Fig and Maple Syrup Chia Pudding

This Fig and Maple Syrup Chia Pudding is a delicious plant based sweet treat perfect for breakfast or as a light dessert. Get the recipe below.

Making chia pudding at home

You may have seen chia pudding in restaurants as it becomes a popular dish served as a vegan breakfast / brunch dish or as a dessert in health conscious establishments.

But what is chia puddings? Is it suitable for vegans? And why the hype? I answer you questions and more below.

What is chia pudding?

Chia pudding is a sweet dish made up of chia seeds that have been soaked in a liquid until they swell up and take on a jelly like texture.

The liquid they are soaked in is often a plant based milk. My favourite is a nut milk like almond milk for example. But, you can choose any plant based milk that you like.

What are chia seeds?

The key ingredient to chia pudding is, of course chia or chia seeds.

Chia seeds are a type of seed that comes from a flowering plant that is actually part of the mint family.

They are a popular ingredient right now as they are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which are important, especially in a plant based diet where these can be hard to come by.

Chia seeds are also a great source of fibre and leave you feeling fuller for longer.

Are figs vegan?

This particular fig and Maple Syrup chia pudding recipe is made using what some might say is a controversial fruit. I chose figs as the result is a sweet chia pudding that has a flavour a bit like honey when the maple syrup and fig combine.

As delicious as figs are, there has however been debate in the paste about whether or not they are vegan. This is because some varieties of figs rely on wasps to reproduce (the wasps dying in the process).

It can, however, be argued that the relationship between wasps and figs is symbiotic and both rely on the other to survive.

Although some vegans will avoid figs, it's generally considered that they are suitable for a vegan diet as no animals are exploited or treated cruelly.

I therefore love adding them to this Fig and Maple Syrup Chia Pudding and eating it for my breakfast!

Get the look

Chia pudding can be made in advance (that's right! It's perfect for all you meal preppers out there). Because of this I make a big batch and keep it in my fridge for a couple of days.

To make your chia pudding look just like mine, simply cut thin slices of fig and press them against the side of your glass. Then fill it with the chia pudding to keep them in place.

Top the chia pudding with the remaining fig (diced) and drizzle over the maple syrup.

The glass container I use is from Black + Blum and is the perfect size.

Variations

If you're not comfortable eating figs then do swap them out for any other soft fruit.

For some extra crunch why not add a sprinkling of nuts. Flaked almonds would be particularly good - especially if you've made the pudding using almond milk.

The recipe

More simple chia seed recipes

Chia seeds are great for a range of recipes, including overnight oats and smoothies. Here are some of my favourites.

Each of these delicious recipes is entirely plant based so can be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. Enjoy!