Chia seed is like my new lover. I want to flaunt her, dress her up and tell everybody about her. But then I want her all to myself. I don’t want her price going up like her masculine cousin, quinoa. She’s already pricey enough ($6-$9 packet). But she’s beautiful and nutritionally complex and worth every cent.
What makes her so special?
- She has more omega 3′s than a 4oz piece of salmon. In fact, if you had her for breakfast, you could skip your fish oil supplement that day
- She has 12g of fiber (real stuff, not that fake processed stuff that has been infused with inulin to boost the fiber content – Kashi cereal I’m talking to you)
- She’s a natural appetite suppressant. She swells to 10 times her size when exposed to fluid
- She has the same amount of protein as one egg
- She is gluten free and dairy free
- She is rich in B vitamins and magnesium (nutrients required to counter stress)
- She travels well
- She’s playful and likes other food
And that’s how this recipe came about. I was looking for a hint of sweetness without adding sugar, agave or coconut crystals. The fresh orange juice and vanilla bean was all that she needed. I soaked her in coconut milk overnight, added the other ingredients and voila, an orange creamsicle inspired breakfast!
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 cup coconut milk (So Delicious)
- juice of 1/2 orange
- pinch of fresh vanilla bean seeds
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 tsp orange zest
- 4 mint leaves, torn
Add chia seed to a small bowl. Pour coconut milk over chia seed. Stir. Let it sit for 15 minutes (or overnight).
Pour fresh orange juice over chia seed. Stir again.
Add ground vanilla bean, sea salt, orange zest and fresh mint. Serve.
Jennifer 
Claire Stanic 
Alanna 
robin 
Dana 
Amy 
Rebecca 
P.B. 
Brittney 
Debbie 
Sarah 
Amanda
Nice recipe!
What type of chia seeds do you recommend?
Is this new style of writing or have I just not read your blog for a while? Either way I love it! And I love the recipe – fabulous.
How many servings does this recipe make?
this looks so yummy. i am goning to make it tonight for tomorrow morning. thank you for posting
Jennifer – I like the black chia seeds because they soak up more liquid but white are equally as good.
Alanna – this is one serving.
Clare – ha ha, I think it depends on my mood. It must have been in the sun this weekend!
Hi Dana, I love Chia seeds. I have a recipe on my blog for banana coconut chia pudding. I will be making your recipe this week. Thanks for sharing!
This is great. We are always looking for good gluten free / dairy free recipes, and the omega and protein are an added bonus.
I tried this first without any mint leaves (as I didn’t have any). It was quite good. Then I decided to try putting a tiny bit (less than a drop) of peppermint EO in it. That killed it. Before I put the EO in, I added some liquid stevia, and that helped the sweetness. I won’t do the mint next time, just the OJ.
Amy – I love the experimentation. But, yes, the peppermint oil would be way to over-powering. I think all EO would be. For the most part, you can’t even apply them directly to your skin or they burn. Nutmeg and cinnamon are another option to sweeten it.
I love chia seeds! Would it work to use vanilla extract instead of bean seeds? Vanilla beans are so expensive.
Yes (but it’s less subtle). Or you can skip it. Enjoy Rebecca!
Sounds yummy! I look forward to trying it out. I only thought Chia seeds were for creating those silly pottery heads that grew chia hair until I received a complimentary package from nutsonline with my order. The timing was perfect since I was looking for a gluten-free replacement for my wheat germ I used in my morning protein shakes. I’ve come to enjoy chia seeds and now I have a new recipe to add to my routine. Thanks, Dana.
I love how sexy you make chia out to be! awesome!
Bonnie – this is when you need a “LIKE” option. Ha ha – chia is sexy!!!
LOVE this receipe and can’t wait to try it!
What brand/type of chia seeds do you buy that has 12 g of Fiber? Mine only have ~5 g per serving.
Thanks!
Hi Brittany – I use Shiloh Farms white/black chia seeds. Three tbl has 12g of fiber.
Sounds lovely. If you let the mixture sit overnight, does it need to be refrigerated?
Debbie – I keep it refrigerated.
Hi! : ) I’m new to chia seeds and wanting to add them to our diet. When you say “it” has as much protein as an egg, as much fiber as, etc. etc…how much is “it?” How much needs to be consumed (pre or post cooking since they swell) to get those benefits?
Sarah – just 3 tbl. Don’t cook chia as you’ll break down the omega 3′s. Keep it as a raw food.
I just made my pudding….added a touch of cinnamon and honey (I used unsweetened Almond Breeze almond/coconut milk), with non-alcohol vanilla extract. Delicious!
Thank you for this recipe! I stumbled across it as I was looking to add Chia to my diet. I sweetened with a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon, it was wonderful!
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