We all enjoyed this delicious creamy chia dessert at our mid-year Youth Space dinner. Themed on a cheesecake but served in a glass, it looks good, tastes good and is loaded with nutritional goodness – including lots of minerals, omega 3s, fibre, good fats & protein. There’s no cooking (apart from lightly toasting some slivered almonds to go on top…) Simply chop, mix, and layer. (The trickiest bit is spooning it into the glass cleanly 🙂 )
We loved it with frozen cherries; you can also use blueberries or other fruit. The fruit layers make it delicious, so be generous with them. You don’t have to do the base layer; it just adds a nice crunchy end to a creamy dessert.
The chia seeds make this dessert light but incredibly filling. When mixed with liquid, they bulk up to a jelly-like consistency.
Chia 'Cheesecake in a glass' Pudding
Ingredients:
Creamy chia mix:
1 1/2 cups coconut cream
1 cup coconut yoghurt
Rind & juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp honey or rice syrup or agave syrup or maple syrup (or a combination)
1/2 cup organic chia seeds
Base:
1/2 cup roasted organic hazelnuts
1/3 cup dates
Rind of 1/2 lemon
a pinch of organic sea salt
Top:
1 cup slivered almonds
4 tsp agave syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
2 tsp organic virgin coconut oil or sunflower oil
Small pinch of organic sea salt
Fruit:
250g frozen cherries (or frozen or fresh blueberries)
Mint leaves for decoration
Method:
- Topping: Preheat oven to 130 degrees celcius. Mix almonds, syrup, oil and salt together well. Spread out thinly on a lined baking tray. Bake for 12 min (check after 10 min.) They’re ready when golden brown. Separate into lumps while still a bit warm, as they stick together once cooled.
- Chia mix: Mix coconut cream, yoghurt, lemon rind and juice and sweeteners together. Add the chia seeds and stir thoroughly until all chia seeds are combined into the mix; no lumps. Set aside to thicken (around 20 mins).
- Base: Cover the dates with boiling water for 60 seconds, then drain. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until crumbly. There should be a crunch to it but no big lumps.
- Fruit: Set aside 3 whole cherries for the top of each glass. Cut all remaining cherries in half.
- Assembly: Place a thin layer of base mixture into the bottom of each of the 4 serving glasses.
Top with half the chia mixture.
Cover with a thick layer of frozen cherries, spreading them to touch the sides of the glass.
Cover with remaining chia mixture.
Top with a dollop of coconut yoghurt, the decoration cherries, a sprinkle of slivered almonds, and sprig of mint.
The chia mixture will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.
*Breakfast Chia Note: If you want to make a less-rich version for breakfast, it is delicious if you replace the 1 cup of coconut yoghurt with 1 cup of soy/almond/rice milk. You can also reduce the sweetener amount by half.
What a GREAT idea
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Thanks Long Player Kitchen. The crunchy base really makes this dessert special.
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Hi There. I would like to try this recipe. I note an unusual ingredient – coconut yoghurt. Do you make this, or is it available in supermarkets? I’ve not seen it before. Look forward to hearing a reply!
Nga mihi nui
Gina Taggart
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Hi Gina!
We use the Doctor’s Choice Bio Yoghurt, or the plain Raglan Coconut Yoghurt, both available in most supermarkets. Definitely worth trying; coconut yoghut gives a thick, rich creaminess to the dessert. 🙂
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