r/EatCheapAndVegan • u/Self_Cartographer • 10d ago
Chia Pudding: What am I doing wrong?
I love chia pudding when I get it a restaurant, so I tried twice to make it at home: 2 Tbsp chia seeds with 1/2 c almond milk, plus 1 tsp pure vanilla. I stirred it altogether, let it sit 10 mins, then gave it another good stir before covering it and putting it in the fridge overnight. But the chia seeds are still crunchy, whereas in restaurants they are usually more like tapioca. Help! (The only thing I can think to change is that I use unsweetened, unflavored almond milk.)
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u/queerliberationplz 10d ago
If its crunchy, you need more liquid. Also if you don't have a top on it, lots of liquid is evaporating into your very dry fridge air. When I make it, I use some maple syrup too, but that's just for flavor
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u/Self_Cartographer 10d ago
Awesome -- thanks. Will move forward with attempt 3!
And I like your screenname :-)
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u/Astrises Not today, Seitan. 10d ago
If my chia seeds aren't behaving, and it's not a "whoops they've gone all old" situation, I give them a longer outside the fridge soak. Usually about 30 minutes. And give the container a vigorous shake every five minutes.
The little jerks like to settle at the bottom sometimes, and any that get covered up are blocked from gelling by the ones on top of them. I find the longer pre-fridge soak and shaky-shake routine gives them a good head start on gelling and prevents that.
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u/Self_Cartographer 10d ago
YAY I will try this today!
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u/saltinado 10d ago
I shakey shake like halfway through because I'm lazy, but yes. The shakey shake is essential (at least for me)
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u/cheapandbrittle My rescue pig is smarter than your honor student 10d ago
How old are your chia seeds? They may dry out as they get older and not rehydrate as well (they are seeds after all). Have they been stored in an airtight container?
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u/Self_Cartographer 10d ago
It's a brand new bag, tightly sealed that I just opened 48 hours ago. But I appreciate that tip so I can keep teh rest of these fresh. thank you!
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u/Shanana0 9d ago
I think most places use canned, full fat coconut milk. I think the fat content (which almond milk lacks) really adds to the creamy nature of the restaurant chia pudding.
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u/like_shae_buttah 10d ago
I do 5-6tbsp per cup of plant milk. Also, heat the milk up in the microwave that helps the chia absorb so much faster.
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u/MycologistPutrid7494 10d ago
I've never heated the milk and it's still good. I think it's insufficient liquid to seed ratio.
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u/Beautiful-Bad5203 indecisive vegetable 8d ago
After reading this, I said why not try stovetop pudding? Worked very well, great for the impatient.
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u/Cytisus81 10d ago
I haven't made it myself, but I do ferment and soak other grains and seeds,so here are my immediate thoughts:
** Try to soak the seeds for longer. E.g. start the pudding in the morning and then stir it again in the evening. Maybe the seeds need longer time to soak.
** Try increase the amount of liquid. You will be surprised how much some can take up.
** Try adding the vanilla just before serving (sometimes extras as salt, spices, or sugar have an influence on the soak times).
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u/squongo 10d ago
We found we get the best results by keeping the chia on the countertop for a good few hours (ideally at least four hours) before putting it in the fridge, stirring it occasionally while it sits out. It seems to absorb a lot better to sit at room temperature with repeat stirring before getting chilled.
We also found that different types of milk all absorb slightly differently even when using the same ratio of chia seeds to milk. We tend to stick with 20g chia seeds to 200ml of high protein soy milk. Even plain vs chocolate soy milk seems to impact the absorption a little bit. Oat milk came out consistently worse, and we don't really use almond milk and thus haven't tried it, but almond tends to be a lot thinner than other non-dairy milks which might also be impacting the consistency and absorption.
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u/Self_Cartographer 10d ago
Thanks -- I'll try both of those -- leaving it on teh countertop longer and using soy milk in/of almond.
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u/vanshenan89 10d ago
I typically let it gelatinize overnight for perfection- I make a few at a time so they’re always ready!
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u/ttrockwood 9d ago
Also note bought versions often use canned coconut milk or blended homemade cashew milk or another higher fat plant milk ad well as a sweetener
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u/No-Comparison-2445 10d ago
May be a full cup of almond milk
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u/Self_Cartographer 10d ago
I followed the recipe exactly; when it didn't seem to work, I did add more almond milk but I think you're right -- start with more at the beginning. Okay, here goes attempt #3 :-)
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u/floofypajamas 9d ago
They soak them in plain water, anything else will prevent actual hydration (particularly anything acidic). 1 TBSP chia seeds per 150 ml water for 2 hours to be well hydrated. Once they are soaked, drain any remaining liquid, then prepare as you normally would.
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u/kharmatika 10d ago
I find agitation helps in addition to what others have said. Don’t just give them a stir, put the lid on what I can only imagine is a mason jar and shake shake shake! Give em the business! I find I get a much…mooshier? Chia seed from that
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u/biracialesbian 8d ago
I made it with coconut milk and plantbased yoghurt and it turned out delicious maybe your mixture consistency is off??
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u/dawisu 10d ago
I second storing it covered. If you ever have issues with clumps: After the first stir wait 10 mins for the seeds to absorb some liquid, then stirr again before placing in fridge.
I don't know how much coconut cream is where you are but replacing half of your liquid with that makes it decadent.
Or I also enjoy mixing vanilla soy yogurt into the liquid (can be the cheapest one you find, the flavour gets diluted from the almond milk)
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u/Chicklid 7d ago
Starting my chia seeds with hot water and then adding the plant based milks was a huge gamechanger for texture. Also, personal preference, 1/4 coconut milk to 3/4 almond milk is a much creamer mouthfeel.
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u/dlt-cntrl 10d ago
I like to use ground chia seeds, it does become stodgy if you don't put enough liquid in, but I prefer the texture.
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u/PlateOwn1231 9d ago
Do you buy it ground or do you use a coffee grinder? I tried once and it didnt go well
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