I make coconut yogurt and chia pudding both on a regular basis, but it wasn’t until recently that I decided to try mixing the two – and BAM – I discovered a new incredibly delicious, creamy recipe. With a few toppings, this combo makes for a complete, balanced, filling and easy breakfast.
Plus, adding coconut yogurt means you get added probiotics and healthy fats, making it an even more nutritious and gut-friendly recipe.
This chia pudding parfait is nourishing, easy to make, versatile (you can adapt recipe adding different fruits/ jams/ toppings), and can be prepared ahead of time to enjoy as a quick grab-n-go breakfast.
It’s packed with quality protein, healthy fat and lots of valuable micronutrients, to keep you full, energized and well-fed for a busy day ahead!
For this specific recipe I used a homemade papaya jam, as papaya is a year-round local fruit where I live, that is incredibly healthy and amazing for your gut/digestion, skin and more. Papaya is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and packed with antioxidants, fiber and folic acid.
Together with the gut-friendly probiotics from the Coconut Yogurt, and the omega-3’s, protein, fiber, iron and magnesium from Chia Seeds, this Papaya-Coconut Chia-Pudding makes for an extremely nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest, metabolism-boosting and filling breakfast. (This will keep you full more than any cereal, breakfast bar, oatmeal and more than most smoothies).
This recipe is now one of my favorite quick-and-easy breakfasts, which I enjoy together with a green juice and/or matcha latte.
Coconut Yogurt Chia Pudding Parfait with Papaya Jam
Ingredients (serves 2):
¼ cup chia seeds
¾ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use my homemade vanilla almond milk) + ¼ cup filtered water
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (can also use raw honey, a few drops of stevia, or skip sweetener all together)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
6-8 oz (about ¾ cup) unsweetened coconut yogurt (preferably homemade)
Fruit Jam:
3 cups chopped papaya (OR substitute for any other fruit of your liking, like pitaya, strawberries or raspberries)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, more or less to taste
½ teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Optional Additional Toppings: Coconut flakes, Hemp Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds and/or Goji Berries
Instructions:
Prepare your chia pudding the night before. In a large and tall mason jar (or other glass bowl/container with a top), add the chia seeds, water, almond milk, cinnamon and pinch of sea salt. Stir vigorously (for 1-2 minutes) until chia seeds absorb liquid. Add the coconut yogurt and maple syrup, and keep stirring a few seconds until chia is evenly dispersed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
For the fruit jam: Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the chopped fruit, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup. I usually add a tiny splash of boiling water, too (about 1 tbsp). Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10–15 minutes or until the fruit has broken down, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and use a fork or back of a spoon to roughly mash any remaining large pieces of fruit. Allow to cool. If done the night before, refrigerate in a sealed glass container.
To create the “parfait” in the morning: Pour ½ of the chia pudding mixture into a small cup or mason jar. Add a thick layer of the papaya jam. Add remaining chia pudding, then top off with jam plus additional toppings of your liking such as hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and shredded coconut. This serves 2.