It is a crisis that all of us vegan nerds face every morning… you roll out of bed and must immediately make a major decision that will have ripple effects throughout your day:
Chia pudding or green smoothie?
Struggle no more, dear readers, because I have the solution. This recipe combines the best of both classic hippie vegan breakfasts into one. It has the nutrient-dense benefits of a green smoothie, and the sweetness & creamy consistency of chia pudding. All in one bowl. It’s kind of like magic.
Strangely, this is not the first fluorescent green chia pudding I’ve made, but this one is totally different. While it does have a ton of leafy greens like a green smoothie, we’re also using dates and banana to make it much sweeter along with vanilla and a few oats for extra creaminess. In addition, this is an “instant” chia pudding where we’ll blend the chia seeds (rather than add them whole and wait for them to gelatinize overnight) so that you can enjoy the perfect consistency right out of the blender.
Makes 1 big serving
Ingredients:
- 2 cups kale (or other greens)
- 1 cup non dairy milk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 large dates
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
- 1 banana
- 1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
Step One
This one is really easy. In your blender, combine the kale, non-dairy milk, chia seeds, vanilla, lemon juice, pitted dates, rolled oats, banana (fresh or frozen), and some optional maca powder (for an energy boost). Blend until smooth.
Step Two
As mentioned, because we’re blending the chia seeds (and also adding a little rolled oats) our pudding will have the right consistency straight out of the blender. However, the chia seeds will gelatinize and thicken even more over time. If you can, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes for best results. However, because we’re dealing with blended fresh greens, it’s best served within an hour.
Hi Andrew, I tried blending my chia seeds in a smoothie before and the weirdest flavor came out – any idea why?
Hi Andie! Hmm, I’ve never experienced that. This might be different. It’s not just a green smoothie which chia seeds. It includes a lot of sweetness and different textures that tend to work better with chia seeds.
Haha “hippie vegan breakfast!” I’m not a huge fan of using bananas as they have a bigger environmental footprint than other fruits. Think avocado would work in place for a creamy consistency?
Haha, now if bananas aren’t eco-friendly enough, we’re taking the concept of “hippie vegan breakfast” to a whole new level! 😀 I think avocados might work fine, but the banana also adds some sweetness so you might want to add an extra date or two.
But really, I get what you’re saying. Until Elon Musk builds his solar-powered electric airplane that can haul bananas over here from Ecuador with zero emissions, yeah, avocados are a lot more sustainable. 😉
Bananas from Ecuador? Where are you guys? I thought bananas grew any old place, they pop up like weeds in back yards.
Hmm, in California all our bananas are imported from far away.
Wow! I am in NSW, Australia where our climate is similar to yours (ate bananas in LA and San Francisco last year – didn’t realise.) That is interesting.
This recipe’s a nice way to start the day! (I do let my chia seeds soften overnight before using them in anything. I love that beautiful bowl in the photo. Thanks for the recipe!
Andrew, this was a delight to eat just now. Mine came out a bit thin, yet I enjoyed it so much… almost like a cold sweet soup with almond croutons.
As for environmental impact… I’m in Canada and most things I eat have a huge environment impact… there is after all about 4 feet of snow in my yard. So whether its bananas from Ecuador or Avocados from California or Florida, I don’t think I could give up either because they don’t grow here.
In the summer though, we make sure to get lots on wild rice and the wonderful fruits and vegetables that grow here. My cousins have a Maple sugar bush, so the maple syrup is coming soon.
Very cool, Karen! I’m glad you liked it. If it’s thin, it should thicken slightly after sitting, as the chia seeds gelatinize. Or you can use a little less liquid next time.
That’s totally reasonable… I think food groups (i.e. more plants instead of animals) ultimately have a much bigger environmental impact than the type of plants or where they’re coming from.
My kids and I really liked this! I liked that it only had ingredients that I almost always have around. Hooray for another food my picky two year old likes. 🙂
Very cool, Danielle! I always love to hear about kids liking healthy food 🙂
Really great recipe! I actually just bought some maca and was looking for a way to start incorporating it. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Andrew! Do you think that if I made this in bulk and refrigerated it, would it last up to 2-3 days in the fridge?
(I really like this but it is time consuming to make every morning so I was wondering if I could make a lot on Sunday night and have breakfast made for the rest of the week?)
Hi Susan, ahh I’m not sure. I’d be concerned about leaving blended kale for that long, even if refrigerated. I’d give it a shot… maybe make a double batch, seal tightly, and see how it does on the second day. Good luck! 🙂
Hello, Do you by chance know the nutritional value breakdown of this recipe?
I have insulin issues but like your idea. Besides, I enjoy bitter-ish tastes. How would this smoothie taste if I just used kale, lemon juice, chia seeds and water? Have you tried that?
Well, that would probably taste like sour liquid kale, haha. It might not be bad, but not very exciting either 🙂
Might need peanut butter and some ginger…