Chia Puddings leave so much room for experimentation. There are so many different liquids that they can be soaked in, along, not to mention all the toppings there are to choose from. You could use regular milk, almond milk, soy, coconut, juices, fruit purees, etc. I really prefer coconut milk because I love the thick texture it gets when it’s chilled. Canned coconut milk is my favorite too, seeing as it’t quite a bit thicker than the kind that comes in a carton.
When it comes to toppings for a chia pudding, I am not so much into nuts and berries but have a serious preference for saucy citruses. THIS chia pudding is definitely at the top of my list for that specific reason. This recipe calls for grapefruit which are plentiful and affordable this time of year. Lightly sweetened and coated in their own, thickened juice, they make the perfect topping for a chia pudding. And can you really beat their sweet pink color?
As a fun twist on a traditional coconut milk chia pudding, I steeped my coconut milk with fresh mint leaves before stirring in the chia seeds. Mint and grapefruit go so well together and it gives the pudding such a cool, refreshing flavor.
This recipe makes one, very large bowl of pudding, but you could easily split it into 2-4 bowls. Whatever your preference might be. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to make it and let it set up in the fridge. I like to make them the night before I need them to be sure the pudding will be at just the right consistency.
- 1 Can Coconut Milk
- 12 Mint Leaves
- 2½ T. Honey
- ⅓ C. Chia Seeds
- 1 Grapefruit, juiced
- 1 t. Cornstarch
- ½ T. Honey
- 1 Grapefruit, sectioned
- Place coconut and mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and cover with a lid. Let steep for 1 hour. Remove mint leaves, pressing on them through a small sieve to extract liquid. Add the 2½ T. honey and chia seeds to the min-infused and whisk together. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl(or several small bowls for multiple smaller servings) and refrigerate.
- Chill for several hours or overnight.
- FOR THE GRAPEFRUIT TOPPING:
- In a small saucepan, mix together the grapefruit juice with the cornstarch, starting with a small amount of juice and adding the rest after the cornstarch is smoothly mixed in. Whisk in the honey. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat. As soon as the mixture thickens and turns glossy, remove from heat. Let cool.
- Top the chia pudding with the sectioned grapefruit slices and pour the cooled grapefruit sauce over the top.
