Cinnamon Chocolate Chia Pudding
So I have these chia seeds that I won from Lauren at Nutri-Savvy and Ruth’s Foods and I’ve heard they make a nice pudding … tapioca-like. Well, of course I had to try a chocolate version. I added a little cinnamon because I love the taste of cinnamon and chocolate together: the taste combination reminds me of Mexican hot chocolate.
The chia pudding does have a tapioca-like texture, except there is a slight crunch from the seeds. And it’s much easier to make than tapioca. I think I still prefer the texture of tapioca, but this is a nice, simple, and very healthy pudding. I thought it was really interesting how the little chia seeds seemed to absorb most of the chocolate. It’s so healthy you could eat it for breakfast and even pat yourself on the back for taking good care of your health. The chia seeds give it fiber, protein, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids (which are very good for your heart).
Cinnamon Chocolate Chia Pudding
Adapted from Oh She Glows
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 cup fat free half & half + 3/4 cup milk (or use 1 1/4 cups milk of your choice)
- 1 Tablespoon honey (or more to taste)
- 2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 very ripe banana, mashed (optional, but hey if you have a ripe banana sitting there that needs to be used, toss it in. I always seem to have some over-ripe bananas about that need to be used up)
In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until the clumps are gone. Place in fridge for 1-2 hours (or overnight), until it’s thick. Add milk if you want the pudding a little thinner, or more chia seeds if you want it thicker (then chill again for a while …).
Serve it cold or heat it up in the microwave for a warm pudding.
This recipe was shared at Scrumptious Sundays and Fit & Fabulous Fridays.
Baked Strawberry Walnut Quinoa Bites
I’ve been intrigued with the idea of baking with quinoa for a while now, so when I stumbled across this pretty muffin recipe from Poor Girl Eats Well, I really wanted to try it. They turned out a little differently what I expected, though, which is why I’m not calling them muffins. When I think of muffins, I think of something light, moist and cakey. These are not light and cakey. They are more dense, with a little crunch from the walnuts. I had my friend try them and she said they tasted like those fruit bars that you buy.
Anyway, they do have a lovely sweet vanilla taste, with juicy berries … and the quinoa adds a lot of fiber and protein, so that makes these little bites a really good breakfast … or a great snack to keep you going … especially before or after a workout.
Baked Strawberry Walnut Quinoa Bites
Recipe from Poor Girl Eats Well. I made 6 larger “muffins” and about 20 mini-muffin-sized bites.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium overripe bananas, mashed
- 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour (or quinoa flour, if you can find it)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries (I actually used part strawberries, part blueberries)
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, loosely chopped
- several strawberries, thinly sliced (for the top)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a muffin or mini-muffin tin with cooking spray or use muffin liners. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, eggs, bananas & vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients, stirring together until everything is well blended.
2. Add the quinoa and mix well. Fold the chopped strawberries (and/or blueberries) into the batter. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Place one strawberry slice on top of each lil bite, and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
3. Remove from oven and cool for a couple of minutes. Remove the bites from the pan and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
This recipe was shared at Everyday Mom’s Meals and Trick or Treat Tuesdays.
