Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Chia: The Seed of Champions!

By

Not only is chia seed great for chia pets…

Given to me by my little brother for Christmas! Thanks lil bro!

But it makes the easiest, most delicious pudding!

Chocolate Banana Pudding Parfait

~This parfait is a perfect dessert for special occasions, but it can also be a quick and delicious breakfast! Raw, Dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and, of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 serving Magic Banana Ice Cream
  • 3 Tablespoons chia seed
  • 1/2 cup milk substitute (like almond milk or coconut milk)
  • 1 Tablespoon Cocoa powder (cacao powder for a raw treat)
  • Optional Toppings: cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut shavings, coconut cream, chopped peanuts, banana slices

Mix together the chia, milk, and cocoa powder. Let sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes or until the chia seeds puff up into a pudding. While the chia pudding sets, make the Magic Banana Ice Cream.

Now, take a glass jar, bowl, or cup and layer the banana ice cream with the chocolate pudding. Top with whatever toppings you choose!

Usually I will make a huge batch of chia pudding, and keep it in the fridge for whenever I want to make a parfait, eat it plain, or mix into my oatmeal!

Benefits of Chia Seeds

The ancient Aztecs and Mayans used to carry this beloved seed with them on long journeys to increase their strength and endurance. Chia seeds can absorb up to 12 times it’s weight in water, so it is also a great hydrator. It can help electrolyte imbalances by maintaining fluid balances. When I play long tennis matches in the hot Florida summer heat, I will put a few tablespoons of chia into my water jug to help me last through the match.

Chia seed is also a great source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. It can also help balance blood-sugar levels, so it is great for diabetics. It helps blood sugar levels by slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. I keep a jar of chia gel handy in my fridge at all times and will pour a little bit into my water throughout the day. I also use this gel to put in baked goods as an egg replacement. It is the best egg replacer I have found yet, and I highly recommend it to vegans and those allergic to eggs. 1/4 cup chia gel=1 egg.

Other great recipes with chia and chia eggs:

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Have you tried chia yet? If so, what are your favorite ways to use it.

Also, do you like parfaits? I just love parfaits. My sister and I used to always surprise our parents with breakfast in bed for their birthdays. We would always make yogurt parfaits with fruit and grape-nuts 🙂

P.S. For those Vegans who wanted to try my Grain-Free Banana Bread and Pumpkin Spice Bread, Kelsey substituted the eggs with tofu. It was a success! Check it out HERE.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Your parfait looks so good! I wish I could try it, but can’t have banana’s for a while. I love chia seeds too!! I’ve been using them for a couple of years. Besides the usual gel, smoothies, pudding, ect. I also grind some into flour to add to my crackers, muffins and pancakes. Another way I use them is for a unusual snack. Several days a week, I put into a small cup or bowl two tablespoons of chia seeds, one tablespoon of raw almond butter, one teaspoon of rosehips, one tablespoon of maca and stir in a little almond milk until I get the consistancy I like. Sometimes I’ll also add raw cacao, vanilla & stevia to “mix it up” a little!

      • The reason I can’t do the banana’s for a while is because I’m on an anti-Candida overgrowth type diet and they are too high in sugar. I use rosehips or Camu
        Camu powder for my Vitamin C and veggies for the other nutrients. Works for now!

        • Cherie,

          Good luck with your new diet! I’ve heard how intense it can be. Stay healthy!

  6. I bought some chia seeds and have been stirring them into oatmeal, mostly! Also, they are a great addition to my green smoothies! I really like your idea of adding the seeds to your water and keeping chia gel in the fridge.

    • Hmmmmm…I don’t know. Flax has a really strong flavor…You can always try it? But I really think chia works best. And it can be very reasonably priced in the bulk aisle. A little goes a long way!

  10. I LOVE chia. I’m convinced chia played an instrumental role in healing my digestion after years upon years of abuse. My absolutely favorite way to enjoy it is: 2 tbsp soaked in 1 cup almond milk [overnight] then adding granola and fresh apples or strawberries. It’s fantastic.

    • Dear Delicateplace,
      I have been wondering about the tolerance of these seeds for those of us who had to have our seeds/nut finely ground?? will the soaking of them soften them enough?

      Thanks and God bless.

  15. Thanks for posting this recipe. I never knew you had to add so many seeds. It’s no wonder my puddings never really set. I just put some in the fridg with coconut milk. I’ll add cinnamon at some point, probably in the AM. Tonight I made a good salad for dinner. I roasted some chicken breasts in the oven with spicy Mrs. Dash something or other. Put a little water on the bottom of the pan. Got some dark salad greens, mandarin oranges, walnuts ( Trader Joe’s used to make spicy pecans, these would have been good ). Avocado, drizzle of olive oil. Some scallions snipped over the top. Pretty good, in a restaurant that would have been over $10.00 here. Thanks for everything. I hope you have been feeling well.

  19. love chia seeds! i add them to my oatmeal or oat bran mostly. since they absorb so much water, my oatmeal gets a lot bigger and it’s so good! this recipe looks delish though; i’ll have to try it as soon as i get more chia. 🙂

  20. I have tried chia but I just havent really found a use for it that I am obsessed with, ya know? I tend to forget about them! But your parfait looks superr delicious. I think chia pudding is the way to go, and I have yet to try it!
    Also – your little brother sounds like a badass. What a good gift!

  21. Hi Alex,

    Just found you through HappyHealthymama.com. Can you tell me how to make chia seed gel? I have some chia seeds in my refrigerator right now and I haven’t been using them that much except in our green smoothies (daily). I’d love to have some chia seed gel in my refrigerator to use for replacing eggs. Thanks for your help! I can’t wait to try some of your recipes.

    • Hi Lisa! It is really quite easy. Just mix 1 part chia to every 6-10 parts of water. I usually just put it in a huge glass jar and eyeball the measurement.

      Hope this helps! Have fun with your chia eggs!

      Alex

  23. Damn that parfait looks SO good! Mmmm! I love the versatility of chia seeds. Just today I heard using chia seeds in gf baked pizza crust. Whole chia seeds. Makes it crunchy- I’m going to have to try that! But I love them for nice thick shakes. 🙂

  24. This pudding looks gooooood! I use chia seeds in water with lime “chia fresca” before going out to dinner. I also love chia in smoothies. Question, do you know if, like flax, chia seeds contain phytoestrogens? Curious.

  26. I can’t have bananas either. Will be that way for a while. I’m on a strict anti-candida diet. Very little fruit at this point and bananas, being one of the sweetest fruits, are verboten till you’re done.
    I actually use chia gel to replace them in smoothies. I like the comment above where she soaks them in almond milk. I’m gonna try that.

  27. maybe you can use banana extract or extracts in it’s place if you can find the right ones. I did research on candida once, found out that dried fruits and maple syrup also harbor yeast and mold. seemingly healthy items. you would not be eating them anyway though. hope everything works out for you.

  28. Thanks Anita. I did actualy find a great banana extract (no alcohol) from Frontier. Yeah dried fruit and maple syrup are basically sugar. I’ve also discovered that a little coconut flour thickens very nicely.
    Unfortuantly my chia seed in almond milk experiment didn’t work. It didn’t thicken much at all.

  29. That’s OK, my dried kale experiment failed miserably, even after I watched the video. Can you try the chia seeds in plain kefir? I like that stuff. Your chocolate waffles look sublime. Can’t wait to see how you made them!

  30. The link to the Magic Banana Ice Cream no longer works. How do you make it? Can’t wait to try this!

Trackbacks