This week’s healthy, light dessert recipe is for green matcha pudding! It’s slightly sweet with subtle flavors of almond and matcha blended together to give it a really unique taste. It’s also a chia seed pudding, making it rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and protein. I’m sure you’ve heard of the importance of Omega’s already, but in case you haven’t I’ll be going over their health benefits throughout the post.
All in all, this matcha pudding is actually one of my favorite desserts I’ve made in awhile. I think it’s because I already love green tea, so why wouldn’t I love green tea pudding? Plus I know that I already love chia seed pudding. If you haven’t had it before, chia seed pudding is really fun to eat! Have you ever had boba, or bubble tea before? Those fancy tea drinks with the tapioca pearls at the bottom? I think chia seed pudding is kind of like that, but on a smaller scale. The chia seeds give a really fun texture to eat, like eating mini pearls.
The other reason I love this recipe is because of the almond extract and matcha combination. For some reason, it’s a total winner in my book. I had never thought to combine those two flavors before, but I think they compliment each other really well.
In any case, let’s bring on the information of why this recipe is not only tasty, but good for you too!
The Health Benefits of Matcha Pudding
So let’s back up for a second. What is matcha anyway?
Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves. You’ve probably heard of the health benefits of green tea before, the main one being antioxidants. Green tea’s shining star antioxidant is one called polyphenols (catechins).
Matcha, An Antioxidant Powerhouse
The most active catechins in green tea are also known by the name epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). I know this information may be getting too deep for some of you, but here’s where the information gets good: EGCG is so powerful an antioxidant that it’s been show to help in slowing down the aging process. Now that’s attention grabbing!
Antioxidants in general are great at neutralizing free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals do all kinds of harm to us, such as promoting cancer growth and other diseases, they damage our cells, and are known for aging the body in various ways. So the more antioxidants we take in, the more free radicals we can reduce in our bodies, thus we slow down the aging process.
What else can this matcha pudding stuff do for me?
Green tea has also been shown to help lower cholesterol and help regulate blood pressure. This in turn can help lower our risk for cardiovascular disease, which is something that should be on everybody’s radar when it comes to their health.
So clearly green tea and matcha have many amazing health benefits.
So for all of those things I listed above, I think this matcha pudding recipe is a superfood dessert for more reasons than one! If you’re getting excited, and ready to try this green pudding out feel free to skip down below to the recipe.
Also, for reference I purchased my small bag of matcha powder on Amazon for a good price. Some stores carry it, but some don’t. So purchasing online may be your best bet. If you live near a local Asian supermarket though, lucky you! I would check their place out first. I always try to buy from local stores in my area if I can, but in some cases, shopping online is all that’s available.
Back to the post though. If you’re excited about the recipe by now, but you’re also loving all this great health info; keep reading to learn more about chia seeds and those heart healthy Omega’s next!
Matcha Pudding + Chia Seed Pudding = Match Made In Heaven
So we’ve already talked about the amazing health benefits of green tea and matcha. Now let’s talk about the chia side of this green pudding dessert.
Omega-3’s are unique because they’re essential. What that means is, our bodies can’t produce this nutrient on its own. Some nutrients are bodies are capable of producing by the various other nutrients we take in. The ones that it can’t though, get labeled as “essential.”
They provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, healthy function in our artery walls, and can reduce inflammation. The reason all of that is important is because it can help protect us against our nation’s number one killer: heart disease.
Increased consumption of omega-3s has been studied to decrease the rate of death by cardiac events and possibly strokes. In addition, omega-3s have been associated with reducing triglycerides and blood pressure – both of which are also markers of overall heart health.
So when people think Omega-3’s, healthy hearts is what comes to mind.
So chia seed pudding is supposed to make my heart healthy?
In short – yes! Chia seeds are an excellent source of heart healthy Omegas. In fact, omega-3s make up about half of the total content of chia seeds.
You may have heard before that fish oil is “heart healthy” because of it’s Omega content as well, but when put to the test chia seeds and flax seeds were proven to be a superior source of Omega 3 fatty acids over their marine counterparts. Fish oil and fish in general may be a “good” source of Omega-3’s, but they’re also a “good” source of heavy metals, mercury, and other poisonous compounds that are currently polluting the ocean. There’s a reason those most vulnerable in our society are advised against eating seafood.
Chia seeds and flax don’t come with these heavy metal risks. So if you need to get your Omega’s in somehow, wouldn’t it be better to get them from a source with the least amount of contamination? PLUS, chia seeds are also rich in protein and fiber! Just 2 tablespoons of chia seeds provides 11 grams of fiber. So having a serving of chia seed pudding or adding chia seeds to your smoothies is a great way to boost your fiber for the day on top of everything else!
Green Matcha Pudding With Chia Seeds
Phew, that was a lot of information. But sometimes I just can’t help myself. I really enjoy researching nutrition, trying to live a healthy life, and I also really enjoy inspiring others to live their healthiest lives.
Hopefully by now I’ve clearly outlined why matcha pudding is great for you nutritionally. My blog is all about healthy living, of which food is a large component. That’s why I try to go into the health benefits of my recipes with each one that I make!
