Dates usually come in a container with quite a few or you can buy them in bulk. I would get at least 10-12 dates.Which variety? Doesn’t really matter. A really common and popular one to use is the medjool date because they are quite large and nice and chewy. I have also used some smaller Deglet Noor ones, and those worked fine too – they were just less sweet and can’t hold as much. The kind of date you use is dependent on your preference (sweeter, chewier, nuttier, etc.) and availability. Here is a website that talks a little bit more about different types of dates if you’d like to read about them.

Next, you’re going to want to use a food processor for best results. You could get by hand chopping and mixing all of your desired ingredients, but it takes a lot more time and the mixture may not stick to itself as well as it does when you use a food processor.

Energy Stuffed Dates

Place your choice of the following ingredients together and process until combined. It should be a chewy granola bar texture so keep in mind your wet/dry ratio. If it’s too dry, add some more ingredients from the wet category and vice versa.

Dry

Nuts and Seeds 

Walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, pistachios, ground flax seeds (bring on the omega-3’s!)

Powders, Spices and Other Superfoods

Shredded coconut, cacao nibs or powder, carob powder, vanilla bean powder, cinnamon, allspice, sea salt, ashwagandha, maca, spirulina or chlorella powder, wheat grass powder, ginseng, lucuma, mesquite, camu camu, mangosteen, maqui berry, reishi, turmeric

Wet

Dried Fruits – these can be soaked to help the mixture come together more

Cranberries, blueberries, goji berries, raisins, dried mango, currants, apricots, figs, and dried cherries

Other

Small amount of lemon or orange juice, drop of essential oil (like a citrus one), vanilla extract, coconut oil or manna, cacao butter, any nut/seed butter, any liquid sweetener like raw honey or maple syrup**

**As far as the liquid sweetener, I would first determine if you’re going for more of a snack or a dessert. If it’s a snack stick with a more savory/nutty/less sweet filling, but if you’d like to make more of a dessert or a treat, I’d play around with adding a little sweetener for taste if you’d like. Be careful not to add too much though, the date itself is pretty sweet on it’s own!

Like I always say, add small handfuls/spoons/dashes at a time and taste test your mixture as you go along to make sure it’s something that you’re taking a liking too.

Energy Stuffed Dates Energy Stuffed Dates

Next is ready, set, stuff!

Slice the date on one side, remove the pit and then take a spoon or small handful of the mixture and press it into the date. I had quite a bit of the mixture so I stuffed my dates to the brim and beyond. I also think it helped balance out the sweetness of the date by adding more of the mixture.

Keep these babies stored in the refrigerator and consume within a few days for the freshest tasting stuffed dates!

Energy Stuffed Dates

Energy Stuffed Dates

This is what I put in the ones shown in the pictures:

Soaked raisins, soaked goji berries, sunflower seeds, soaked almonds, walnuts, shredded coconut, chia seeds, allspice, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a couple cranks of sea salt

Now over to you — do you have any other ideas I’m missing? I’m sure there are more. I’d love to hear from you!

With love,

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Rhubarb Sauce with Kiwi and Banana Ice Cream

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Who is pumped UP about rhubarb season?! When I saw those jolly stalks on the top shelf of my local grocery store, a smile spread big and wide across my face. I’ll have to say I have some fond memories of rhubarb because of my mother; she would often make strawberry rhubarb pies and also a sauce to put over vanilla ice cream. There was just something about the tart and tangy taste mixed with the slightly gelatinous texture when made into a sauce that made it make such an imprint on my 7 year-old dessert-loving heart.

You are four steps and four ingredients away from late spring treat bliss. Ready, Fred?

Step one: make some plain ‘ol banana ice cream. I only did bananas, but you can add any flavor you’d like (like vanilla!).  Rhubarb Ice Cream-4

Step two: Slow Mo drizzle rhubarb sauce over ice cream.Rhubarb Ice Cream

Rhubarb Ice Cream

Rhubarb Ice Cream

Step three: Place bits of kiwi on top.Rhubarb Ice Cream

Rhubarb Ice Cream

Step four: Devour while the rhubarb is still warm!!

