Blueberry & Almond Butter Layered Chia Seed Pudding {gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan}

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CHIA SEED PUDDING ♡. Let's talk about it.

Once upon a time the whole idea of seeds gelling up into any sort of pudding would have made me say "thanks, no thanks". Texture-wise, not my thing AT ALL. But times change and considering that chia seed pudding shows up somewhere on my Instagram on an almost-weekly basis, it's safe to say I've totally converted.

I've been gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free the past few months, which is something I've talked about a little bit here and there lately. For a large part of this time I was following an anti-Candida diet, which eliminates all the foods I mentioned (plus a number of others), and the hardest thing about it was figuring out what I actually could eat that would still taste good and not make me feel deprived. There are Candida diet recipes online, but not nearly as many as there are for other specialty diets, and honestly a lot of them seemed so basic that they just made me feel even more deprived. I tried a few good ones but also a few that were *total* flops. Eventually I started figuring out how to make the diet work best for me, and from that point on it became wayyyy easier to follow, so my hope is that by sharing a few of the recipes that became my staples, I might be able to help anyone who's in a similar situation.

Even though transitioning my diet that much was a pretty big challenge at first, chia seed pudding was one of the foods that really made it easier. It's a little sweet and feels almost like a dessert that you can eat for breakfast, but it's also FULL of all kinds of healthy nutrients, omega-3s, antioxidants, and fiber, so you can feel extra good about eating it.

All that being said, this recipe isn't meant to be an only-good-if-you're-on-a-diet recipe. It's meant to be the kind of recipe that has your back even if you have 5 million dietary restrictions to keep in mind, but will also taste good to the kind of person who's just trying to eat a little healthier without having it feel like a drag. It starts out with a quick chia blueberry compote, which is so super simple but totally bursting with the flavor of sweet summer berries in such an amazing way. Then there's the pudding itself - a light almond butter pudding that really plays off the blueberries with a little bit of cinnamon and vanilla for added flavor. The whole thing gets topped off with a sweet layer of cinnamon-almond butter that you absolutely CANNOT skip, plus extra fresh blueberries because you never say no to extra berries.

Call it breakfast, a snack, or even a healthy dessert, but promise me when you eat it you'll mix it all up and ruin those pretty layers for an even prettier swirly mess. It'll be worth it.

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Blueberry & Almond Butter Layered Chia Seed Pudding {gluten-free, vegan}

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A gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan twist on chia seed pudding with a sweet blueberry compote, topped with a cinnamony almond butter dollop.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 puddings 1x

Ingredients

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Blueberry Compote

• 8 ⅜ ounces (1 ⅔ cup) blueberries
• 5 teaspoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk*
• 5 teaspoons chia seeds
• 6 drops vanilla stevia**
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Almond Butter Chia Seed Pudding

• 14 ⅞ ounces (1 ¾ cup) unsweetened vanilla almond milk*
• 3 ½ tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoons vanilla bean powder
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 drops vanilla stevia**
• pinch sea salt
• 2 ⅛ ounces (⅜ cup) chia seeds

Cinnamon Almond Butter Topping

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond butter
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk*
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 drop vanilla stevia**
• pinch sea salt
• extra blueberries, for topping

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Instructions

Blueberry Compote

1. Combine the blueberries and almond milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Once boiling, cook for another 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly, to break down the berries a bit more and release juices. Remove from heat and stir in chia seeds, stevia, and vanilla extract.
2. Divide compote evenly between 4 small jars and place in refrigerator to chill and set, about 30-60 minutes. Once set, make chia seed pudding.

Almond Butter Chia Seed Pudding

1. In a blender, combined the almond milk, almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla bean powder, vanilla extract, stevia, and sea salt. Blend until smooth. Add chia seeds and pulse in briefly, just enough to incorporate while leaving seeds whole.
2. Pour mixture over compote, dividing evenly between jars. Chill until set, at least 1-2 hours (preferably overnight).

Cinnamon Almond Butter Topping

1. Place almond butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl and microwave until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add almond milk, cinnamon, stevia, and sea salt and stir until smooth.
3. Divide mixture evenly between jars and top with fresh blueberries.
4. Pudding will keep (covered, if possible) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Notes

*Feel free to swap out your favorite type of nut milk in this recipe

**Many stevia brands are not pure stevia. I highly recommend NuNaturals. You could also use honey or maple syrup if you're not concerned about the recipe being sugar-free.

***This recipe is Candida Diet Friendly according to the diet guidelines I was given from my doctor. The only swap I made was to skip the vanilla extract, although an alcohol-free vanilla extract would be a good alternative. However, please note that there are lots of variations to the Candida diet.

Recipe Adapted From Minimalist Baker

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