Cottage Cheese Chia Pudding

Welcome to your new weekly grab-and-go routine! This chia pudding is simple to stir collectively, made with actual components, and provides you one thing contemporary and engaging to seize from the fridge everytime you want it: Whether or not you take pleasure in it very first thing within the morning or as a day snack, it’s the sort of recipe that helps you are feeling nourished and prepared for regardless of the day brings.

Why My Recipe

• Cottage cheese provides a naturally excessive protein increase to each serving.
• Infinite topping choices so it by no means will get boring.
• Simple to prep forward for fast breakfasts or snacks all week.

What makes this chia pudding particular is the cottage cheese. For me, it’s about having the protein to gas your muscle mass (your mind being the most important one!) and a bit of fats to present you vitality to gas the day. From there, you’ll be able to take it in any path you need. Pile on contemporary berries, sprinkle in nuts, or change it up each week so it by no means feels repetitive. It’s straightforward, versatile, and one thing you’ll truly look ahead to consuming. We’re sort of obsessed!

Ingredient Notes

• Cottage Cheese: Use full-fat, low-fat, or fat-free primarily based in your choice. For those who want a smoother texture, mix it earlier than mixing. Small curd blends extra simply than massive curd. I personally just like the chunk and nourishment of the full-fat complete curd.
• Milk Of Alternative: Dairy milk works nice, however almond, coconut, soy, or oat milk can all be utilized in the identical quantity. If utilizing canned coconut milk, be certain it’s properly stirred earlier than measuring.
• Agave Syrup: Gives a clean sweetness. You possibly can substitute with the identical quantity of honey or maple syrup.
• Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract provides one of the best taste.
• Salt: Only a small pinch enhances the general taste.
• Chia Seeds: Make sure that to make use of complete chia seeds, not floor. You possibly can often discover them close to the oats, well being meals part, or baking aisle.
• Contemporary Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries all work. Use about 1/3 cup per serving. Contemporary is greatest right here. Frozen berries can be utilized, however thaw and drain first to keep away from additional liquid.
• Chopped Walnuts: I really like the crunch these add, plus they are surely probably the most nourishing of the nuts. Pecans or sliced almonds can be utilized as properly.

Taste Variations

Top-of-the-line components about this recipe is how straightforward it’s to alter it up so it by no means will get previous or boring. We’ve been consuming this in our family every single day for months and haven’t gotten bored but! Use what you could have, what’s in season, or no matter sounds good that week.

Tropical Vibes: Diced mango with a sprinkle of shredded coconut is all the time a favourite. You possibly can swap the mango for diced pineapple too for a similar tropical vibes.

Blueberry Pomegranate: Blueberries and pomegranate arils are a traditional combo for a motive. End with sliced almonds or chopped walnuts for crunch. The crunch is considered one of my favourite components!

Apple Pecan: Diced apples with chopped pecans are so good, particularly while you need one thing a bit of totally different. If you’re prepping forward, soak the diced apples in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice for about 3 to five minutes. Drain and pat dry earlier than including so they don’t brown within the fridge.

Banana Lovers: Bananas are nice right here, however solely add them contemporary proper earlier than serving. They brown rapidly, so they aren’t excellent for jars that may sit for a number of days. Bananas go properly with both pecans or walnuts.

Different Concepts: You can too drizzle nut butter on high, swirl in a spoonful of jam, or add mini chocolate chips if you wish to preserve issues attention-grabbing.

Prep Forward for the Week

If you’re attempting to make mornings simpler, that is such a easy approach to do it. They’re nice for breakfast or for a high-protein snack.

Divide the combination into 12-ounce jars. That’s my private favourite dimension as a result of it leaves sufficient room for toppings with out overflowing. Ten-ounce jars additionally work if you need a barely smaller portion.

Fill every jar about three-quarters full. Add fruit instantly on high of the pudding, then add nuts on the very high. Conserving the nuts above the fruit helps them keep crunchy as an alternative of getting tender.

They are going to final roughly 4 days within the fridge. I often make a batch on Sunday to get us by the week. In actuality, we like them a lot that I typically make one other batch midweek so we’ve got them for the weekend too.

That is a type of small habits that makes an enormous distinction. When one thing good is already ready within the fridge, you might be more likely to seize it.

Chunky or Clean

This one is completely as much as you. For those who like a bit of texture, simply whisk all the pieces collectively and go away the cottage cheese as is. You will notice small curds all through and that’s completely high-quality.

For those who want it completely clean, mix the cottage cheese, milk, agave, vanilla, and salt first. Then stir within the chia seeds. It turns right into a extra traditional pudding texture as soon as it chills.

Each variations thicken the identical method within the fridge, so you actually can’t mess this up.

Adjusting Thickness

Chia pudding can range barely relying in your milk and the chia seeds you employ.

If it feels too thick after chilling, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk till it reaches the consistency you want.

If it feels too skinny, stir in 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and let it sit within the fridge for an additional half-hour.