How to prepare chia seeds

In the last few years chia seeds have become increasingly popular and are now known as the small miracle seeds. Unfortunately, the preparation of chia seeds is not always easy if you don’t pay attention to a few little things. In this blog post we want to show you what you should keep in mind when preparing chia seeds and chia pudding. Furthermore, we want to introduce you to six different recipes with chia seeds.

Preparation of chia seeds – What you should keep in mind

The special thing about the preparation of chia seeds is that they swell enormously when they are mixed with liquid. If you soak chia seeds in milk or water, the small grains will become approximately ten times bigger in their size. As a rule of thumb, you should take about five times as much liquid as chia seeds.

To make your own chia pudding, mix one part of chia seeds with 5 parts of water. Then let the chia seeds swell in the liquid for at least 10 minutes. It is best to keep your chia pudding in the refrigerator overnight. You can even store it in the fridge for up to one week. To prepare a delicious breakfast, you can then stir the chia pudding into your porridge, smoothie or yoghurt.

The chia-gel keeps you satiated for a long time due to the fibre it contains. Nevertheless, you should not have chia seeds for every meal, as the high amount of fibre that is contained can lead to constipation and flatulence.

Simple basic recipe for your chia pudding

As already mentioned, you should take about five parts of liquid for one part of chia seeds. As a rule of thumb for preparing your chia pudding you can also say that for 4-5 tablespoons of the small grains you take about half a litre of water. Leave the mixture to swell for at least an hour and your perfect chia pudding is ready. The consistency of the chia seeds then is a bit gel-like, but they taste incredibly delicious. Chia pudding is also a great option that can be mixed into your overnight oats.

4 important tips for preparing chia seeds

Stir the chia seeds well

When preparing your chia pudding it is important that you stir the seeds with the liquid well in the first 20 seconds, otherwise the seeds will quickly stick together.

Let your chia pudding soak for at least one hour

In order for your seeds to swell up properly, you should give your chia pudding at least one hour so that the seeds can absorb the liquid.

Spice chia seeds enough

Since chia seeds lose their slightly nutty taste when swollen, you should season your chia pudding with different spices and fruits.

Drink enough – a must for chia seeds

No matter whether you eat your chia seeds raw or as a pudding, you should always pay attention to drinking enough because the small seeds bind liquid very well. Therefore, chia seeds also withdraw fluid from our body and intestines and if you drink too little, it can lead to digestive problems and constipation. For this reason, you should drink an extra amount of water, if you eat chia seeds.

Chia seeds as a substitute for eggs

In one of our last articles we already introduced you to 9 different plant-based substitutes for animal products. Chia seed gel can for example be used as an egg substitute. For this, mix one tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let the mixture swell for about 10 to 15 minutes. You can then use the chia gel instead of the eggs in various recipes.

Your daily dose of chia seeds

Even though chia seeds are very healthy due to the fiber they contain, you should not have more than 15-30 g of chia seeds per day (no more than 2 tablespoons). If one consumes more than the recommended amount of chia seeds, people with more sensitive stomachs could suffer from various complaints such as flatulence, bloating, stomach pain or thin stool.

Chia seed recipes for beginners: How to make the perfect chia pudding

For a basic chia pudding you don’t really need that much. You will need chia seeds and some type of liquid. So that your breakfast with chia seeds doesn’t get boring, we have created a tasty layered breakfast with fruit and granola for you.

Print Recipe

5 from 100 votes

Layered breakfast with Chia Pudding, Kiwi & Orange-Acerola granola

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp Chia seeds
• 250 ml Milk or plant-based drink
• 2 tsp Vanilla sugar
• 2 Kiwis
• VERIVAL Orange-Acerola Granola

Instructions

• Mix the Chia seeds with milk and vanilla sugar and let it soak over night.
• Slice the kiwis and add on top of chia pudding.
• Put some Orange-Acerola Granola on top.

Especially now in the colder season, tangerines and oranges are a delicious and seasonal topping for your breakfast. With the slightly sour note of citrus fruits, you can give your chia pudding a fruity touch.

Print Recipe

5 from 148 votes

Chia Pudding with Blood Orange

Ingredients

• 10 g Verival Chia Seeds
• 100 ml Coconut Rice Drink (Almond Drink etc.)
• 1 blood orange
• 1 tangerine
• 1 tbsp grated coconut
• 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped

Instructions

• Soak Chia Seeds in Coconut Rice Drink overnight. Stir well before putting it in the fridge.
• Peel the citrus fruits and divide them in a few individual slices.
• In the morning, take Chia Pudding out of the fridge and top with blood orange and tangerine wedges.
• Finish by adding a touch of grated coconut and pistachios and voilà.

Like chia seeds, oats are a real superfood. There is nothing better than to get started with this power-duo in the morning. That’s why we’ve put together a delicious breakfast pudding with chia seeds and oats for you.

Print Recipe

5 from 195 votes

Breakfast pudding with oats and chia

Ingredients

• 150 g Verival oat flakes
• 40 g chia seeds
• 250 ml coconut soy milk (or soy milk, almond milk etc.)
• 1 banana
• your favourite seasonal fruit
• Honey, agave syrup or maple syrup for sweetening

Instructions

• Mix the oat flakes with the chia seeds and milk in a bowl.
• Mash a relatively ripe banana with a fork and stir into the mixture.
• Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for several hours or overnight – during this time the seeds form a pudding like gel.
• In the morning, cut some fruit (e.g. nectarines, apples, pears etc.) into pieces and stir into the pudding. Sweeten with honey, agave syrup or maple syrup if necessary.

