Horchata Caramel Chia Seed Pudding {Paleo + Vegan}
Chia seed pudding is pretty magical. Tell me you have had it, yes? If you haven’t, you are about to become an addict. It transforms nearly any liquid into a pudding, without imparting any flavor, and adding extra nutrients. See? Pretty amazing. And especially amazing when we are talking about Horchata Caramel Chia Seed Pudding.
The inspiration for this recipe goes way back. Way back to a work event I attended last summer, where our parting treat was a horchata rice crispy treat. Dear lord people. That amazing little nugget has bene stuck in my brain ever since.
You better believe I am still working on fine tuning that recipe, and it will be coming at you soon enough.
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And as you may have noticed, we love horchata around here. As evidenced by our Horchata Popsicles, and frequent tangents about cinnamon. Horchata is incredible because of two things. The creamy milk (duh) and sweet cinnamon flavor.
Then, you add a cinnamon scented caramel to the mix? Game freaking over. My life is complete. If these two things could be my diet for the rest of time I would die happy.
So yes, we have reused two of these same ingredients in this dish. Because when you make one of them, and have leftovers, inevitably a second recipe will be born. Â No way no how will these two lovelies be discarded.
Chia seed pudding is something we enjoy often, both for breakfast and as a snack. It has that creaminess we both adore, and as noted previously, you can transform it into any flavor or combination.
It is a vegan eggless pudding too, so bonus for those avoiding any animal products. Or even just wanting to jump on this bandwagon. It is worth it, promise.
We have tried tons of combos with chia seed pudding, and this one may just take the cake. Truthfully it is more dessert-like than breakfast-like (it includes caramel after all), but one can definitely get away with starting their day here too.
I am sure we haven’t done this, on more than one occasion…
A little sweetness in the morning never hurt anyone. Unless you shouldn’t be having any sweetness of course, then please stay away.
You can also serve the pudding without the caramel for an even healthier option. But, I implore you to at least try the caramel. You may never turn back.
And I should mention that this caramel kicks ever other caramel’s butt. Like I am ruined for other caramel now. Crazy, but true.
The maple flavor kills me, and it becomes the smoothest most decadent caramel ever. How I have not been eating this for years is beyond me. Probably a good thing though, or I would become someone who couldn’t eat any sweeter ever. And that would just be, no.
Thankfully it is possible to get your sweet fix without totally compromising your health, or over indulging. This little treat is just that. A sweet treat in a modest package.
To make these for the entire family, you can easily double the recipe and split it into multiple ramekins. You could probably even make a mega serving, though I have not tested this so I cannot speak to the end product.
The lovely thing about chia seed pudding is that it requires almost no active prep time. It does have to chill for 4 hours, but you can happily go about your day while it sets. No standing over the stove or checking the oven required for this one.
If you want to enjoy the pudding for breakfast, prepare it the night before. And if you want to enjoy it as a dessert, prepare it in the morning.
Either way, everyone is going to dig this alternate pudding. And once again, the cinnamon maple caramel is life altering. #maplecaramelforlife
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Horchata Caramel Chia Seed Pudding {Paleo + Vegan}
Ingredients
- 2 cups prepared homemade or store bought dairy-free horchata
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 chia seeds
- 1/4 cup prepared cinnamon maple caramel optional
- Banana slices and grain-free granola for serving optional
Instructions
- Add horchata, maple syrup, and vanilla to a large bowl, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in chia seeds until combined.
- Pour mixture into two or four containers, cover, and transfer to refrigerator to set. Let chill 4 hours or until a pudding-like consistency is reached. Shake or stir each container a couple of times to help ensure an even consistency.
- Spoon cinnamon maple caramel and add banana slices and granola on top if using.
Notes
**If you are enjoying the pudding for dessert, prepare in the morning.
***You can replace the caramel with your favorite granola or fresh fruit for breakfast.