Rhubarb Sauce with Kiwi and Banana Ice Cream
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup rhubarb, washed and chopped in 1-inch pieces
  • ⅛ cup raw sugar, turbinado or sucanat (other preferred natural sweetener)
  • 2 bananas, frozen
  • 1 kiwi, cut up into small pieces
Instructions
  1. Place fresh or frozen rhubarb and sugar in a saucepan and heat on low-medium heat until very tender. Stir occasionally and test by pressing with a fork to see if the rhubarb falls apart.
  2. Make banana ice cream by placing bananas in a food processor and processing until they reach an ice cream consistency. You may need to stop it and press contents down every now and then to help it along if the bananas get stuck.
  3. Place ice cream in the freezer as you finish up the rhubarb sauce.
  4. Put sauce into the food processor and process for about 5 seconds until smooth.
  5. Take ice cream out of the freezer and place sauce and kiwi on top!

* Most sauce recipes call for water, but I didn’t because my mom never did, and I kind of like it a little more concentrated.

With love,

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Coconut Carob Clusters

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Coconut Carob Clusters

Two things about this recipe:

1. Carob is a caffeine-free alternative to cacao (chocolate flavor). It is a tropical pod that’s native to the Mediterranean and has it’s own unique flavor that’s a little sweeter than cacao. It’s nice to use if you are looking to switch things up – after all, carob does offer its own unique and different nutrient profile – or if you would like to avoid the caffeine in chocolate. Toasted Carob powder is nice and affordable, and you can find it here. You can also find a raw version here.

2. I added Siberian Ginseng (also called Eleuthero) Powder to my clusters* so I guess they could be called ‘Coconut Carob Ginseng Clusters’, but I didn’t want you to get winded describing your delicious snack to your friends ;). I bought the ginseng powder from the bulk section at our local health food store, but you can also find a good one here. Siberian ginseng, which is not the same as Panax or American Ginseng, may help boost the immune system thanks to its active ingredients called eleutherosides. Traditionally, it’s also been used as an adaptogen, which you can read more about here. Traditional Chinese medicine refers to adaptogenic herbs as superior herbs because they work with your body in a powerful way to help reduce stress and promote wellbeing. By helping your body better cope with changes in your environment,  it may also boost quality of life, energy and vitality. Makes for the perfect pick-me-up snack, I’d say!

Here is an article from Whole Health Chicago that talks more about Siberian Ginseng.

*I always try to include a variety of herbs and superfoods into my diet when I can in order to give myself an array of diverse nutrients that may help my body function more optimally. I’m all for learning about the Earth’s natural resources to help us heal and thrive, and I am a huge advocate for using them. Even though an abundance of scientific studies are sometimes lacking in this area, I don’t doubt at all that many of the herbs and superfoods that we don’t necessarily have definitive, ample, conclusive evidence on offer many important benefits to us humans. If something is available to me, and I see that it may be good for me in one way or the other, I figure, why not try it?! Especially when many have little to no side effects at all. I’ve seen firsthand the healing power of natural remedies and would encourage anyone and everyone to look into them if possible to help them on their health journey. I did a ghost-writing gig where I went into a lot more detail about topics relating to herbs, scientific research and the disconnect therein, and it’s something that fires me up a little! I will for sure do a post that dives a little deeper into all of that because I think it’s an important perspective to have if you are interested in herbal remedies and holistic health.

Okay, now for the goodies. Snack, snack, snack away.

Coconut Carob Clusters Coconut Carob Clusters   Coconut Carob Clusters Coconut Carob Clusters Coconut Carob Clusters

Coconut Carob Clusters
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Snacks, Breakfast, Dessert
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup shredded coconut (*see note)
  • 2 tbsp. carob powder
  • ¼ cup almonds
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract or ½ tsp. vanilla bean powder
  • 1-2 tbsp. raw honey (depending on desired sweetness)
  • ¼ cup soaked raisins
  • ½ tsp. Siberian ginseng powder (optional)
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • crack/pinch of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Place raisins in a small dish with water first before preparing the other ingredients. Let them sit for 10 minutes or so.
  2. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined. You can process the almonds and raisins first if you would like the clusters to be less chunky and stick together really well.
  3. Form processed mix into little clusters and place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
  4. *Note: I used coconut chips, and they didn't stay together very good so I would recommend using shredded coconut or processing the coconut before adding the other ingredients.