Chia seeds prepared a little differently

If you are already familiar with chia pudding or don’t really like the chia gel you could also try the next three breakfast combinations like the Verival breakfast pizza with chia seeds.

Print Recipe

5 from 151 votes

Verival Breakfast Pizza

Our breakfast pizza with the delicious and gluten free Verival Cranberry-Cherry Muesli is not only super easy to make, but is also perfectly for sharing – for example at a breakfast party 😉

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: Breakfast pizza, Sweet pizza

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For the base

• 200 g Verival Cranberry-Cherry Muesli
• 1 tbsp crushed linseed
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 6 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp Verival Agave Syrup (or Verival Maple Syrup)
• 2 ripe, mashed bananas
• 1 dash of cinnamon

For the sauce

• 250 g yoghurt (or vegan alternative)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Verival Agave Syrup (or Verival Maple Syrup)
• 1 dash of ground Bourbon vanilla

For the topping

• 200 g fresh fruit

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix crushed linseed and chia seeds with water and leave to soak for 5 minutes.
• Mix Verival Cranberry-Cherry Muesli with linseed and chia seeds, agave syrup, the mashed bananas and cinnamon and knead into a dough.
• Prepare a baking tray with baking paper. Roll out the dough in a round layer 1 cm thick. For a perfectly round disc, simply use a cake pan.  eine perfekt runde Scheibe einfach eine Springform verwenden. Bake for about 15-20 minutes to a golden brown pastry colour.
• In the meantime, prepare the pizza toppings. For the “sauce”, mix yoghurt with lemon juice and agave syrup as well as some ground Bourbon vanilla. Wash the fruit and cut it up.
• Let the baked pizza base cool down. Then coat it with the yoghurt mix and add the fresh fruit.

You can also find the little seeds in our delicious Verival Strawberry-Chia Porridge. You can not only enjoy the porridge as a delicious warm breakfast, but it can also be used as a wonderful base for various recipes. Our favourites are the sweet low carb breakfast-pizza and the porridge berry slices.

Print Recipe

5 from 160 votes

Sweet low carb breakfast-pizza

Sweet low carb breakfast pizza with Verival Strawberry-Chia Porridge, Good Morning Organic Seed Mix and Grain Free Sport Muesli.

Ingredients

Dough:

• 30 g Verival Strawberry-Chia Porridge (optional: oat flakes)
• 30 g Verival Seed Mix (optional: 20g linseeds + 10g chia seeds)
• 30 g coconut oil or butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp psyllium

Topping:

• 200 g greek yoghurt (optional: 100g curd + 100g plain oghurt)
• 200 g berries of your choise
• 30 g Verival Sport Muesli

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 250° bottom heat? and put in your pizzastone? Melt the coconut oil or butter in the oven.
• Put the Strawberry Chia Porridge and seed mix in a bowl and put the melted coconut oil or butter over it. Mix it and let it rest for 2-3 minutes.
• Next add the eggs, mix everything and fold in the psyllium.
• Put baking paper on a pizza shovel and grease it/Grease a baking paper. Put the thin layer of dough on it. Bake the pizza crust for 15 minutes at 230° bottom heat, until the dough is golden brown and crispy.
• Let the dough cool completely. Meanwhile wash the berries and cut them in pieces. When the dough is ready, put the yoghurt, berries and muesli on top.

Print Recipe

5 from 142 votes

Porridge Berry Slices

Delicious Porridge Berry Slices with our Verival Strawberry Chia-Porridge and our Verival Heritage Grains Muesli with Berries. Perfect for summer!

Cook Time30 mins

Servings: 9 (1 baking tray 25×25 cm)

Ingredients

Base:

• 2 bananas
• 250 g Verival Strawberry Chia Porridge
• 100 g oats
• 2 tbsp linseeds
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Filling:

• 400 g fresh berries
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 100 g dates

Topping:

• 200 g Verival Heritage Grains Muesli with Berries
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 100 g almonds
• 100 g walnuts
• 3-4 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

• Smash the bananas with a fork. Mix them with the porridge mixture, oat flakes, linseeds, coconut oil, maple syrup and cinnamon.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper, add the mixture and spread it smoothly with a spoon.
• Pre-bake the mix at 180°C for 10 minutes.
• For the filling, mix the berries with maple syrup, chopped dates and cinnamon. Spread the berry filling on the base.
• For the topping, mix the muesli with coconut oil, chopped nuts and maple syrup to a crumbled mass and put it over the berries.
• Bake it for another 20 minutes at 170°C until done, remove from oven, let cool completely and cut into pieces.
• Serve with fresh berries.

If you would like to learn more about the small seeds and their effects on our body, you can have a look at this article.

You can find more tasty and healthy recipes with chia seeds and superfood oats on our Verival Blog.

Alexandra Wiesinger

Gesunde Ernährung spielt für mich sowohl persönlich als auch in meinem beruflichen Kontext eine große Rolle. Deswegen probiere ich gerne neue Rezepte aus und teile hier mit euch meine Tipps für einen gesunden Lebensstil und leckeres nahrhaftes Frühstück.   Dabei ist es mir besonders wichtig einen klaren Überblick über verschiedene Ernährungsthemen zu geben und euch alltagstaugliche Tipps mit an die Hand zu geben.   Mein liebstes Verival Produkt: das Himbeer-Kakao Sport Porridge mit Haferkleie. Zu meinem Lieblingsprodukt

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