Shay's Simple Whole30 Chia Pudding

There are a million and one chia pudding recipes out there. Many are Whole30 compliant, though not all are. I am a babe in the woods on this one, as I have always dismissed chia seeds as "that tree-hugger bird food". Never had occasion to eat them, never sought them out, end of story. But then this recipe kept popping up in my search for breakfast options, so I thought "What the heck" and gave it a try, and I am so glad I did! Bonus? Chia sees are high in fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Like...those are THINGS you guys. THINGS that are GOOD for you. What?!

This is a hybrid recipe of my own making, blending a few different recipe suggestions into one, keeping it Whole30 compliant. The end result is like a tapioca pudding, but with a little crunch to it which I like. But I read you can blend the seeds up instead and get a smoother texture, so that's an option. Also, you can mix in so many things to this--fruit, drizzle with nut butters or sprinkle with chopped or sliced nuts--the options are kinda endless.

And yes, Whole30 has a policy against SWYPO (Sex With Your Pants On); meaning no substituting, say, almond flour pancakes for regular pancakes, because the point is to not have pancakes in the first place. For me, I don't normally eat breakfast at all. So finding breakfast options that are enticing, compliant, and have beneficial nutrients IS an improvement. And I am not eating a damn arugula salad for breakfast. So here ya go:

QUICK NOTE
Note the BRAND of coconut milk can vary the results widely. One brand I used didn't soak up into the chia seeds very well, and they stayed a lot smaller and crunchier. Another brand soaked up more and was more tapioca-like, but had less coconut flavor to it. So experiment with different brands to see what you like best. I have included brands I have tried, and marked my favorites at the end of this recipe.

RECIPE

1/2 cup chia seeds
1 can unsweetened full fat coconut milk*
3-4 pitted dates, (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
fruit, nuts, and whatever you like

DIRECTIONS

Soak dates in some water for about 15 minutes. This gets them a little less sticky and they blend better.
In a blender/food processor/Ninja mixer, finely chop up dates. You may need to fish around to get the dates from sticking to the blades, but pre-soaking them helps.
Add coconut milk and blend lightly--don't whip it up! I found whipping the coconut milk up too much interferes with soaking into the chia seeds in the next step. We just want to distribute the dates in there.
Add cinnamon and chia seeds and pulse just enough to blend together. Again, don't whip it up. If you're worried about that happening, just stir by hand in a bowl to incorporate the ingredients.
Place in container in fridge to soak at least 1 hour to overnight (a few hours is best if you want it "now", IMO).
Divide into four portions, serve with fresh fruit and/or your favorite raw nuts or nut butters.

I put mine in four small canning jars, which filled them 1/2-3/4 of the way up. This is just enough room to throw some sliced fruit on top of and enjoy along with a soft boiled egg on the side for a little more protein. You may wish to enjoy one with your damn arugula salad for breakfast.

*ALTERNATIVES:
You can use a lite coconut milk if you Prefer, though the finished produce will be a bit thinner.
Add a dash of fruit juice of choice for still more fruity flavor--orange juice, pineapple juice, etc?

Update 9/24/2018 I am trying a hybrid recipe this time which makes a sort of cashew milk as part of the blend. 1 cup water + 12-18 cashews + the dates, blend it up until smooth as possible. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe. Will see how it goes!

Update 9/27/2018 It really really changed the texture. I feel the wazzed-up cashew mixed in changed how the chia seeds absorbed the liquid. It has much smaller "gel" bits. It's not bad, just different. I prefer the non-cashew version at this time.

"It looks weird."

My results:
Husband asked, "What's that stuff...in the jars...in the fridge?"
"Chia seed pudding."
"It looks weird."
"I made it with black chia seeds so it looks a little strange. But it tastes really good! Like tapioca pudding, but with a little crunch from the seeds."
"That sounds weird."
"Yes, it looks weird, but it's delish."
"Hmph."

I make him sound like a real neanderthal here, which is so far from who this man is. But it was like talking to a kid who just saw his first Brussels sprout. And I wasn't even asking him to eat it. Maybe he'll come around, but if not...more for me!

Here are some other recipes I want to try in the future, and thought you might want to check out:

http://www.parsnipsandpastries.com/easy-whole30-chia-pudding/
I like the idea of a vanilla bean pod to flavor the recipe a bit more. And pumpkin spice in the winter? Oh yeah!

https://sunkissedkitchen.com/chia-breakfast-pudding-whole30/
This one blends up cashews in the mix as well, which I imagine makes for a different texture all around. Not sure what the hemp seeds add, but given my recent foray into chia seeds, I adit I am curious...

COCONUT MILK BRANDS I HAVE TRIED
The ones I recommend/liked are noted with an asterisk.

* 365 Organic (Whole Foods brand)
Chaokoh (too solid when cooled)
* Thai Kitchen organic
* Thai Kitchen organic lite (thinner than I prefer, but good)
Sun Luck