This is quite simply my new favourite snack…just a pity I discovered it during the last few weeks of summer since it is a snack of the ice cream and soft serve variety! Oh well, I will still eat it in winter too, maybe simply as a chilled desert as it really is that versatile. This is very similar in principle to the 'chia puddings' seen all over blog land, but for some reason I just couldn't make the texture of those chia puddings work for me...however change things up and add some yoghurt and I love it, crazy how such a small change can make such a big difference!

banana and raspberry soft serve bowls

I’ll stop going on in a moment and cut to the chase, but this really one of the best breakfast, dessert and post work-out power snack concoctions that I have chanced upon in a while.

The chia seeds are the key ingredient in this recipe with the added bonus of their amazing hydrating qualities (perfect for summer or post workout).  This recipes simply calls for chilling the mixture until it begins to freeze for a soft-serve or just freeze for longer for an ice cream. Note that without the addition of refined sugars and dairy fats the ice-cream will freeze harder than regular ice creams but I have found that a 30 minute thaw in the fridge prior to serving thaws the ice cream just enough for serving up, it can then simply go back in the freezer if need be.

The chilled chia soft serve is best made in quantities to eat on the same day (unless you want to fully freeze into an ice cream). You could alternatively make a larger batch and keep in the fridge for more of a chia pudding without the’just frozen’ texture.

This is another simple recipe base where you can easily play around with topping until your hearts content. I particularly like the banana soft serve with a sprinkle of cacoa nibs- as pictured in my ice cream balls, or how about topping with,

granola or a crumbled smoosh bar or simply go chia crazy and add a dollop of chia jam!

Recipe: Chia soft serve dessert and ice cream

Serves 1

Ingredients

½ cup yoghurt of choice (I used soy)

2 tbs chia seeds (plus extra to sprinkle serving if desired)

¼ cup fruit puree (i.e apple, strawberry, raspberry or banana puree) note: banana is my favourite and makes the dessert super creamy.

Spices to complement the fruit.e.g a large pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Extra fruit, chocolate, granola etc for optional topping

Note: I used white chia seeds for a light coloured mixture but dark would be fine too.

Method

Mash/blend all ingredients together to achieve a smooth consistency.

Chilled pudding: Store in fridge of min. 30 mins. before serving to thicken up.

Soft-serve: Store in the freezer for a 2-3 hours to create a soft-serve dessert.

Ice cream : Freeze for longer to make an ice cream.

chia banana ice cream with coconut flakes and cacoa nibs to serve

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.