I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of chia pudding. It’s something about the texture and simplicity that I find super enticing (plus it’s got ‘pudding’ in its title so that’s a plus point in itself).

Once you have perfected making chia pudding (which is absolutely easy) you can play around with the fruit toppings. For this recipe I have used beautiful seasonal pomegranates and persimmons that are mega high in beta carotene and minerals such as sodium, magnesium, calcium and iron. Studies have found that they also contain twice as much dietary fibre per 100g as apples…and as we all know, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

You are also getting amazing antioxidant goodness from pomegranates: the phyto-chemical ellagic acid in these ruby red seeds help prevent inflammation in the body and contains more antioxidants than green tea, red wine and blueberries. They are said to be a powerful cleanser of blood and lymph. Pomegranates are also remarkable for anti-aging and collagen breakdown prevention, so stock up for clear radiant skin this winter! 

Ingredients

(serves 4)

50g organic chia seeds

250ml unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 or 2 drops of natural almond extract (optional)

Seasonal toppings

1 ripe persimmon – sliced thinly

½ pomegranate (seeded)

handful of blueberries

Nut granola of your choice

Method

1. For a creamier more even consistency I slowly whisk 1/4 coconut milk into the chia seeds, and leave a 5 minutes to thicken up. Add all the remaining milk, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and whisk thoroughly.
2. Place in the fridge to set, it can be ready to go in just about 30 minutes but you could leave it overnight if you want (for thicker and softer texture)
3. Remove it from the fridge and stir it together. You can see the chia seeds have formed a gel and the mixture has become a thicker and more pudding like.
4. Arrange your chosen seasonal fruit and a scattering of granola.