Go on, now, take a bite 😉

Coconut Carob Clusters

Enjoy!

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Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding

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Is it time for you to treat yourself? If so, I’ve got a little something special to share with you! Yes, you can make pudding using avocado! 🙂

This post is going to be more pictures than sentences. You alright with that? I bet you are 😉

Raw Chocolate Avocado PuddingRaw Chocolate Avocado PuddingRaw Chocolate Avocado PuddingRaw Chocolate Avocado PuddingRaw Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Apparently there were some satisfied bellies in. da. HOUSE!Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Raw Chocolate Avocado Mousse
 
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This chocolate mousse is perfect for pairing with fruits or enjoying on its own!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk
  • 1 banana
  • 1 large avocado
  • 1 tsp vanilla (extract or bean/bean powder)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp. (or to taste) liquid sweetener of choice (raw honey, maple syrup, agave)
  • ¼ cup + 1 tbsp. carob or cacao powder (I did half of each)
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
  2. Enjoy on its own, layered with your favorite fruits and/or nuts or as a topping to other delicious dessert recipes! You can also garnish it with shredded coconut like I did!

With love,

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When You’re Running Low on Nut Butter…

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PB to go

Next time the peanut butter, almond butter, you-name-it-nut/seed butter is getting low, turn it into a little superfood treat to take on-the-go!

I’m going to be honest; I didn’t take this on-the-go. I just ate it right at home, BUT I know it would be perfect and convenient to take with you when you’re out and about.

PB to go-8When there’s a couple tablespoons left, don’t bother scraping the edges or the bottom for the last bits of protein.. you can just fill it with clean, wholesome ingredients that will supply energy and good nutrients to your body! Simply add any combination of the following and you’ll have yourself a nice little tasty concoction:

  • chia seeds*
  • oats*
  • cacao nibs*, powder, butter
  • vanilla* or other flavor extracts
  • mashed banana
  • cinnamon*, nutmeg, allspice
  • hemp seeds
  • maca powder
  • ashwagandha powder
  • lucuma powder
  • ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil
  • soaked and chopped dates* or any other dried fruit you may like
  • shredded coconut, coconut oil or butter
  • raw honey* or any other natural sweetener
  • sea salt*

The ones with an (*) are the ingredients I used in the pictures.

In my opinion, these ingredients are great to keep in the pantry so you can pull them out whenever and make something like this. There are so many other uses for these ingredients including chia porridge, banana ice cream, healthy energy bars/bits/treats (like this one), and homemade dark chocolate.  You can look at those pages for more add-in ideas.

The fun part is that this jar mash-up can be used for breakfast, snacking, or dessert depending on the ingredients you put in.. you can either go for a little more hearty or delightfully sweet.

Remember the wet to dry ratio that comes into play when you do any sort of raw or mostly raw bar/bite-type things; add a little of the dry ingredients and a little of the wet, mix and see what the consistency is like. Add more of wet or dry based on what you’re going for. The one I made was like a cookie dough consistency, which was very, very yummy.

THEN you can either make little balls/bites and put them back in the jar to store them or just leave it in there and eat it with a spoon.

PB to go

PB to go

Either way, you can reuse the jar and enjoy at your convenience 🙂

RecycleReduceReuse

 

 

ALRIGHT, GO FORTH AND OWN THAT PEANUT BUTTER JAR, EMBRACE THE 3 R’s, AND WORK. THAT. BUTTER-DO.

PB to go

OVER TO YOU – Am I missing any ingredients you would include? Can you see yourself doing this the next time you running low on some nut/seed butter?

Blessings to you all 🙂 ,

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Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Organic Dark Chocolate

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Homemade Chocolate

You know the dreaded moment when you could really go for some dark chocolate and don’t have any stashed in the cupboard?

Well, you can say goodbye to that feeling; you are about to get fancy in your kitchen.

I have to admit that dark chocolate is my favorite indulgence. Hands down. It just hits the spot. And if you are like me, you’ll be glad to know that it’s not hard to make your own. This guide is going to teach you so many new little things about chocolate and chocolate-making.. I even learned quite a bit more than I did before I started writing this!

