I love this Strawberry Chia Pudding. It’s bright and vibrant in color, bursting with berry flavor, and of course, big on nutrition.
Local strawberries are in season and it’s the perfect time to make this strawberry pudding. When those local berries hit the farmers’ markets and stores, we stock up. Of course, it’s a short season, it’s hard not to stock up!
But this strawberry pudding is also wonderful with store-bought berries that perhaps aren’t as bright and juicy as you’d like. This recipe uplifts those lowly berries and now they taste just as lively as local strawberries… or at least, pretty close!
I created this recipe when I scored a deal on store-bought organic berries. We had more than we could work through fresh, so I decided to freeze some – and transform the remaining berries into this delightful pudding.
And then things got better!
I had placed an order with Wilderness Poets, and with dragonfruit powder in my pantry decided to add a couple of tablespoons.
What color!
You can use this dragonfruit powder in puddings, sauces, ice creams, oatmeal, cookies, frosting, and more! Try dipping my cocoa cookie dough balls in the powder (as below) – or add some to my vanilla frosting or Ninja vanilla ice cream. The possibilities!
Now, here’s the thing… the dragonfruit powder isn’t essential, but… because it’s a whole fruit in powder form, it adds natural sweetness to the pudding. Color, sweetness, and more nutritional perks. You don’t need much either, just a tablespoon or 1/2 tablespoon will do.
But even if you don’t use the dragonfruit powder, the color is still beautiful – with the strawberries alone.
Next, let’s talk about the chia. This isn’t a chia pudding per se, but does have some chia seed to help thicken the mixture. So I call it a chia pudding. But most chia puddings use a milk base. This one is pure fruit and fruit juice, to let the colors and flavors really shine through!
You can serve this pudding straight up or over ice cream, or layer with non-dairy yogurts parfait-style. Some other serving ideas? Try topping on your oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles!
I hope you love this pudding. Stay tuned for my next post to transform fresh strawberry chia pudding into a frozen treat! x Dreena
Fresh Strawberry Chia Pudding
Most chia-based puddings use non-dairy milk as a base. For this fresh and beautiful version,
strawberries are the star! The color is vibrant and the flavor is fabulous.
Instructions
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For the strawberries, don’t worry about how much to chop. Just slice or cut in half to get a rough measure. This recipe is flexible! In a blender, add just 1 cup of the strawberries, the chia seeds, orange juice or water/maple syrup, and vanilla/salt/dragonfruit powder (if using). Puree until smooth. Add the remaining strawberries and pulse through to roughly chop (keeping some chunky consistency of the strawberries) Alternatively, you can dice by hand and stir into the pureed mixture. , but keeping some chunky consistency of the berries. Serve, or refrigerate until serving. Or… (stay tuned for next post!)
Notes
Dragonfruit Powder: I use Wilderness Poets dragonfruit powder. The color is enchanting! Also, it will add a touch of natural sweetness so you may not need/want the maple syrup.
