I’m not sure it would have been his personal request but this is how we decided to start Father’s Day in our home.
A cool and refreshing lemon pudding that’s tasty enough to enjoy for dessert – any time of day! My husband is a big fan of citrus puddings, jams, jellies, tarts and desserts generally, so it seemed fitting to celebrate his day with this little spin on traditional pudding.
[Sidebar: when I mentioned to my husband that my friend Sandra (oooh that Sandra…) whipped up a batch of homemade fudge ice cream for her husband on father’s day, my hubby’s response was that he still liked my chia pudding best — smart man].
Our eldest son, a distance runner, introduced me to Chia Fresca about five years ago when he was 11-years-old. He had just read the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall which explores the world’s greatest distance runners and their secrets to success.
There is a passage in Born to Run dedicated to the wonderful power of iskiate– otherwise known as chia seed. The author speaks at great length about the nutritional value of chia and its long history as a revered, sacred food in Mexico.
“Chia was once so treasured, the Aztecs used to deliver it to their king in homage. Aztec runners used to chomp chia seeds as they went into battle and the Hopis [tribe] fueled themselves on chia during their epic runs from Arizona to the Pacific Ocean.”
After reading this passage, my son promptly grilled me about chia seed and then politely requested (or something like that) that we procure some on the double. And so a chia tradition was born in our home.
[Sidebar 2: Unlike the other 3 members in this family, I am not a natural runner (no matter how much chia I might consume). I bump and grind and fight for every inch. I also come with a long and well-practiced list of excuses should anyone care to listen to them. But the person who quietly listened and still managed to motivate me to get out there and prepare for my first 10K almost twenty years ago now, was my husband. On the days when I really (really) didn’t want to go out and join the jolly fellow on his regular runs, he would simply say “we’ll just go for ten minutes. If you’re done after ten minutes, we’ll come back, no questions asked.” Of course, every runner knows that getting out the door is the toughest part. Once you’re out there, it’s never ten minutes. Like I said, smart man].
This is the same patience, gentle persistence and wisdom he has brought to raising our sons. He’s our guy and he’s pretty awesome.
- 1 cup milk variety of choice
- ½ cup unsweetened plain Greek yogurt (I typically use 2% fat)
- 4 generous Tbsp chia seed
- juice of one lemon
- zest of one lemon + more for garnish
- 4 Tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure lemon extract, optional
- raspberries and basil or mint for topping, as desired
- In a generous sized mixing bowl, combine: milk, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey or maple syrup and lemon extract if using. Add chia seed and whisk ingredients well before carefully transferring the pudding into serving dishes of choice.
- The recipe renders approximately 2 cups/500 mL of pudding so you can divide into two, 1 cup/250 mL portions or four half cup/125 mL portions, as you wish.
- Cover the puddings with wrap and carefully place in fridge for at least 20-30 minutes before enjoying (See Notes on pudding texture and appearance below).
- Just before serving top the puddings with additional lemon zest (if desired), berries and a sprig or two of basil or mint.
Chia Seed: Chia seeds offer plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, antioxidants and an impressive array of minerals. Unlike flaxseed, chia does not have to be ground to be bioavailable (ie: to be absorbed and usable by the body). Chia is also highly 'hydrophilic' meaning that its seeds absorb water/moisture beautifully to create a mucilaginous gel that's ideal in desserts, puddings and jams. Flaxseed has a similar nutrition profile to chia (with slightly less fibre, omega-3s and minerals per serving) but flaxseed has the added benefit of containing lignans - plant compounds believed to be protective of breast health - which chia does not. Chia is more expensive than flaxseed but due to the highly concentrated nature of its nutrients on a gram per gram basis, a small amount of chia goes a long way. You can find chia seed at any health food store and many larger grocery stores.
Pure Lemon Extract: Pure lemon extract is a great way to intensify lemon flavor in desserts - it is simply lemon concentrate that does not contain any added sugars. I find the juice and zest from the lemon combined with the honey/maple syrup just the right combination for my taste but, if you want a slightly more pronounced lemon flavor, this is a great option.
Pudding Texture & Appearance: The longer you allow the chia to sit in the pudding mixture, the more moisture it will absorb, the larger and more visible the chia seed granules and the more set/thick the pudding will become. A 20-30 minute sit should give you some nice gelling but more of a milky texture (a bit reminiscent of tapioca pudding). A two hour or more sit (you can leave it over night to enjoy the next morning/day) will deliver a thicker texture while bringing more visibly large chia seed to the surface, so you can decide on the texture and appearance you prefer.
Make-Ahead Option: You can make the chia pudding the evening before, store it covered in the fridge and enjoy it the next day.
Cheers to all the great Dads, role models and mentors in our lives, past and present. You make a huge difference.
This is so good! I love the loads of lemon – using the zest really kicks it up a notch. I’ve also tried a few variations based on what I had on hand – added some orange juice or threw in some lime zest and like those combos as well. I like to top it with some crunchy granola and fruit for a healthy snack or breakfast. I also like how well this saves so I can make a big batch that we can eat over the week. Thanks for sharing this for us to enjoy!
thank you so much for your kind words Julia, and for taking the time to share your switch-ups, so helpful for all of us! I’m delighted this recipe is working for you (I too love that citrus zing) it really is a great keeper in the fridge; perfect for warm summer days. Thank you for being here, have a lovely weekend.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it was absolutely delicious and super refreshing. My husband and I had it for breakfast. The lemon flavor wasn’t overpowering, it was just perfect.
