This Overnight Blueberry, Maple Syrup, and Almond Milk Chia Pudding is lactose-free, and the perfect quick, grab-and-go easy breakfast recipe for busy mornings!
I’ve always had a sort of love and hate relationship with breakfast.
Enter this overnight chia pudding!
It’s perfect for both hot weather and cold, cool and comforting to eat, and requires very little thought on my behalf; I can grab it out of the fridge and eat even before the caffeine of my morning coffee kicks in.
It’s a play on the idea of blueberry pancakes, but with a twist!
Instead of regular cow’s milk, I used unsweetened almond milk, which gives a slightly nutty flavor that feels a lot more ‘pancake-ish’ than plain cow’s milk.
Chia seeds are a superfood, loaded with anti-oxidants and good omega-3 fats. When they’re soaked, they form a gelatinous ‘shell’ around the core of the seed. This makes whatever liquid they’re suspended in thick and pudding-like, but studded with crunch from the seeds. I love the texture!
You make this overnight chia pudding at night, and leave it to thicken before you eat it the next morning.
First, cook the blueberries down into a jam-like consistency on the stovetop. This might sound like it takes a while but it’s really only about 10 minutes or so.
I’ll put the blueberries on to cook while I’m cleaning up from dinner or packing lunches for the next day. It takes only a few minutes to whip up the rest of the overnight chia pudding, after which it gets wrapped in plastic wrap and sits overnight in the fridge to chill and thicken.
This overnight chia pudding is perfect for the summer since it’s cool and easy to eat. This recipe calls for almond milk instead of cow’s milk, which gives a slightly nutty flavor that feels a lot more ‘pancake-ish’ than plain cow’s milk. It’s layered with a fresh blueberry jam, which might sound initially like it takes a long time but in reality, it’s only a quick 10 minutes. I like to put the blueberries on at night while I’m cleaning the kitchen or packing lunches for the next day, and then quickly whip up the puddings right before I leave the kitchen for the night.
Ingredients
6 ounces fresh blueberries ((about 1 cup), plus more for garnish)
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup water
1 cup almond milk ((play up with sweetened or flavored here if you wish!))
⅓ cup chia seeds
⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the blueberries, maple syrup, water, and vanilla extract. Stir often as the blueberries start to cook, using a wooden spoon to lightly mash and break the blueberries apart as they soften. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the blueberries are mostly broken down and the liquid is starting to thicken. Remove from the heat and divide into evenly between into 2 drinking glasses (or other; see note)
- Divide the milk between each glass, then divide the chia seeds and stir gently to mix them thoroughly into the milk.
- Stir a small pinch of salt into each glass.
- Wrap the glasses individually in plastic wrap, and leave to chill in the fridge at least 5-6 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to serve, garnish each glass with a few fresh blueberries.