Creamy Persimmon Pudding

It's the chia seeds that set this pudding, thickening the plant milk into a silky texture close to a custard, once they've had time to soak up all the liquid. Ripe persimmon, blended in afterwards, adds natural sweetness as well as an orange colour that spreads evenly throughout rather than staying on the surface as mere decoration. A pinch of salt and a little vanilla round out the flavour instead of leaving it uniformly sweet, and a light dusting of cinnamon on top adds a warm, spiced note, with no cooking involved at all. The whole thing is made without going near a saucepan: just soak the chia, blend for a few minutes, then spoon into individual bowls. Coconut milk gives the pudding a particularly rich, dense body, though any plant milk will thicken the same way once the chia has done its work. Designed for two people, this dessert is closer to a custard than a classic breakfast pudding, and the whole thing is ready in well under an hour from start to finish.

Ingredients

• 500 ml plant milk (coconut milk works particularly well)
• 2 ripe persimmons, peeled, stemmed and cut into pieces
• 4 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch pink Himalayan salt
• 1 dash ground cinnamon

Method

1. Mix the chia seeds and plant milk in a bowl, stirring occasionally until the liquid is fully absorbed.
2. Pour the mixture into a high-speed blender.
3. Add the vanilla, salt and persimmon pieces.
4. Blend until smooth, divide between bowls, dust with cinnamon and serve.

Tip

Stir the chia and plant milk a few times while soaking rather than leaving them completely still — this stops the seeds clumping into a dense layer at the bottom and lets the pudding thicken evenly all the way through. For a smoother, less grainy pudding, blend the soaked chia mixture briefly before adding the persimmon.

FAQ: your questions about persimmon chia seed pudding