Mango-Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

Both in the real world and in the food world, I’m horribly late on trends. I can never keep up with what the “cool kids” are doing these days — I still don’t own a crop top, my nails are stubbornly one hue, I was three years late to the kale chip party and now, I’m finally hopping on the chia seed bandwagon.

Chia seeds have been an important source of nutrition since the Aztecs (though of course we used them to grow creepy plant “pets” and make annoying ads in the ’90s). They’re rich in Omega-3 fats, full of fiber, antioxidants, minerals and a bunch of other good-for-you things. I first encountered them on a whim last year, and couldn’t quite deal with the texture. See, when you add liquid to chia seeds, they absorb some of it and take on a gelatinous texture, kind of like tapioca pudding. I don’t like tapioca or the word “gelatinous,” so I kind of avoided the seeds after my first taste, and forgot all about them.

But a few weeks ago, I spotted the seeds at the Whole Foods bulk bin section and was intrigued. I’ve been on a real rice pudding kick lately, and thought “oh maybe I’ll like the texture better now, since I’ve been craving pudding-y things all the time.” So I bought $2 worth of seeds (I LOVE the bulk bins for this very reason) and decided to give the whole “chia seed pudding” another shot.

The seeds themselves have no taste, so it’s pretty important to pair them with flavorful things. I chose mangoes, because I love them and they’ve been on sale for the past two weeks, and coconut, because I found exactly a half of a cup of coconut milk in the back of my freezer and decided it was time. I’m not a huge coconut person (it’s also pretty important to pair chia seeds with things you actually like …), so I didn’t love that version but round 2 with a half-cup of almond milk was much better.

The texture was still a bit odd for me, but by the time I was on pudding round 3, I liked it. I might do 1/4 cup almond milk + 1/4 cup of yogurt next time, so that there’s a bit less of the gelatinous texture, and more of a real “pudding” texture. It’s a great snack, and powered me through an impromptu after-work 9-mile run (note to self: next time, don’t get lost in Central Park so much). But it’s virtuous enough to eat for breakfast, and just indulgent enough to enjoy as dessert.

And you can mix it up in countless ways: use berries or bananas instead of mangoes, stir in nuts, add cinnamon or vanilla extract, add chocolate chips or honey if you’re leaning towards dessert, etc. The seeds themselves are very versatile too: you can toss them in smoothies, in your morning oatmeal, in baked goods (like granola bars or muffins) — anywhere you want to add a boost of nutrients. If I had known I was missing out on all this, I would have jumped on this trend a bit faster!

Mango Coconut Chia Seed Pudding
Adapted from Skinny Taste
Serves 1

– 1/2 cup light coconut milk (or almond milk)

– 1 tablespoon chia seeds

– 1/2 cup diced mango

– 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted*

– sliced almonds, to garnish (optional)

*To toast the coconut: in a dry skillet on low heat, spread the coconut in a thin, even layer. Toast until the coconut begins to pick up some color, then stir and toast until it has browned evenly, about 5-7 minutes.

1) Combine all of the ingredients in a jar or a lidded container. Cover tightly and shake well (or you can be a civilized human and stir everything with a spoon). Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.