Whipped Coconut Pumpkin Chia Bowls

On this beautiful Friday, I would like to share with you one of my favorite breakfast treats.

This chia pudding is both creamy and flavorful. It feels very indulgent, but packs a healthy punch. Chia seeds are full of fiber, protein, and omega 3 fatty acids, and pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A and beta-carotene.

It took me quite a long time to come around to chia pudding (it can look pretty unappealing), but I’ve grown to like it, and it now makes a semi-regular appearance in my breakfast and snack rotation.

For me, the key is to add something crunchy, like granola or puffed quinoa. For a pre-run breakfast, I would probably add half of a banana as well.

A few weeks ago I shared this recipe for vanilla turmeric chia pudding. That version was good, but I think this pumpkin pudding is even better.

Ingredients

pudding:

1/3 cup chia seeds

2/3 cup almond or coconut milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

toppings:

1 can coconut milk, chilled overnight

1 cup fresh berries

chopped, nuts, puffed quinoa/rice, or granola (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix all of the pudding ingredients together in a medium bowl, whisking vigorously until homogeneous. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then stir again.

2. Make the coconut whipped cream: Remove the solid white coconut from the can of chilled coconut milk and place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until the cream holds stiff peaks.

3. Divide the chia pudding between 2 bowls. Top each with a dollop of whipped coconut cream (or more, if you like), berries, and granola/nuts/puffed quinoa.

Makes 2 servings.