With 3 simple ingredients, this no added sugar, no-cook, gut friendly Mango Chia Pudding is a sweet and satisfying plant forward snack.
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I remember the first time I ever had chia pudding. My mom and I were visiting a small green market near her house, something we've always loved doing together. As I perused their cold food section, a flavor of chia pudding caught my eye: Vanilla Mango, two of my favorite flavors.
Having never tried chia pudding before, I was expecting to not like it, but the flavors kept calling my name. After making my purchase I immediately dug into to the pot of gold-colored, lumpy mush I had just paid an arm and leg for. My eyes lit up as I immediately discovered "I love this stuff!"
Now I'm not here to necessarily turn the chia pudding haters into believers. Those who do not like, seriously do not like it. But for those of us who do enjoy this mysterious food, I'm here to give you a SUPER easy, no cook recipe for Mango Chia Pudding that is delicious and pretty darn good for you too.
What are Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are tiny little seeds; the same ones used to grow your own chia pet. They are packed with awesome nutrition like fiber, protein, omega 3 fats, and micronutrients. Some have even called chia a "super food" for all the power it contains. =)
When chia seeds first become popular, they were mostly found in expensive health food stores. Fortunately they are now widely available for a much more affordable price. I personally purchase mine from ALDI.
Chia Seed Nutrition
Per tablespoon, chia seeds have a lot to offer. Here are the nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon of chia seeds:
- 63 calories
- 4 g fat, 3 of which are polyunsaturated
- 2 g protein
- 4 g fiber
- 5 g carbs
- 82 mg calcium
- 44 mg magnesium
- 1 mg iron
- 1 mg zinc
Beyond just the nutrition facts, chia seeds may help improve several markers of cardiovascular health.
What is Chia Pudding?
I think one of the biggest turn off of chia pudding is the name! People get all kind of visions in their head about the texture and truly you don't know until you try it.
Chia seeds act as a thickener when added to liquid by creating a gel. This creates a "pudding like" texture in that it is thick and will stay put on a spoon.
Chia pudding is not super smooth like traditional dessert pudding. There is some texture to it. You don't necessarily feel all the little seeds in your mouth though. I think it coagulates very nicely and eats pretty smoothly to me. It's important to use enough liquid so that all the seeds can access the fluid and reach their full gelling potential.
If you cannot get past the texture of whole chia seeds there is good news for you! Buy ground chia seeds, which breaks up the seeds but still gives them their pudding-making power.
Chia Pudding Flavor Options
This recipe for Mango Chia Pudding is one I make often for myself. The recipe is really a basic formula for making all types of flavors.
1 (ish) cup pureed fruit + ½ cup chia seeds + 1 cup liquid
Here are some flavor options to try:
- Add ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste to enjoy that magical combo that got me hooked on chia pudding.
- This Mango Chia Pudding recipe will taste the best with ripe, juicy mangos. If your mangos aren't sweet, then I suggest using a flavored Kefir to help it out.
- Try any flavor of Kefir to pump up the flavor. You can try mango, strawberry, or vanilla as my personal favorites.
- Try pureed strawberries, apples, peaches, or whatever sounds good!
Recipe
Mango Chia Pudding
- Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
With 3 simple ingredients, this no added sugar, no-cook, gut friendly Mango Chia Pudding is a sweet and satisfying plant forward snack.
Ingredients
- 2 whole Ripe Mangos, (diced)
- 1 cup Plain Kefir, (dairy or non dairy)
- ½ cup Chia Seeds
Instructions
- Dice Mango Using a pairing knife, slice off the two sides of each mango, maneuvering around the pit. Careful crosshatch cuts into the flesh of the mango, going all the way to the skin, but not through it. Use either the pairing knife or a grapefruit spoon and slice or scoop out the flesh of the mango halves. They should come out as squares.
- Cut off the flesh of the remaining mango on the pit by carefully slicing off the skin. Then run the knife between the pit and flesh to remove a full piece that looks like a half moon. Dice these pieces and add them to the rest. You should yield anywhere from 1 cup to 1 ½ cups of diced mango.
- Puree Add the diced mango to the jar of a blender and blend until very smooth, about 20-30 seconds.
- Mix In a mixing bowl, combine pureed mango, kefir, and chia seeds. Stir vigorously to evenly distribute chia seeds and prevent clumping.
- Refrigerate Pour half of the mixture into two large mouth jars or other vessel with a lid. Seal the lid and gently shake to once again prevent clumping. Place jars in the fridge for at least an hour and up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Notes
- This Mango Chia Pudding recipe will taste the best with ripe, juicy mangos. If your mangos aren't sweet, then I suggest using a flavored Kefir to help it out.
- If you'd like a smaller portion size, simply make 4 portions instead of 2.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: American, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 26
- Sodium: 71
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 17
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 15
More Chia Seed Pudding Recipes
Try the MHE fan favorite Raspberry Chia Pudding recipe, or Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding.