If you’re tired of me yapping away about health though, I don’t blame you. Let’s get on with the actual matcha pudding recipe then, hm? Alright, let’s go!
Matcha Pudding Instructions
Ok, let me make one more health pitch before diving into the recipe… Forgive me! So I classify this dessert as sugar free because the only sweetener in it is found naturally from fruit. I use dates in almost all of my dessert recipes as my go-to sweetener. I do it for the fiber, and if you’re curious to learn more about this reasoning I highly recommend Dr. Michael Gregor’s video on the healthiest sweetener!
I just wanted to get that out of the way because to many, dessert + healthy just don’t mix. I disagree!
Green Tea Matcha Pudding in 3 Easy Steps
So, step 1 is to blend the dates and plant milk in a blender on high until the liquid is smooth. It will take anywhere from 10-20 seconds for all of the dates to be thoroughly pulverized. This provides us a nice base for the pudding.
As for what plant milk to use, any will do. I personally like soy milk and oat milk the best, but there are benefits to all of them. Rice milk and coconut milk are the thinnest (if you like that), while almond and cashew are the thickest. Oat milk is a pretty good middle-of-the-road one. I recently started making my own homemade oat milk recipe, and I have to say I think it’s my favorite now!
Really, whatever your favorite non dairy milk is will do!
Back to the steps though. Next, add the matcha powder to the blender, almond extract, and vanilla extract. This time, blend on low for only a few seconds, basically so those final add-ins are incorporated into the liquid mix. Below I have a photo of the before and after – white liquid to green!
I think it’s so fun that the pudding turns out green in the end. White’s ok too I guess, but if you were making a St. Patrick’s day themed dessert, or making this for a dinner party, the green color just gives it that extra pizzazz, you know?
I digress. Next, pour the liquid into a large container and then add the chia seeds. Mix everything together with a spoon for a few seconds, making sure all the chia seeds are in the liquid and not on the sides of the container.
Finally, cover the container and put it in the refrigerator overnight. This is the key step when it comes to making chia seed pudding: patience. It will take a few hours for the chia seeds to start to “gel” with the liquid, and give the dish that thick pudding-like consistency (and classic mini-pearl texture). The longer the better, so I usually refrigerate overnight. Your matcha pudding will be ready in the morning!
Enjoy Matcha Pudding All Week Long
The next day your green pudding should be ready to eat. You can eat it plain, add berries on top, other fresh fruit, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, or anything else you like!
I decided to layer my chia seed pudding cups with equal amounts of SO Delicious Coconut Whip.
It’s dairy free, and soooo good! I bought this as a special occasion treat (I don’t normally have this stuff around). It’s actually very low sugar, so I like it for that reason, but I still don’t buy it all the time. This matcha pudding recipe is perfectly tasty without it in any case though, so no worries there!
Chia seed pudding texture
I talked about the texture of this pudding up above briefly, but I wanted to mention a few more things about it. If you’ve never had chia seed pudding before, it can be a bit…strange at first. When I described it as being similar to bubble tea, that’s honestly the best I can do! The mini-pearls kind of roll around in your mouth, and have a fun gummy, feeling to them. It’s honestly hard to describe, haha.
It’s not a smooth pudding, but I don’t think that really effects it’s flavor or taste at all. If anything, I think that just makes this matcha pudding recipe even more fun to eat because it’s different!
If you have kids, I think making chia seed pudding would be a really fun thing to try with them! The unique texture may be a big hit with them. Plus you’ll be giving them a healthy snack that’s full of all those great benefits I described in matcha powder and chia seeds.
Green Tea Pudding For All
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this recipe post, and maybe learned a little bit about the health benefits of matcha and chia seeds along the way. I think the combination of matcha and almond extract give this dessert a really unique and tasty flavor, so I’m happy those two ingredients worked so well together. It’s slightly nutty, yet also very light tasting because of the green tea flavor. Both of them were subtle and not too overpowering, so I think it was a really good combination.
Health benefits aside, if the things we’re making aren’t yummy enough, chances are we won’t eat it again. So when you come across a recipe that’s both healthy AND tasty, I think that makes it an obvious winner in my book! That’s my goal with all my recipes, and I hope if you try them you feel the same way too.
Anyways, as always thank you for reading. Now go forth and start making some crazy green pudding concoctions in your kitchen!
Also, if you’re interested in any more of my dessert recipes, or chia seed pudding recipes, you can check them out at those links!
Green Matcha Pudding With Chia Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 4 cups unsweetened plant milk
- 4-5 dates
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
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Blend the dates and plant milk in a blender on high until it is smooth
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Add the matcha powder, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the blender and blend/mix on low for a few seconds
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Pour the liquid mix into a large container and mix in the chia seeds
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Cover and refrigerate overnight
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Serve with toppings such as fresh fruit, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, SO Delicious Whip, etc.*
Notes
* To make a chia seed pudding cup like what is pictured, layer a few spoonfuls of the chia seed pudding in a cup, then add a layer of SO Delicious coconut whip, and top it with another layer of chia seed pudding to finish it off.
