If you want a festive-looking pudding that is healthy too – try these matcha chia puddings.
Great for breakfast or for a quick snack, they are handy to have on hand in the fridge.
You can jar them up and keep in the fridge for when you need them. It’s one less thing to worry about when you have 100 other things to make!
What is matcha?
If you’re not sure what matcha is, you are not alone! It’s become very popular in recent years, but most people don’t know why it is good for you!
It’s a green tea powder made from finely powdered dried tea leaves. It’s usually the very young leaves that are used to make the powder.
It’s quite an acquired taste and if you use too much it can be slightly bitter. The taste can also depend on the quality of the matcha powder you use. As with most things, the higher the quality, the better the taste.
Like green tea, the nutritional value comes from the antioxidants as well the amino acid l-theanine. The green colour comes from chlorophyll, making it also rich in magnesium.
Are these matcha chia puddings easy to make?
Yes, they are very simple to make. You simply mix the four main ingredients together and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours (or overnight). You can then top with yoghurt and some extra nuts and fruit in the morning.
Are chia puddings healthy?
I think they are a great option for healthy breakfasts or a quick snack. Chia seeds are a real nutritional powerhouse. They’re an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and are very high in fibre. They swell when soaked in milk/water and form a gel-like consistency that is really good at helping your digestion (and can also help maintain steady blood sugar levels). They’re rich in protein, calcium, and magnesium, and are one of my go-to morning ingredients.
Do you need to sweeten the Matcha chia puddings?
I like to add a little bit of maple syrup to my chia puddings. Not too much but enough just to balance out the flavours of the matcha. As a natural sweetener, maple syrup gives a touch of sweetness but without being a refined source of sugar. It also contains trace amounts of minerals like zinc and manganese.
The Four Simple Ingredients
The pudding itself only uses 4 ingredients:
- Chia seeds
- Almond milk
- Matcha powder
- Maple syrup
Toppings:
- Soya or coconut yoghurt
- Raspberries
- Pomegranates
- Pistachios
Make sure you don’t forget the toppings! Adding yoghurt, nuts and fruit really ups the protein, fibre and nutritional profile of these puddings. You can play around and add your favourites.
I like the green of the pistachios with the green of the matcha. Also adding red fruit like pomegranate and raspberries looks fantastic against the green.
Storage and Shelf Life
These puddings store really well in the fridge. They’ll last for at about 4 days.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing these puddings.
Recipe Tips
Let it rest, then stir it again: after mixing the pudding, let it sit for 5-10 minutes before giving it another stir. This prevents the chia seeds from clumping together.
Blend it: If you don’t love the texture of chia, you can blend the pudding. Just add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Let it set as per the recipe.
Adjust the sweetness: If you have a sweeter tooth, you can add a little bit extra maple syrup to the mixture.
Customise the milk: Although soya or almond milk are great choices, you can use other plant-based milks like oat or coconut milk. Soya is higher in protein so a good option if you are monitoring that.
Experiment with toppings: Add to the nutrition of your pudding with toppings like fresh raspberries and chopped nuts. You could also use sliced bananas, mixed seeds, or a sprinkle of granola. These not only add texture and crunch but make the pudding more satisfying.
Try them for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments!
If you liked this recipe, you might want to try these other healthy breakfast options:
Matcha Chia Puddings
Ingredients
Ingredients for the puddings:
- ½ cup chia seeds (90g)
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk or your milk of choice (500ml)
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Toppings ingredients:
- Raspberries
- Pomegranate
- Chopped pistachios
Instructions
- Add the chia seeds, milk, matcha and maple to a large bowl and mix well. Wait 5 mins and mix again to ensure the chia doesn’t clump. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Divide the mixture into 4 serving dishes. Top with yoghurt, chopped pistachios, raspberries and pomegranate.
Notes
- They can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- The nutritional information is based upon using organic, unsweetened soya milk. Almond milk will have less protein.
- The nutritional information does not include the toppings.
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