Name: Vegan Chia Pudding with Fresh Fruit and Coconut
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups unsweetened soy milk , plus extra for serving; ½ cup chia seeds; 2 tablespoons maple syrup , plus extra for serving; 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon salt; 2 cups (10 ounces) blueberries , raspberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries, and/or sliced bananas; ¼ cup flaked coconut , toasted

Why This Recipe Works

When chia seeds are combined with liquid and left to soak overnight they create a gel, which thickens and produces a no-cook tapioca-like pudding—a spectacular alternative to the usual yogurt for breakfast. Pudding alchemy aside, chia is great because it's a nutritional powerhouse, packed with fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids; plus, it has a neutral flavor that's the perfect canvas for fruity toppings. This recipe takes little effort, just time. We tried to cut back on that by scalding the milk to speed up the thickening process. And indeed we could: After just 15 minutes the pudding had thickened as much as it had after a cold overnight soak. But that speed came with downsides: a decidedly grassier, “seedier” flavor and the loss of the fresh, milky notes we enjoyed in the soaked pudding. So we stuck with the hands-off overnight method. Before we put it to bed for the night, we gave the pudding a quick second whisk 15 minutes after its initial mixing to make sure all the chia hydrated and to prevent clumping.

Before You Begin

To flavor the pudding, we kept things simple with vanilla extract and maple syrup, which pair nicely with almost any toppings you have at your breakfast table.

Instructions

Whisk soy milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt together in bowl. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes, then whisk again to break up any clumps. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 1 week.

Adjust consistency of pudding with additional soy milk as needed. Top individual portions of pudding with ½ cup fruit, 1 tablespoon coconut, and drizzle with maple syrup to taste before serving.