Apricot Chia Seed Pudding




Recipe credit: New York Times

The New York Times recently released a chia seed pudding recipe and we can't get enough. This recipe is a little more time intensive than our usual quick chia seed pudding, but boy is it worth it!

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

  • About 20 whole dried apricots, more as needed
  • 1/3 cup passion-fruit juice or nectar (passion fruit-pear is fine)
  • 2 tbsp sugar (or sub maple syrup)
  • 1½ tsp lemon juice
  • Fine sea salt, as needed
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 1/16 tsp aloe vera gel flakes*
  • 1/4 cup toasted kasha, optional (see note)
  • Roasted whole almonds, coarsely chopped, as needed
  • Toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, as needed
  • Sliced banana, as needed, optional

Directions

  1. Coarsely chop half of the dried apricots. Place chopped apricots in a small pot with passion-fruit juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Simmer very gently over low heat until apricots are soft and liquid has turned syrupy, about 30 minutes.
  2. While chopped apricots cook, put remaining whole apricots in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak until plump, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain and reserve plumped apricots and the apricot sauce for garnish.
  3. Meanwhile, in a quart container with a lid (or use a cocktail shaker), combine almond and coconut milks, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, aloe vera gel flakes, and a pinch of salt. Stir in chia seeds and kasha, if desired; shake thoroughly so that seeds are evenly hydrated. Let rest at least 20 minutes or until pudding has a rich, creamy texture. Seeds should be fully hydrated. (Pudding will keep for up to 3 days but may require rehydrating with more almond or coconut milk as the seeds continue to absorb liquid.)
  4. To serve, spoon pudding into bowls. Top with apricot sauce, plumped apricots, almonds, coconut flakes and sliced banana, if desired.

TIP
  • Toasted kasha, also known as buckwheat groats, can be hard to find. But you can easily toast raw kasha in a dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Or leave it out.

Enjoy!


*Aloe vera gel flakes contain antioxidants, help balance blood glucose levels, soothe digestive tract and strengthen the immune system. We like to add it to our chia seed pudding, smoothies, and/or water once per day for an extra health boost!