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Whether or not you’ve ever been to a Juice Press store doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you know they offer a special chia seed pudding, and it’s out of this world. Even I, a self-professed lover of air-fried Popeye’s chicken sandwiches and bacon wrapped banana bites, cannot get enough of this surprisingly addictive vegan pudding.
In the past, I’ve tried duplicating the pudding at home, but came up short every time. Recently, however, I’ve had more success thanks the Vitamix Explorian E310, which helped me make a perfect copy of this cult favorite vanilla-scented pudding.
The right blender matters
Chia seeds are rather unusual—they’re teeny tiny, but packed with nutrients. When stirred into liquid they have incredible absorption capabilities, lending the resulting mixture a gelatinous consistency. Juice Press chia seed pudding is vegan, which might have you asking how to get a stable, pudding-like consistency without some key animal ingredients and lots of whisking on the stove. Instead of eggs the structure relies on a cashews, with the chia seeds serving as a natural thickening agent.
The key to this pudding succeeding, then, is making a creamy, non-gritty cashew sauce with a high-powered blender. And this is where having the right equipment matters.
Credit: Diane Mattia
My past blenders and even some food processors have had trouble breaking down the cashews into a fine texture. Now, soaking the cashews helps here, and this recipe will taste good no matter what blender you have, but making a true copycat with pudding-like consistency—smooth enough that you’d be surprised to learn it is made with nuts—requires a powerful motor, and sharp, durable blades. The Vitamix Explorian E310 makes it all look easy—not to mention that it’s the cheapest model on offer from this top tier brand. (Read my full review of the Explorian E310.)
Making chia seed pudding in a Vitamix
With three easy steps and just a few ingredients, you can have this creamy, slightly sweet, vegan vanilla pudding at home. It’s perfect as-is but you can spice things up and add a pinch of cinnamon or cocoa powder to the mixture.
Ingredients:
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¾ cup raw cashews
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½ cup water
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½ cup almond milk
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6 pitted dates
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1 tablespoon coconut oil
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⅛ teaspoon salt
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¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
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¼ cup chia seeds
1. Soak the cashews
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
If you’re a big raw foods person then you can cold-soak your cashews overnight, but I’m fine with doing things the speedy way: Put the cashews in a bowl and cover them with just-boiled water. Let them soak for about 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Blend the cashew sauce
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Drain the cashews and pour the nuts into the blender container. Add all of the other ingredients except the chia seeds. The Explorian model doesn’t have any fancy presets, but frankly, you don’t need them! (Here are my tips on how to operate the Explorian to reach its full potential.)
I like to start by pulsing the mixture to chop it up a bit. Use the pulse switch on the left side four or five times. Then start the Vitamix Explorian on the lowest speed setting, with the dial set to speed 1. Run the machine for about 10 seconds and then ramp up all the way to speed 10. The resulting mixture should be smooth and somewhat thick, kind of like a milkshake.
3. Stir in the chia seeds and let it set
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Next, I pour the chia seeds into a container and stir the cashew sauce into the seeds. Make sure the seeds are thoroughly mixed in and not clumped up. I like to use a glass or plastic container so I can see what’s going on under the surface. Let the pudding rest for 30 minutes so the seeds can begin absorbing liquid. They might settle a little during this time, so stir everything again to remix it. Cover the pudding and let it chill in the fridge for at least three hours to set.
The Explorian is great for making cozy hot soups in the winter and good old-fashioned summer smoothies, but this chia pudding is hands-down my favorite year-round recipe to whip up.
