Banana Cardamom Chia Pudding with Homemade Coconut Milk
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Makes: 4 adult portions 8-10 baby portions
 
Making your own coconut milk is not necessary, and often, I do pour it from the carton. However, Reeve is so little — when possible, I like to know exactly what's going into her body, and coconut milk is an easy one to pull off. Use whichever works for you, or your favorite milk. I've mentioned this here, but I will say it again: many people do it, but for me, making alternative milks with a cheesecloth is not an enjoyable process. With a nut milk bag? It's a snap.

This one was made with black seeds, but white work too (and to some, might be more desirable, color-wise).

This pudding freezes beautifully. There are notes within the recipe, but I think it's worth noting, in case you, or your child, cannot eat this much in one sitting.

Lastly, and this is noted, below, as well: sweetener. I use ripe bananas and don't use anything else. However, if your bananas aren't ripe enough, or you like things sweeter, add a bit of maple syrup, honey or coconut nectar.
What you'll need
  • Homemade Coconut Milk
  • 4 cups hot water
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • pinch kosher salt
  • Banana Cardamom Chia Pudding
  • 2 large ripe bananas
  • 1¼ cups coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • big pinch kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons chia seeds
How you'll make it
  1. For the Coconut Milk
  2. Pour water into high powered blender. Add coconut. Let sit for a minute or two to soften. With lid on the blender, blend 4 minutes. Pour through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth (see note) in to a pitcher. Let drain through. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the bag or cheesecloth to extract all the liquid into the pitcher. Discard coconut pulp. Let milk cool completely before storing in the fridge, for up to 4 days.
  3. For the Banana Cardamom Chia Pudding
  4. In large bowl, mash bananas well. Little pieces are OK, but you want to create a mostly mashed situation. (Sometimes your clean hands are the best tool for this). Whisk the bananas with coconut milk, vanilla extract, cardamom and salt. (I prefer to use a fork, because I find that the banana pieces get trapped in a whisk.)
  5. Taste it. For me, if the bananas are ripe enough, I don't need to add any sweetener. But, if you do, you can add a couple teaspoons of coconut nectar, maple syrup or honey (for children over one). Also, this is a good time to adjust the cardamom and salt levels, as well, if necessary. Keep in mind: you don't want it to be salty, but when you hit the salt sweet spot, every other flavor pops, too.
  6. Sprinkle the chia sees over the liquid mixture. Using the fork, whisk vigorously to mix, making sure to scrape the bottom and cover any stubborn seeds on top. Let sit 10 minutes. Whisk vigorously again, again making sure to scrape the bottom. Cover bowl; chill in fridge at least a couple hours, but preferably overnight. Before serving, stir mixture again.
  7. Eat plain, or top with sliced bananas, shredded coconut and toasted slivered almonds.
  8. To freeze: divide thickened chia pudding into meal sized portions (either for a baby in an ice cube tray, or for you in a larger vessel). Freeze 4 hours, or until completely frozen. Transfer to a freezer bag; label with the date three months from today. To eat: thaw overnight.
How to plan ahead
• The coconut milk can be made a couple days ahead of time, but keep in mind that homemade coconut milk is more perishable and should be consumed within four days, so make sure to adjust everything else accordingly.
• The chia pudding can be made and chilled for up to three days. Alternatively, the pudding can be frozen for up to three months.
Recipe by at https://www.lifeaswecookit.com/banana-cardamom-chia-pudding-with-homemade-coconut-milk/