Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding (Vegan & Gluten-Free!)

Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding

Wish you could eat pumpkin pie every day but don't want all that fat and sugar? Try this delicious, healthy pumpkin pudding instead! It's made with organic canned pumpkin puree, naturally sweet dates, plain coconut milk and plenty of fragrant, warming pumpkin pie spice. Chia seeds make it thick without eggs or dairy while adding protein, fiber, calcium, iron and a good dose of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. 

Enjoy Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding for breakfast or dessert. Perfect just as is, or add sliced bananas, currants and pecans -- on top, stirred in or layered for an elegant holiday parfait. Yum!

This recipe makes about four cups of pudding. Double it if you have a crowd to feed, or simply want more on hand for you. Keeps well for several days in the fridge since antioxidant-rich chia seeds act as a preservative. 

Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding

2 cups liquid unsweetened coconut milk (the kind in a carton, not the thicker canned kind)

1 cup organic canned pumpkin (that's half an average can)

6-8 medjool dates

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch Himalayan pink salt

1/2 cup chia seeds (I used white)

Directions: Put all ingredients except chia seeds in the Vita-Mix and blend on medium to high speed, until creamy. Stir in chia seeds, wait five minutes, stir again, wait another five minutes, stir again, wait another five minutes (!) and then give a final stir and pour pudding into two glass pint mason jars or any serving bowl of choice. Cover and chill in refrigerator until firm, about two hours, for best texture. 

Look how thick it gets!

Paleo Pear Crumble

Paleo Pear Crumble ~ grain-free, gluten-free goodness.

If you adore fruit crisps and crumbles but are avoiding gluten, flour or grains of any type, this recipe is for you. I humbly submit the crumble topping unveiled below is the best I have ever tasted...and it's completely grain-free!

My original crumble recipe uses ground almonds and hemp seeds instead of flour or oats for the dry component, and sweet pastured butter for the fat. (Butter is most honest and delectable, but substitute coconut oil if you're off dairy.) For sugar, I went with raw organic turbinado but feel free to try any other organic crystallized sugar such as sucanat, coconut or date palm. Just don't go getting involved with honey or maple syrup. I love them to pieces, but the texture won't be right.

The filling for my Paleo Pear Crumble features the last of my very own homegrown honey-sweet Seckle pears but any ripe pear will do. You could also mix things up and use another fruit or fruit combo—apples, peaches or berries would all be divine.

Rule of thumb: You can never go wrong with crumble.

Paleo Pear Crumble

filling:
7 cups bite-size-diced pears (large mixing bowl-full)
1 Tablespoon each cinnamon, ginger powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice

crumble:
2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup raw turbinado sugar
2/3 - 3/4 cup organic/raw/pastured butter

directions:
Preheat oven to 350º

To prepare the filling: put lemon juice in a large mixing bowl and begin dicing pears into small pieces. Add them to the bowl as you go and stir periodically to coat with lemon juice and thus prevent browning. When all the pears are diced and lemoned up, add cinnamon and ginger, stir gently and thoroughly, and set aside.

Coat diced pears with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Spices + sliced pears ready for a gentle toss.

To prepare the crumble topping: add raw almonds to a food processor fitted with the S-blade and pulse-process into a coarse meal. Next, pulse in hemp seeds, cinnamon, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into small pieces and pulse them into the dry mix until a crumbly dough forms that sticks together upon pinching.

Don't be afraid of a little butter!

The Pinch Test: crumble dough, doing what it's s'posed to.

To assemble: Butter two pie pans, two casserole dishes (like me) or one 8X11 Pyrex baking dish. Press filling into the bottom of your baking pan (or pans.) Distribute crumble dough evenly on top (or tops if you are making two, like I did.)

Double crumble casseroles, ready for baking.

Bake at 350º F for 30-35 minutes. When you can hear the pear juice bubbling and the crumble top begins to brown, remove from oven.

Just baked.

Eat warm or cold. Enjoy!

Mmmmm...!