Coconut & mango chia seed pudding

Photographer: Emma
serves 4

This recipe sits somewhere in between a dessert and a breakfast.  It has a gelatinous texture similar to that of sago and is creamy like rice pudding, without all the sugar and fat.  What makes it even more wonderful is that it is very quick to prepare.  Simply throw all the ingredients into a container, stir and place into the fridge and overnight the chia seeds absorb the liquid so that come morning all that is left to do is garnish and serve.

If coconut is not your thing then you can easily leave it out and replace it with milk.  Swap out the cows milk for whatever milk you prefer if you want it to be dairy free and experiment with flavour combinations to suit your mood.  I have to admit I made a chocolate version of this using a couple of generous tablespoons of dutch press cocoa and it was absolutely delicious without being too sweet.

Here’s to having fun and experimenting with breakfast!

INGREDIENTS


1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
1/3 cup coconut flakes, toasted
1 mango, skin and seed removed and finely diced

METHOD


1. Put the chia seeds into a container (I usually use a tall cylindrical one) and pour over the coconut cream and milk and stir well to void lumps. Add the vanilla extract, brown sugar and desiccated coconut and mix well to combine.
2. Place the chia seed pudding in the fridge overnight (or if you are in a hurry leave for at least 10 minutes).
3. When ready to serve, remove the chia seed pudding from the fridge and loosen it up with a little water as it will have become very thick. Divide the pudding between three bowls or dishes and garnish with diced mango and toasted coconut.