- August 30, 2022
- by Amy Gorin, MS, RDN
- 0 Comments
Cherry Chia Pudding
Hello, cherry chia pudding! This quick and easy chia pudding is a just-sweet-enough breakfast, snack, or dessert that you can prep in advance.
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love making chia pudding during the summer months (and all year long, really). It’s creamy, delicious, and cool—perfect for a hot summer day when you don’t want to use the oven or stove.
Not only is this cherry chia pudding tasty, it’s also nutritious! This recipe is packed full of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Sweet cherries provide so many health benefits….I can’t even begin to list them all here.
Cherries are a great addition to any diet ,and making cherry chia pudding is a great way to enjoy them and reap their benefits.
Enjoy this for a nutritious, just-sweet-enough breakfast on any day of the week!
Ingredients
Making cherry chia pudding is easy, and it starts with a super simple ingredient list. In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients on hand in your pantry or can easily find them at the store.
Sweet cherries: I used frozen sweet cherries to make this recipe. You’ll want to make sure they’re unsweetened (the cherries are sweet enough on their own!) and defrost them before making the chia pudding.
Sweet cherries offer so many health benefits. For one, they’rere packed with serotonin, a hormone that helps lower stress and improve mood. Being less stressed is a huge factor in blood pressure control!
Sweet cherries boast phenolics, compounds that can aid in lowering blood pressure by helping to reduce tension in your body’s blood vessel walls.
The anthocyanins in sweet cherries help reduce inflammation in the body—which can help prevent heart disease!
Bonus: In addition to helping with heart health, the phenolics in sweet cherries may help prevent cancer.
Chia seeds: When combined with liquid, chia seeds expand, which is what results in the “pudding” texture of this chia cherry pudding. Chia seeds also have a lot to offer nutritionally, as they provide plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Plant-based milk: Make this chia cherry pudding with almond milk, oat milk, or any other vegan milk that you have on hand.
Maple syrup and vanilla extract: Add a little maple syrup for extra sweetness. The vanilla extract brings more depth to the flavor of the pudding.
Toppings: These are is optional, but you can add some toppings like nut butter, other fruit, cacao nibs, or even a few chocolate chips.
Step-by-step instructions
Making chia cherry pudding is pretty easy!
First, in a mixing bowl, combine chia seeds,
your plant-based milk of choice,
maple syrup,
and vanilla extract.
Distribute the pudding into four half-pint jars, and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning (or whenever you plan to eat the pudding), top the chia pudding with defrosted unsweetened frozen sweet cherries and a drizzle of almond butter!
Recipe FAQ
No, you do not need to use frozen cherries. They are a great option for when you want to make cherry chia pudding outside of cherry season. Fresh cherries would work great–just make sure to remove the stems and pits.
Chia pudding is very healthy! It makes for a nutritious breakfast or snack, as it is high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber.
Chia pudding is sure to keep you satisfied, especially if you add other ingredients like fruit and nut butter to make it even more nutritious.
Cherries are a super healthy fruit that boasts tons of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Sweet cherries are packed with the hormone serotonin, which helps lower stress and improves mood.
They also contain phenolics, heart-healthy compounds that may help with lowering blood pressure and improving heart health overall, in addition to reducing the risk of cancer.
The anthocyanins in cherries help reduce inflammation in the body which is helpful for preventing a variety of illnesses.
You can store chia pudding in any type of air-tight container. I like storing it in jars to make it extra convenient. Cherry chia pudding will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More cherry recipes
Want to add more recipes with cherries to your menu? I’ve got you covered with a few of my favorites, plus some other easy breakfasts that you’ll love:
I hope you loved this cherry chia pudding as much as I did. It’s ready to go in a few easy steps, and you can make a big batch ahead of time so you have grab-and-go breakfasts to enjoy all week long.
Cherry Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen sweet cherries
- 2 tbsp almond butter
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Distribute into four half-pint jars, and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, top with defrosted unsweetened frozen sweet cherries and a drizzle of almond butter!
Nutrition
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