All good things come to an end, and that includes that big batch of raspberries I found on sale. But it’s not all bad because I finally get to try making and eating chia pudding with this Healthy Raspberry Chia Pudding! I have had chia seeds in smoothies and as toppings on smoothie bowls, but I barely notice them. They have a little crunch just like poppy seeds but no noticeable flavor. I know they will expand and soften when left in water for a long time, but will they also have any flavor? I’m about to find out!
Gorgeous, healthy and delicious chia seed pudding with fresh raspberries, milk, vanilla and honey. A perfect grab & go breakfast!
The Ingredients
This Healthy Raspberry Chia Pudding recipe only has five ingredients, and I had all of them on hand! That rarely happens, and I always love not needing to make any trips for ingredients. It also gives me instant gratification when I find a recipe and can make it immediately.
As I mentioned, I had fresh raspberries on hand, and I also had chia seeds. I have kept them in my pantry ever since I first tried them way back in September 2020 when I bought them to make a Chocolate Overnight Oatmeal Smoothie. I like to add them to smoothies whether they are called for or not because they have so many health benefits.
Tip: Chia seeds can last two to four years if stored properly. Humidity is the natural enemy of the chia seed, so keep them in an airtight container and store them in a cool, dark, and dry place. Spoiled chia seeds become slimy, sticky, and clump together. Also, good quality chia seeds are white or black speckled, but never brown. Brown chia seeds are immature and have a bitter taste.
Milk, honey, and vanilla essence round out the ingredient list. I had to look up vanilla essence since I had never heard of it, and it’s similar to vanilla extract. There was conflicting information, but most of the information I found said they are similar and sometimes can be used interchangeably.
I will warn you, there was a lot of conflicting information out there, and I think I was more confused than when I started. I went with vanilla paste for this recipe and called it a day.
Vanilla Essence vs. Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol while vanilla essence is flavored with synthetic vanillin. Vanillin is the tiny black seeds that give vanilla beans their signature flavor. It can be synthesized in a lab, but it doesn’t quite taste like the real thing. After all, a vanilla bean is more than just vanillin. The species, weather, soil, and many other factors contribute to natural vanilla’s flavor.
Vanilla extract is the favorite as far as flavor, of course, but vanilla essence can sometimes be substituted with little effect on the flavor. The general rule seemed to be vanilla essence can be used in items that are baked or cooked over high heat, and vanilla extract in uncooked or low-heat cooking. Vanilla essence is a popular choice for white and light-colored baked goods and frosting because it’s clear and doesn’t affect the color like dark brown vanilla extract can.
The Process
This Healthy Raspberry Chia Pudding recipe was only a few steps so it was very easy to follow. Once I had rinsed the raspberries, I added them to my blender. Next, I added The milk, honey, and vanilla paste and blended until smooth.
The raspberry was poured into a small mixing bowl once the mixture was smooth. All that needed to be done was to add the chia seeds and mix them in. I chose a soft silicone spatula to do the job.
The chia seeds floated on top of the raspberry mixture even after thorough mixing. They also stuck to my spatula, but it wasn’t a lot when compared with what was left in the bowl.
The fact that the seeds floated on top of the liquid gave me a slight worry. Would they get enough moisture to expand? I had to trust the process, so I covered the bowl, placed it into my refrigerator, and left it overnight.
I had chia pudding when I checked on it the next morning and found the chia seeds had expanded and greatly increased the overall volume. I should have taken a photo or measured it, but I completely forgot!
Unfortunately, the newly made chia pudding wasn’t as pink as the raspberry mixture had been the day before (or the recipe photos). The black chia seeds gave the raspberry mixture a greyish tint.
All that was left to do was serve the Healthy Raspberry Chia Pudding. I divided it between small dessert dishes and garnished them with leftover fresh raspberries.
Timing
This recipe listed 5 minutes to prep/total time. It took me four minutes to mix, cover, and place into my refrigerator. The next day, dividing the pudding amongst serving dishes and garnishing them took another two minutes.