Mango Chia Oat Pudding
- 10 min prep
- 250 min
- Layer
- Serves 3
- 250 kcal
- 9.4 g protein
Layers of set chia-oat pudding and thick mango purée in a glass, made the night before. Wobbly, creamy, sweet from the mango alone.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (40 g) chia seeds
- ¼ cup (23 g) rolled oats
- 1½ cups (370 ml) toned milk
- ¼ cup (60 g) thick curd
- ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1½ cups (250 g) ripe mango, chopped, for purée
- ½ cup (80 g) ripe mango, diced, for topping
- 1 tbsp (8 g) pistachios, chopped
Method
- 1Blend the rolled oats with the milk, curd, cardamom and salt for 30 seconds until smooth. This breaks the oats down so the pudding sets evenly.
- 2Pour into a bowl and whisk in the chia seeds.
- 3Leave for 5 minutes, then whisk again firmly for 30 seconds to break up clumps. Repeat once more after another 5 minutes.
- 4Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until thick and spoonable.
- 5Blend the 250 g chopped mango into a smooth, thick purée. Chill it too if you have time.
- 6Stir the set pudding. In three glasses, spoon a layer of mango purée, then a layer of pudding, then more purée, finishing with pudding.
- 7Top with diced mango and chopped pistachios just before serving.
Notes from the Department
- The two extra whisks in the first ten minutes are what stop chia seeds clumping at the bottom.
- Use the ripest, least fibrous mango you can find for the purée; Alphonso or Banganapalli work well.
- If the pudding sets too thick, stir in a spoon or two of milk before layering.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 9.4 g
- Carbohydrate
- 35 g
- Fat
- 9.3 g
- Fibre
- 7.5 g
- Sugars
- 23 g
Why this works
Chia seeds swell into a soft gel when soaked, which is what sets a chia pudding without cooking or gelatin. On their own they can taste thin and seedy. Blending rolled oats into the milk first gives the pudding a creamier, more substantial body and makes it feel like a breakfast rather than a garnish. A spoon of curd adds a slight tang that sits well against the mango.
The mango goes in as a separate purée rather than being stirred through. That keeps two distinct textures in the glass, a wobbly set pudding and a smooth fruit layer, and it means the sweetness comes from the mango alone with no added sugar.
Swaps
Use oat milk or almond milk and coconut yoghurt to make it vegan. Swap cardamom for a little vanilla or cinnamon. Out of mango season, use frozen mango thawed, or a purée of papaya or chikoo. For a sweeter pudding, blend 2 dates with the milk. Use certified gluten-free oats if gluten is a concern.
Make-ahead and storage
This is built for meal prep. The pudding base keeps for 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge, and the mango purée for 2. Layer the glasses on the morning you serve them, or the night before for a grab-and-go jar. After three days chia pudding starts to turn sour, so make only what you will eat.
Questions people ask
- How long does chia oat pudding take to set?
- At least 4 hours in the fridge, and it is best overnight. After 2 hours it will be spoonable but still a little loose.
- Why is my chia pudding lumpy?
- The seeds clumped before they could absorb the milk. Whisk again 5 and 10 minutes after mixing, and the pudding will set evenly.
- Can I use quick oats?
- Yes. Use the same weight and blend them with the milk the same way. The texture will be a little softer.
- Can I add sugar or honey?
- You can stir in 1 to 2 tsp honey or jaggery syrup if your mango is not very sweet, though the jar is then no longer free of added sugar. Blending 2 soft dates into the milk sweetens it without that trade-off.
Inspired by Finding Time for Cooking. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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