Let’s talk dark chocolate.

Chocolate is considered dark when there are little to no milk solids added to it and a high percentage (>55-60%) of the ingredients by weight are cacao solids. Cacao solids are any elements of the cacao bean, which could be a liquor, powder or butter. Cacao powder is made by pressing the butter out of the bean and grinding the rest of it into powder. The cacao butter is the fat part, or cold-pressed oil, that comes from the bean and melts at body temperature. Why dark over milk chocolate? Milk has a much lower cacao content than dark; it only has to contain 10% cacao and is instead filled with other ingredients, mostly milk and sugar. Not only is it better to consume less sugar, but most conventional milk chocolates are not made with milk that has come from well-treated cows. Also, the most nutritious part of chocolate is from the actual cacao beans, not milk and sugar.

I absolutely love dark chocolate, and there are some really great brands of chocolate bars out there, some of my favorites being Endangered Species, Green & Black’s Organic, Alter Eco, Equal Exchange Chocolates, Dagoba, and Theo. Whenever I buy dark chocolate, I like to make sure it’s organic and made with fairly traded cacao beans.

So why do I like to make my own? Because I can hand-pick all the ingredients to my liking. That way I can make any kind I desire, which means awesome flavor combinations I might not see in the store. I also prefer to use ingredients that are of high quality so when I make my own I know exactly what kinds of ingredients I’m putting in the batch. And like I mentioned, it’s also very convenient for curbing a dark chocolate craving every once and awhile 😉

The basics.

I suggest using organic ingredients when it is possible; if you’re going to make homemade dark chocolate, you might as well hit it out of the park with some high-quality ingredients! If some things are unaffordable for you, don’t worry. Your bar will still be many times better than a Hershey’s bar. Trust me.

When I make dark chocolate, I use equal parts organic cacao powder and organic cacao butter (usually a 1/2 cup of each) as my cacao components, which constitutes the majority of the bar. I use these two because they they mix very smoothly with each other, and you can easily buy raw powder and butter to make a raw bar. Melt the cacao butter on very low heat. If you want the bar to be truly raw, use a double boiler to melt the butter (bowl or pan inside a pan that has simmered water in it). Sometimes I like to add a small amount of organic coconut oil, like 1 to 2 tsp. Not only do I like the flavor, but I think it gives the chocolate a nice, smooth taste.

Next, pick some sort of sweetener and add it to taste. I use liquid sweeteners because I find that to be the best way to incorporate them into the bar. My first choice is raw honey, and I use about 2 tbsp. of it. You can also use maple syrup, agave nectar or stevia. Molasses is also an option, but I would use that more for flavor and combine it with another sweetener as well. I don’t like to use much heat in the chocolate-making process so when I use some sort of granulated sugar like turbinado, sucanat, rapadura, coconut sugar, etc., the granules don’t melt and just sink to the bottom of the bar. Then you are literally just crunching on sugar granules when it comes time to enjoy the chocolate. You probably could heat it up so that the granules melt, but I just feel like that destroys the delicate properties of the cacao solids. You could also try grinding the natural granulated sugars into a powder using a blender, food processor, or coffee/spice grinder, but it does depend on the type and quality of equipment you have available. It’s always worth experimenting with if you are curious. I might try this with coconut palm sugar soon because it’s so tasty 🙂

You could be done at this point by placing the mixture into a silicone mold or pan lined with wax paper and setting it out to cool. You’d have some solid dark chocolate, and something to be very proud of.

Or you could keep going. AKA add-ins.

Homemade Chocolate

This is where it gets fun. REALLY fun. Just as was the case with chia porridge and banana ice cream, there are literally endless combinations of ways you can spice up your chocolate bar. I so thoroughly enjoyed researching this part.

With these, the only advice I’d really give is to eyeball and taste test. There are no exact formulas, this is YOUR chocolate bar. Obviously with strong or unique ingredients, especially spices like cayenne, chipotle, thyme and chilies you’ll want to err on the side of caution and add conservatively. Don’t get carried away, remember you can always add more of something, but can’t really take it out. I would start by trying combinations of things you would like together using two to four ingredients off this list. Don’t be worried about this being an exact science. It’s not. It’s an art!!

