I’ve had a love hate relationship with chia pudding for years. I’ve wanted to love it but end up just hating it because of how runny and slimy it is. I would see recipes online for the thickest and most delicious looking chia pudding and wonder why mine never looked (or tasted) as good.
I went so far as to buy an electric grinder thinking it was a texture thing. When that didn’t work, I gave up and just added a tablespoon of chia seeds to smoothies or breads here and there.
That is, until a month ago when my husband came home and declared his love for chia pudding. He had been getting it at a local coffee shop and raved about how good it was. I kind of brushed it off and figured he would continue to just get it there and be content. Aaaand then he asked me how hard it was to make. Which, in theory, isn’t hard at all. It’s the turning out well part that I struggled with.
I obliged anyway and made a batch for him to try.
The husband tried them the next day and declared them sub-par. They weren’t as thick as his beloved chia pudding from the coffee shop and were overall just kind of MEH. So he went back to the coffee shop, ordered another batch to sample, and asked what they did to make it so thick and delicious. They suggested trying fresh chia seeds and playing around with the liquid to seed ratio.
Ooookay.
Last week I got a new batch of chia seeds (because mine were probably a few years old) and scoured the internet for more recipes to see how everyone else kept getting perfectly thick and beautiful looking batches of chia pudding. One thing I saw over and over again was that the preferred ratio of chia seed to liquid was 1/4 cup of seeds to 1 cup milk.
My failed attempts at chia pudding were starting to make more sense.
Old seeds.
Too much liquid.
Feeling more confident about my chances of a good batch, I tried it ONE MORE TIME, following the above mentioned ration and adding some peanut butter into the mix. SUCCESS. This batch was delicious! And thick! And worthy of eating for breakfast, snacks, and desserts!
The best part?
Anna, the pickiest 5-year old on the planet, loves it. Probably because she gets to cover it in copious amounts of chocolate chips. BUT WHO CARES BECAUSE SHE LOVES IT. It even got the husband’s stamp of approval. Which is also amazing since he isn’t the biggest peanut butter fan.
The moral(s) of this story?
Chia pudding is delicious.
It requires fresh chia seeds to turn out well.
Chocolate chips makes everything taste better.
How To Make Peanut Butter Chia Pudding
Supplies:
- Mason jar* or other container with a lid
- Measuring cups*
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk* or fork to stir
*This is an affiliate link. I make a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase it through the link.
Peanut Butter Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk*
- 2 tbs peanut butter
- 1 tbs maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- In a mason jar or small bowl, whisk together milk and peanut butter until fully incorporated. Add in maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Add in chia seeds and stir or shake to combine.
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to set or overnight for best results.
- When ready to eat, serve with sliced banana and chocolate chips or any other topping of your choice. Otherwise, you can just eat it plain.
Notes
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