Chia Pudding Parfait 2.0

Not too long ago, I posted a recipe for rawnola – a quick and filling breakfast alternative to smoothies, especially in this chilly weather. This is another non-smoothie breakfast that I love. I was never the biggest fan of breakfast growing up, so to have a bunch of quick and filling options is optimal for me! In the warmer weather I’m satisfied with smoothies every day but I can’t keep it up with these frigid temps.   All three of these components can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge/freezer until needed.

For the chia pudding –

• 1 c hemp milk (Or any milk)
• 3 T chia seeds
• pinch of vanilla bean seeds or 1/4 t vanilla extract
• 2 T maple syrup (omit if your hemp milk is already sweetened)
• 3 T of fresh juiced strawberries OR any berry jam OR beet juice if you’re really in a pinch – note the color will differ with each different option. In the parfait photo I used strawberry jam and the picture with the chia pudding in the jar by itself I used beet juice

Whisk strawberry juice, milk, vanilla and maple syrup in a jar or glass bowl. I find it easiest to start this in a resealable jar so that I can eat some and stick it back in the fridge. No mess and no need to dirty more bowls than necessary.

Don’t have a juicer? Just blend a handful of fresh strawberries, with a tiny bit of water if needed, and then pour through a strainer so you are left with the juice. Same goes for the beets if you want to use beets.

Add the chia seeds to your milk.

Whisk together until clumps have dissipated.

Leave out on the counter for 5 minutes and whisk thoroughly again before putting in the refrigerator.

Chill for at least 6 hours before using.

Note: I find that some milks thicken quicker than others. Hemp milk tends to thicken almost immediately, whereas cashew milk takes about 8. Anybody else experience this?!

For the cashew date cream –

• 1 c raw cashews soaked for at least 6 hours, rinsed and drained when ready to use
• 5 soft medjool dates, pitted (you can soak them for 15 minutes in hot water if you can’t find soft ones!)
• A generous pinch of sea salt
• At least one cup of room temp water

First, blend the dates and salt with 1/2 a cup of warm water. Blending dates can be messy – be prepared to stop and scrape down the blender until it’s running smoothly.

Once you have a somewhat uniform paste, add 1/2 cup of warm water and the cashews.

Blend.

If the mixture is not blending well and/or is too thick, add more warm water 1/4 cup at a time.

You want to obtain the consistency of a light and fluffy mousse. If you’re using a vitamix, blend on high for ~1 minute and as long as you have added enough water, it will get veeeeery fluffy.

I usually end up using about 1 1/2 cups of water in total.

Store in the fridge covered until ready to use. Will keep well for one week.

For the berry sorbet –

• 3 soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped (soaked in hot water if not soft!)
• 2 c frozen berries, I used raspberries

First blend the dates with 1/4 cup of warm water to create a paste.

Once your dates are blended almost smooth, add the berries.

Blend until completely smooth. You might have to add another few tablespoons of water if your blender isn’t super powerful. No worries though. If you end up with a smoothie texture just freeze it until it’s firm again.

Keep frozen!

Layer all these beauties together as needed.

The cashew cream is rich but the acidity from the sorbet evens it out. The chia seeds add some texture to an otherwise silky smooth parfait. Balance is key!