Easy Pineapple Chia Pudding with Coconut Flakes and Pomegranate Arils

I’m so excited to share with you a recipe on how to make your own easy pineapple chia pudding with coconut flakes and pomegranate arils.

Ok, so I know it isn’t exactly the season for pineapples as it’s getting really cold, but I can’t help myself! I grew up in Uganda and over there, we eat pineapples pretty much everyday. Incase you didn’t know, Uganda has the sweetest pineapples you’ve ever tasted in the whole wide world. In short, when I see a pineapple, I get super happy and it brings back lots of good memories.

 

 

I enjoy eating pineapple on it’s own but also thought it would be fun to mix it in chia pudding and see what the outcome is like. Honestly, it was super refreshing and yum, I said “ummmm” with every spoonful I had.

You must try it!

 

Why Pineapple Chia Seed Pudding?

I love chia seeds. They are a superfood and have so many benefits. You can read more about chia seeds by clicking here: Chia Seeds Nutrition Benefits.

Additionally, pineapples are low in calories but packed with Vitamin C and so many other nutrients according to healthline.com as below:

One cup (165 grams) of pineapple chunks provides

• Calories: 82.5
• Fat: 1.7 grams
• Protein: 1 gram
• Carbs: 21.6 grams
• Fiber: 2.3 grams
• Vitamin C: 131% of the RDI
• Manganese: 76% of the RDI
• Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDI
• Copper: 9% of the RDI
• Thiamin: 9% of the RDI
• Folate: 7% of the RDI
• Potassium: 5% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 5% of the RDI
• Niacin: 4% of the RDI
• Pantothenic acid: 4% of the RDI
• Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI
• Iron: 3% of the RDI

It also contains trace amounts of vitamins A and K, phosphorus, zinc and calcium.

The best part is pineapples are full of antioxidants especially flavonoids and phenolic acids.

Antioxidants protect the body from damage from free radicals which can harm body cells, causing chronic disease and also aging.

 

Is it filling? Is it good for weight loss?

This recipe is so easy and so nutritious and also works perfectly as breakfast or a dessert.

The thing about chia seeds is that they can fill you up quite easily.

It may work well for you if you’re looking to lose weight as pineapples also have few calories per serving and chia seeds absorb alot of milk/water making you feel fuller.

Instead of opting for an icecream/other dessert, you can opt for this filling, nutritious and ultra yummy pineapple chia pudding which could aid in a lower consumption of calories.

Just be careful about eating too many chia seeds. The maximum recommended daily intake of chia seeds are 2 tbspns, so do not exceed this.

What ingredients do I need for Pineapple Chia Seed Pudding?

Milk (any other non-dairy milk if you are vegan such as coconut milk, almond milk etc)

Chia Seeds

Pineapple (Fresh pineapple!)

Honey (Maple Syrup if you’re vegan or sugar if you don’t have either of these)

Coconut Flakes

Pomegranate Arils

Ok! I’ve got the ingredients!

How do I make this easy pineapple chia seed pudding with coconut & pomegranate??

 

• In a small bowl, add about 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• Add milk and honey (or sweetener of choice). I initially added about 3 tbspns of milk but added lots of water later on as the chia seeds absorbed the milk.
• Mix, mix, mix your chia seed pudding mixture. Ensure there are no lumps
• Store your chia seed milk pudding bowl in the fridge. You’ll need to leave it in the fridge for atleast one-two hours. The more milk/water the chia seeds can absorb, the better. You can also leave it in the fridge overnight so that the chia seeds fully absorb the milk/water and are very soft and slimmmmmy. Sorry! 😀

 

PS:

After half an hour, remove chia pudding from fridge and mix. Keep adding water as needed and mix it every half an hour so that the chia seeds do not stick together in clumps.

Keep adding water until you feel the chia seeds have fully absorbed the water and are plump.

Adding water instead of milk ensures that the chia pudding isn’t too thick. And it tasted really nice this way. Alternatively, if you add coconut water or milk, it would give it a really refreshing pina colada vibe.

 

• I used 1/4 of a small pineapple. Chop this into pineapple chunks.
• Grab your favourite see through glass and add your chia pudding mixture.
• Garnish with the pineapple chunks on top and sprinkle your coconut flakes and pomegranate arils. I guarantee that you’ll have a smile on your face by the time you have finished this – it just looks so pretty!

This pineapple chia seed pudding will keep in the fridge for about 2 days mainly because the pineapple may taste strange after the 2nd day. The chia pudding itself can probably stay for 3 days. I finished mine on the same day as it was so yummy and refreshing.

Let me know if you make it and how it turned out 🙂