Thank you!
Hi Melissa, I’m so delighted to hear that you’re enjoying this recipe and that the lemon hit the sweet spot ;o) appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
hey kelly!
Do you have a yogart substitute that has worked for this recipe?
I am really dairy intolerant =((
Hi Melissa, have you checked out any of the dairy-free yogurts? They are quite common now (a bit like dairy free milk) and come in just about every possible base – pea, almond, soy, coconut, etc. Like all yogurt, you’ll want to just look out for the amount of sugar they add (depending on your preferences) as well as protein content. Let me know how it goes! Cheers.
How do you think it would be without the yogurt? I am dairy free and find that dairy free yogurt has no protein and way too much sugar to be worth it.
Hi Morgan, I developed this recipe with yogurt and haven’t tried it without (there would be some changes in consistency that would have to be offset and require some experimentation). I understand the challenge of finding a quality dairy-free yogurt– Kite Hill Almond Milk yogurt and Ripple (pea protein) dairy-free yogurt are two brands that come to mind for reasonable amounts of sugar and solid protein content, in case you want to look into them.
You forgot the chia seeds in the instructions. Guessing you add them when you whisk it all together.
Hi Candace, thank you for your note. The recipe has now been updated after some changes were made to the recipe card last week. Thank you for letting me know. I hope you love this recipe if you give it a try!
So good! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you Kim, I’m so glad you enjoyed it – it’s one of our favorites too. Thank you for taking the time to drop in and let me know.
What a wonderful thing to say about your husband, we are indeed very fortunate women to have found such men.
This lemon chai pudding would be appreciated here as we too are big fans if anything citrus! I’ve been using coconut sugar in some of my baking and cooking (because of you) and I must say I love it! Not nearly as sweet as the regular granulated sugar. Today’s contribution to a BBQ, a whiskey BBQ sauce pulled pork turned out amazing!
Eva http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com
This is the best way to start the day! I love chia pudding, and I, too, read Born to Run and became obsessed with chia. I’m just like you, Kelly, running doesn’t come easily to me and it’s always a challenge. I always want to be better at it though so I keep trying. I’ve run one 10k and a couple of 5k’s but I’d like to try another 10k because that is a SERIOUS challenge for me.
I love how you used to much lemon in this pudding! I tend to pair chia puddings with chocolate or berries, but a citrusy burst of flavour in the morning would be so nice. I might even make this today for breakfast! I found an amaaaazing brand of coconut yogurt over here called Co-Yo and it’s absolutely to die for. It would go perfecccct in this where you used Greek yogurt!
Lately I have been experimenting with chia pudding, they are so delicious and healthy! This looks so good.
This is so sweet Kelly. You and the boys have a good one! (and smart one too!) Smart choice on picking your pudding. This looks very refreshing. I almost bought chia seeds the other day. Perhaps the next time I’m in that store. :) As for running, I have two paths. The long path and the short path. On the days I don’t feel like running I tell myself the short path will be just fine. Better that than nothing. And wouldn’t you know I usually end up on the long one anyway. Love that runner’s high!
Haha, “bump and grind and fight for every inch” that sounds like me! I couldn’t have said it any better. I love that your son discovered chia at the ripe old age of 11! how great. I’m enjoying all of your applications for this delightful seed Kelly — I still want to make your chia jam so now it’s a toss up. I do like the idea of a cool overnight breakfast so I might start with this one. Do you think it would work equally well with orange instead of lemon? I really like the perspective of that last photo – so great!
A guilty-free and delicious dessert, Kelly. Actually I think I can even enjoy this as breakfast :-))
So fresh and pretty looking Kelly… I’ve never tried chia pudding before but this citrus version makes me very curious and so easy too! Sounds like you’ve got yourself a cunning little fox over there with all the right answers ;-). Love the running strategy; getting out the door is at least half the battle with any exercise! And when you provide an option to bail it kind of seals the deal. Smart indeed… must remember that one! Can I ask you what the texture/consistency of the pudding is like?
This is getting to be a little much…. I feel ALMOST like going home and snapping a photo of the book I have on my bed side table – Born to Run! Actually I’ve read it years ago, it is the book that led me to barefoot running… soon to turn into five finger running, because I could not stand the dirt on the soles of my feet, and was afraid to step on glass or something.
very inspiring book, in those days I guess the mentioning of chia seeds escaped me – I guess I’ll search for that chapter tonight, just for fun.
about that 10 minute run: I often use the same approach of telling myself that I’ll go JUST to the end of the street and back… well, well well..
He does indeed sound like a wise father…and husband ;) And I would totally pick your chia pudding over that ice cream. I made it with heavy cream…Yikes…to much dairy for me! What I love about chia pudding is that I can use coconut milk, and now they even have coconut milk yogurt…it’s a little strange at first but I really like it.