Creamy Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding

Pumpkin cravings are in the air! Here in the northeast, it’s practically a requirement to indulge in a few pumpkin dishes at this time of year.

A few weeks ago I jokingly said to a friend that there probably isn’t a dish I haven’t added pumpkin to at some point. It’s not far from the truth though – I’m a bit obsessed with this sweet, fleshy gourd. There is something innately comforting and joyful about the pumpkin that really captivates me. It’s both hearty and subtly sweet, strong and weighty, grounded and mellow, yet bright and enticing. The deep orange colour is beautiful and nourishing for your sacral chakra (and I think we could all use some extra balance there!)

And all this got me thinking… about pumpkin desserts of course! I wanted to try making something a little different instead of the usual pumpkin pies, breads and cookies. Chia pudding sprang to mind as a nice challenge, as I had never used these seeds before.

I’m happy to say that not only is this pudding easy to make, but pumpkin is a fabulous addition; in fact, I like this much better than regular chia pudding. The whole thing took about 5 minutes to put together. I let it sit in the fridge overnight to work its magic and woke up to a super yummy & fragrant breakfast.

This pudding is light, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious and I loved that it’s versatile enough to eat at pretty much anytime of the day if you want.

A dollop of grass-fed whipped cream, crushed candied walnuts, and dash of cinnamon on top sends this pudding into dessert heaven!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (I have a recipe for homemade coconut milk here; however, for this dish I used canned full-fat coconut milk which is richer and creamier ~ you definitely want this for a pudding!)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Add-ons (optional): maple-candied walnuts, raisins, whipped cream

**On its own plain, this pudding is good. With the addition of crispy candied maple walnuts on top, it’s out-of-this-world amaze balls! (so I highly encourage you to add nuts)** YUM

1. Combine coconut milk and chia seeds together in a large bowl. If your kitchen is on the colder side like mine is, you may need to warm your coconut milk on the stovetop first to melt all the lumps.

2. Slowly stir in the other ingredients.

3. Transfer to cups or containers and place in fridge overnight.

4. Add on your toppings just before eating. Enjoy!

♥

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See you on the other side! xx