These pudding cups are easy to assemble and ready in about 1 hour, but they are also a great overnight breakfast option that can even double as dessert. They have yogurt, cinnamon and nuts. You can use different sweeteners and adjust them to your liking.
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Easy breakfast
Chia pudding has been a staple for years now as a way to eat a better breakfast.
Those little black seeds plump up when left to hydrate. This takes about 1 hour. For a quick breakfast, keep the chia puddings in the fridge overnight and they become a hearty morning option.
This recipe uses yogurt and pumpkin puree that you can make ahead (it also freezes well) or buy canned.
If you have pumpkin butter, you can use it instead of the pumpkin puree mixture, making this breakfast trifle even easier to assemble. If it's purchased, it will dictate how sweet the pudding will be, so take that into account.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Chia seeds are easily available at supermarkets, online or grocery stores. Keep them refrigerated or frozen in an airtight jar to prevent them from going rancid.
- Natural yogurt: unflavored and unsweetened. I use Greek yogurt because it's thicker, but other natural yogurts work just fine.
- Sweeteners: white granulated sugar is the one that sweetens the most. And since there's cocoa powder, it is needed. But you can definitely use brown sugar with great results. It will have a wonderful caramel undertone.
- Pumpkin: use canned or pumpkin puree from scratch.
Steps to make it
The great thing about this recipe is that it's just mixing and layering.
How long should the seeds soak? In 1 hour or so, you should plump, edible chia seeds.
Yogurt mixture
You simply stir the yogurt with the seeds and maple syrup. It will be thick.
Pumpkin mixture
Half of the chia mixture is stirred into the pumpkin one that has been flavored and sweetened.
Layers
The order is up to you.
I like to make three, start with the pumpkin chia mix and finish with the plain pumpkin one.
You can make more layers or change the order.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Overnight chilling: This is another option and how I usually prepare it. Pop the closed jars or covered glasses in the fridge and leave them until the next morning.
- Sweetness: if you like sweeter desserts, use honey instead of maple syrup or add more sugar to the pumpkin puree.
- Pumpkin butter: you can substitute it for the pumpkin mixture.
- Flavorings: use pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon for a stronger flavor. Add a small amount of orange zest.
- Containers: my favorites are glass jars, like mason jars or yogurt jars.
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Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or other sweetener
- 5 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 ½ cups pumpkin puree, cold or at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- In a medium bowl stir 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 5 tablespoons chia seeds until combined.
- Place 2 ½ cups pumpkin puree in a bowl and add 3 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir to combine well. For a smoother preparation, blend with an immersion blender. Set aside ⅓ cup of the pumpkin puree.
- Mix half of the chia yogurt mixture with the pumpkin puree. Stir until the ingredients are combined. Divide among 4 glasses or jars.
- Top with the remaining yogurt chia mixture, dividing equally.
- Finish with the pumpkin puree as the last layer.
- Cover the glasses and refrigerate until the chia seeds are plumped and hydrated, about 1 hour. You can also chill them overnight.
- Sprinkle with ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans and cinnamon before serving the next day.
Tom says
Such a great idea and presentation