I decided to organize the different addition ideas into broad categories. I realize some may belong under a few or come in two forms, but bear with me. Some of these may not be raw, but are great additions regardless.

Spices

Sea salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, cardamom-good for chai flavor, cayenne-with cinnamon is common, chillies, paprika, chipotle, thyme, coffee beans/espresso powder, and turmeric

Extracts -here are some examples, but there are tons out there! I just like to make sure they are organic (I really like this brand). There are also a lot of other good options here. I would add about 1/2 – 1 tsp. depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.

Vanilla (very common), hazelnut, almond, anise, coconut, coffee, lemon, orange, peppermint, and almond

Dried Fruits – I would add about a small/medium-sized handful of dried fruit.

Cherries, blueberries, mangos, currants, cranberries, coconut, mulberries, figs, ginger, apricots, orange peel/zest, goji berries, inca berries, aronia berries, dates, raisins, freeze-dried rasperries or strawberries, or fresh pomegranate arils

Powders/Herbs – If you have not heard of some of these, do a quick Google search to see what they are. The world of herbs is fascinating. Most of these I would just sprinkle in if I were going to use them – probably up to a teaspoon.

Maca, lucuma, ashwagandha, acai, rose hips (dried berries or powder), maqui, spirulina and chlorella-tablets can be ground into powder, carob, mesquite, mangosteen, Siberian Ginseng, burdock, reishi and chaga, echinacea, ginko biloba, hawthorne, cordyceps, fo ti, damiana, horny goat weed, gotu kola, lion’s mane, valerian

Nuts and Seeds – I like to chop up the nuts so they are in smaller pieces before adding them to the bar. You can also soak or sprout them a little too! I would add about the same amount as you would dried berries (small/medium-sized handful).

Hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds-grind into powder for maximum absorption

Grains – Switch it up a little bit!

Crisped/puffed quinoa, granola

 

Homemade Chocolate

I found some great inspiration from the company, Gnosis Chocolates. What a great thing they have going on over there!! If you’d like to see how they combined some of the above ingredients, check out a list of their bars here.

Don’t have very many of these ingredients at home? Check out my page ‘Revamp Your Pantry‘ to see what kinds of ingredients you can acquire at home that will help you make lots of great combinations of whole food dishes and treats like these chocolate bars, chia porridge, banana ice cream, and many more!

Now over to you – I’d love to know what you think about making your own raw organic dark chocolate! Are you excited? Have you tried it before? Do you have any other questions or ideas? Leave a comment below to connect with me 🙂

*Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally and believe will be worthwhile for my readers. If you choose to do so, I appreciate the support to keep Edibly Educated running strong!

Mocha Chia Pudding

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Mocha Chia Pudding

So I made this with two bananas that were getting brown, and thought it would be good for a double portion. You know, two bananas = two servings, right?

Wrong.

I ate the whole thing. I just DID NOT want to stop! I was going to share some with my mom so she could try it, but I just devoured it all in one sitting. I figured I could use the extra fiber and protein. Mainly fiber. HA.

But then I still wanted my mom to try it so I made up another double-really-single portion 😉

Mocha Chia PuddingMocha Chia Pudding

You may be more conservative with your chia pudding portions, but I certainly am not.. not when they’re this simple, guilt-free and so TASTY!

Chia pudding is seriously the way to go. The more I blog, the more I realize how much I love these types of recipes:

They’re game changers! Seriously. They’re like nutrition storks at your door. Plus, the possibilities are astoundingly endless and cater-able to such a diverse group of people!

I’m starting a new blog series called, ‘Salad Academy’, which will be loads of fun. Stay tuned because you don’t want to miss out.

Anyway, a note about the espresso powder used in this recipe: I don’t drink coffee, but I do love that mocha flavor. That’s why I like just adding a hint of espresso powder to give the pudding a unique taste. If you don’t know what to do about the espresso powder (I didn’t when I first saw it), you can easily make your own! I love making it myself rather than trying to find a good store-bought one. It’s so easy to buy some good, organic coffee beans, grind them, and then toast them in the oven on the lowest setting for about an hour (or until crunchy). Place them in the coffee grinder again to grind them into a fine powder and TA-DA! That’s it! You can then store them in an airtight container for a really long time. I don’t know exactly how long, but I’ve had mine for a good year and they still seem to be just fine.

