In a mortar and pestle, crush the cardamom pods until pods crack open and seeds are exposed. Remove the green husks and discard. Crush seeds.
In a small pot, add in unsweetened coconut milk beverage, the Redpath® Organic Granulated Sugar, the crushed cardamom seeds, and salt. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves and coconut beverage just begins to simmer; 2 minutes.
Turn off or remove from heat. Cover and allow ingredients to cool to room temperature and infuse; at least 15 minutes.
Pour the cooled coconut-cardamom mixture into a blender. Add the canned coconut milk and pure vanilla extract. Sprinkle the chia seeds over the coconut milk, stir to immerse seeds; let sit for 2 minutes. Process until pudding is smooth and no clumps of seeds remain. Let sit again for 2 minutes. Pulse a few times to ensure pudding is well-mixed, seeds are evenly distributed, and pudding is lump-free.
Transfer pudding into individual glasses or into a large serving dish. Cover and place in the fridge to chill; at least 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to eat, garnish with desired toppings.
Chia pudding can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Garnish tops when serving.
*Use organic produce and products wherever possible. Organic produce and products can be found in the organic aisle of any major grocery store or in health food stores.
*If you do not enjoy the mouthfeel of chia seeds, pulse chia seeds in a spice grinder until a fine powder is achieved. Proceed with recipe.
*A whisk can be used in place of the blender; whisk vigorously when mixing the pudding to ensure a lump-free dessert or breakfast.
*If cardamom pods are not available, replace with 1 cinnamon stick. Discard after mixture has infused and cooled down.
*Black or white chia seeds can be used in this recipe.
*If desired, garnishes can be placed between layers of pudding when filling individual glasses or bowls before placing into the fridge. Pudding is completely nut-free if nuts are not used for garnishing.
*The longer the pudding sits in the fridge, the more firm the pudding becomes.
