I’ve already said here more than once how hard it is to spark people’s curiosity and get them to actually make recipes that have a “healthy” angle. Somehow, even though everyone asks for lighter recipes—ones with vegetables, fruit, and spelt flour—in the end, most people make rugelach or Nutella mousse.
And then came the date and cocoa balls I posted a few weeks ago, and within a short time they made it into the top ten most popular recipes on the site.
Can I say that I knew that would happen? No, no I can’t.
So many people I met complimented me on the way I “sold” them, saying that’s why so many people clicked—that they didn’t realize there were dates in them, just healthier chocolate balls.
And yes, after so many years in the field, I know how to present recipes that face barriers and resistance. I know how to help people understand that even if a recipe has a healthy twist, there’s something really good here—and it’s actually delicious.
But what happens next? Let’s say I managed to get you to click on the post—how do we move from curiosity to actually making it? Because now that you’re here, you know it’s dates and maple and understand that there’s no chocolate or butter.
This is the harder part, at least for me—explaining how good it actually tastes. Because if there’s one thing I really insist on, it’s that it has to taste good.
So how do I do that? Simple—I write from the heart. Talk about the flavors I tasted, about the benefits of the ingredients, present the dessert in a way that feels familiar (like chocolate balls), and mostly just hope that a few people will try it, realize it’s really delicious, and tell others.
And I’m telling you all this because the chia pudding in front of you has similar “barriers,” just like those date balls—possibly more.
We have chia here, an ingredient many still view with suspicion (remember when quinoa came on the scene and no one understood why anyone would eat it? Same idea). And instead of sugar, there’s real maple syrup (please, please keep a bottle at home—but real maple, not “maple-flavored.” Yes, I know it’s a bit expensive, and you know I don’t usually send you to buy pricey ingredients, but here there really isn’t a substitute besides real maple or maybe honey).
And yes, there’s coconut milk or almond/hazelnut/cashew milk—which sounds like something you’d never buy. But be a pal and buy it for me. I promise it will be worth it—for the taste and your stomach.
And fruit! There are so many amazing fruits to add. Green and golden kiwi, juicy melon, shiny tempting cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, grapes, watermelon. So many sweet fruits that do half the work when you add them to a dessert.
In short, I hope you’ll give this recipe a chance. And if my words didn’t convince you, maybe knowing that chia is one of the healthiest superfoods in the world will help get you into the kitchen.
And I haven’t even told you how easy chia pudding is to make. Really, really easy. You know what? I won’t go on with dramatic descriptions of “just mix and it’s ready”—I’ll just send you to make it.
And this time, I would really, really love to see photos of your chia pudding. You can send them to me on the Krutit Facebook page or on Instagram.
