A delicious breakfast choice, this spiced apple chia pudding dish is hard to resist. Instead of soaking chia seeds in milk, steep them with cinnamon and cardamom. The outcome has a beautiful spicy warmth from this easy step.
The chia pudding lasts a whole work week in the fridge, whether you store it in jars for on-the-go breakfasts or in a dish for leisurely mornings. Finish by adding your favorite fruit before serving. We recommend apples or figs, but berries are delicious.
– 3 cups dairy or unsweetened nondairy milk – 1 Tbsp. green cardamom pods, lightly crushed – 3 4-in. cinnamon sticks – 1 cup plain whole-milk strained (Greek-style) yogurt – 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, plus more for serving (optional) – 2 Tbsp. natural creamy nut butter (such as almond or peanut) – 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract – 1 tsp. orange zest (from 1 orange) – 3/4 cup black chia seed – Chopped apples or quartered fresh figs, sliced toasted almonds, and ground cinnamon, for topping
Heat milk, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan on medium. Leave heat off and steep for 20 minutes.
Smoothly mix yogurt, maple syrup, nut butter, vanilla, and orange zest in a large bowl. Whisk yogurt combination until smooth after straining milk mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Mix chia seeds. Set aside for 15 minutes, whisking regularly to break up chia seed clumps, until mixture thickens.
Put mixture in 6 8-ounce jars. Wait 4–5 days to thicken under cover in the fridge.