If you soak chia seeds in liquid overnight they will absorb it to form a gelatinous coating and produce chia pudding. On it’s own this is pretty bland, but it’s such a quick, easy and nutritious breakfast to prepare that I was determined to find a way to enjoy it. I started experimenting with ways to make it more appealing and found myself inspired by one of my favourite desserts: cheesecake!
I got the idea when I accidentally crushed my Belvita Breakfast Biscuits in my handbag on the way into work. I ended up with a crumby mess that reminded me of the digestive biscuit base that you get on cheesecakes. Taking the idea home, I whipped up some chia pudding and layered on the biscuit, then added yoghurt and fruit.
I’m not going to lie, I was pretty proud of my creation, it really is quite delicious! The biscuit crumb adds a crunchy element and fruit and yoghurt give some extra pizzazz. The possibilities are endless, but below I’m sharing with you the basic recipe plus two fun topping ideas.
The first is a refreshing berry burst, the second is my healthy alternative to a fruity lemon meringue cheesecake.
100ml soya milk (or a milk of your choice)
2 tbsps chia seeds
2 tsps low fat vanilla yoghurt
2 Belvita Golden Oat Crunchy Breakfast Biscuits
This is so simple! Just stir the chia seeds, milk and yoghurt together thoroughly, then refridgerate overnight in an airtight container.
By morning you’ll have chia pudding. Give it a stir through to make sure that the seeds are evenly dispersed.
Using the end of a rolling pin or a pestle and mortar, crush the breakfast biscuits then sprinkle this over the seeds. Leave some bits chunky for extra texture and crunch.
Strawberries
Pomegranate seeds
Honey
Layer strawberries onto the biscuit crumb, then spoon in 2 tbsps natural yoghurt. Add a squeeze of honey (optional) and top with more strawberries, pomegranate seeds and biscuit.
4 slices pineapple
1 tbsp pineapple juice
2 tbsps vanilla yoghurt
Half lime
2 tbsps honey
Handful frozen mango and pineapple
Raspberries
Prepare basic chia pudding mix as above, but replace the vanilla yoghurt with the pineapple juice.
Put the honey into a small bowl and mix with the juice of half a lime. Place 4 pineapple rings on a grill tray and brush them with the honey mix. Grill on a high heat for 4 minutes on each side, then put to one side to cool.
Meanwhile, blend the yoghurt, frozen mango and pineapple together.
Once cool, layer 2 pineapple rings onto the biscuit crumb and then top with the fruit smoothie, before garnishing with the two remaining rings and a few raspberries.
So what’s special about chia anyway? Well the unassuming looking little seeds are actually a powerhouse superfood which is high in fiber and protein and great at providing energy. All good reasons why you should try including them in your breakfast every so often!
Let me know if you try out either of these recipes and make sure to tag me in any pictures of them on Instagram / Twitter using my handle @lovedbylaurac , I’d love to see your creations!
For more healthy breakfast ideas check out my post on 3 smoothie bowl recipe ideas >>>here!
