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This week on the menu, one of my favourite desserts that is packed with both fibre and protein and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth: Chia Seed Pudding Parfait! This dessert makes use of the Strawberry Preserves recipe I shared last week (although you can use fresh fruit if you haven't gotten a chance to try that recipe yet) as well as a few other simple ingredients including:
- Gluten-Free Granola -- I use Kind Healthy Grains Vanilla Blueberry Cluster with Flax Seeds
- Coconut Milk Whipped Cream
- Chia Seed Pudding
- Almond Hazelnut Butter -- I used Nuts to You Smooth Almond Hazelnut Butter
This may sound complicated, but the recipe is actually super simple, and most of your prep work can actually be done 24 hours ahead of time if you're hosting a dinner or party! The three components I make myself are the Strawberry Preserves, Coconut Milk Whipped Cream and Chia Seed Pudding.
Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Chia Seeds
- 2 cups Organic, unsweetened Almond milk
- 1 tsp of organic vanilla extract
- 1 tsp of organic maple Syrup
Directions
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl until the mixture begins to thicken. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours, or ideally overnight. (#sosimple)
- Before serving, stir mixture with a spoon!
Coconut Milk Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 can (400 mL) of organic, full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
- I use Whole Foods 365 Every Day Coconut Milk
- 1 tsp of organic vanilla (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp of organic maple syrup (optional)
Directions
- Place canned coconut milk, a metal bowl and beaters from your electric mixer in the refrigerator overnight
- When ready to serve, remove bowl and beaters from the refrigerator
- When removing coconut milk from refrigerator, be sure not to shake, drop or invert it
- Scoop coconut cream from the top 2/3 of the can into your chilled bowl; leave the coconut water (liquid portion) in the bottom of the can!
- you can use this in a smoothie tomorrow!
- Using your chilled beaters, beat coconut cream on high for 7-8 minutes until it starts to stiffen and form peaks
- Add in vanilla and maple syrup and beat for another 1-2 minutes!
NOTE: Although I've listed maple syrup in each of the individual recipes, I keep the amount added to a minimum, as I find that the fresh fruit/preserves lends just enough sweetness to the recipe when making the full parfait!
Chia Seed Pudding Parfait: Putting It All Together
There is certainly some freedom in how you choose to layer and organize your parfait, as well as how much of each ingredient (dictating the thickness of each layer) you use! I like to have the crunchy granola at the bottom, so here is how I do it!
I put these little treats together right before I'm ready to serve them! I use a small mason jar that can be purchased fairly cheaply from Canadian Tire or any Michael's store to make small, individual servings. From the bottom of the jar up, I layer
- Granola
- Strawberry Preserves (or fresh strawberries, chopped in quarters if I'm short on preserves)
- Chia seed pudding
- Almond Hazelnut butter
- Chia Seed Pudding
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Sprinkle granola or place a strawberry on top for appearance!
What you end up with is a delicious, visually appealing little treat that is not overly filling and won't leave your guests in an insulin coma! Give it a try; I'm sure your sweet tooth will thank you!
Happy Sunday Friends!