I never thought I would get to this (very surprising) point: but I am a serious chia pudding addict. Totally & completely. I have been on the chia train for a little over 2 years now and can’t stop, won’t stop. It saved my life this morning, as it often does. Nothing beats waking up to a ready-made breakfast. It’s all about how versatile it is, how you pretty much can go to town with your toppings and customize your pudding bowl. This recipe is completely vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free & refined-sugar free. And delicious!

I’ve come a loooong way from my pre-packaged coffee shop yogurt parfaits loaded with dairy, sugary granola and old fruit. I actually feel really bad for my old self, because I was completely duped and misinformed. I thought I was doing myself a favor and making smarter food choices; but I was still eating sugar & dairy and simply getting nowhere. As a 28-year old woman who had just had her second baby, I felt very frustrated and had truly hit a low point. Here I was swapping my morning cheese croissant or cheddar jalapeño bagel in lieu of a berry parfait, but somehow; I was seeing NO results.

Insert dairy and refined sugar free chia pudding into my life, and life started to change. I started to see change, to feel better about myself, to have more energy, and just run with my day again like a pro. It’s one of the things people don’t tell you enough about adopting healthy eating habits. It’s not just about how you feel when you look into the mirror, but about how you feel inside. I suddenly wasn’t as lethargic or exhausted half the time, I felt awake and ready to tackle the day. And for everyone who like myself thought time was the key constraint between you and a healthier meal choice: chia pudding takes 5 mins to prep the night before and is the BEST portable breakfast. Like, totally subway-friendly, new mom-friendly, work desk-friendly, afternoon-dessert friendly. It just works.

I now have 3 different, easy chia recipes on the blog; all of which call for almond milk & pure maple syrup as an unrefined sweetener. But here I am thinking, we gotta keep things interesting and yum and play with flavors and texture. So… I was inspired by Thai coconut mango rice to come up with this variation; it’s creamy, it’s dense, it’s fruity and it’s got a hell of a lot of mango. So let’s talk cashew milk for a second here! It’s as easy to find as almond milk, entirely dairy free, but it’s actually creamier! And instead of pure maple syrup, we’re going to go with dark, raw buckwheat honey or coconut nectar to sweeten for that sweet and sticky texture. And then we’ll top it off with fresh mango cubes, coconut chips, and a sprinkle of hemp hearts for protein. Can you think of a better breakfast or dessert?