*If you want to make this 100% raw, forgo the espresso powder. It wouldn’t really be ‘mocha’ anymore, but it would still be really good.

Mocha Chia Pudding

Mocha Chia Pudding
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. organic espresso powder
  • 1.5 tbsp. almond butter
  • 1 tsp. chocolate extract and/or hazelnut extract
  • small handful of shredded coconut
  • dash of allspice and cinnamon
  • 2 bananas
  • 1.5 tbsp. chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp. almond milk
Instructions
  1. Mash bananas in the bottom of the bowl with a fork.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
  3. Place in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours (or make it at night and enjoy it the next morning).

Enjoy!

With love,

Sarah

Hazelnut Molasses Banana Ice Cream

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Molasses Banana Ice CreamMolasses Banana Ice CreamWe may have reached negative temperatures with windchill, but it’s nice and cozy inside and there’s no reason not to whip up a batch of homemade banana ice cream! It’s always so creamy and delicious, but you’ll have to try it for yourself to know what I’m talking about.

I don’t know why, but I love adding organic molasses to my banana ice cream. Something about that flavor mixed with banana makes me happy. This is the recipe for the last batch that I made, which also had a hazelnut extract in it and chopped hazelnuts on top. Like I explained in my Beginner’s Guide to Banana ‘Nana’ Ice Cream, you can’t go wrong with banana ice cream soooo…

Experiment.

Have fun.

Don’t go out and buy hazelnuts and/or hazelnut extract if you don’t have them. Do vanilla instead. Or any other extracts and nuts you may have. Be creative, but also be resourceful. That’s the beauty of banana ice cream. 🙂

Enjoy!

Molasses Banana Ice Cream

Hazelnut Molasses Banana Ice Cream
 
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Ingredients
  • 3-4 bananas, frozen
  • splash of non-dairy milk
  • 1 tsp. molasses
  • 2 tbsp. peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. hazelnut extract
  • pinch of sea salt
  • chopped hazelnuts and shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Place bananas in a food processor and process until smooth. You may need to use some non-dairy milk to help the process.
  2. Add in remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.

 

Cherry Chocolate Chia Pudding

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Because cherries and chocolate just complement each other so nicely.

And because we all need a reason to entertain our palettes.

This chia pudding is just the perfect little treat for any hour of the day, but it’s not just a sweet tooth satisfier. Oh, no. It can also be a delicious pick-me-up.

Why?

Chocolate Cherry Chia Pudding

Because chia seeds are what we call ‘nutrient dense’, meaning they contain many nutrients per calorie. In other words, they’re the total opposite of empty calories. Because chia seeds are loaded with healthy fats and protein that can provide you with energy along with many other benefits. They also contain Magnesium, which is a mineral many people may not receive enough of! I also recently learned that gelatinous foods, like chia, aloe and seaweed, promote cleansing. One more reason to love and eat those awesome little seeds on the regular! And all the fiber in them will also keep you regular too, if you know what I’m sayin’.

It’s nice to make a double portion of this recipe so you can keep some in the fridge or enjoy some with a friend! Or eat it all yourself in one sitting. No judgement what.so.ever.

Cherries

Chocolate Cherry Chia Pudding

If you let the pudding sit overnight, the dried cherries will soak up the liquid from the milk and become all plump and juicy. JUST HOW I LIKE ‘EM 😉

Get organic Chia Seeds here:

Cherry Chocolate Chia Pudding
 
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Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
  • 1 large or 2 small bananas
  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  • ¾ cup coconut milk
  • small handful of dried cherries, cut in half
  • 1 tsp. cherry concentrate (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. raw cacao powder
  • small handful shredded coconut (optional-can be used in pudding and/or as garnish)
Instructions
  1. Mash bananas in a bowl.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and stir.
  3. Leave in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight.
  4. Mix again before eating and stir in more milk if too thick.

For more ways to get creative with your chia creations, check out my Beginner’s Guide to Chia Porridge!