I Made Juice Press Style Chia Seed Pudding in My Vitamix Blender.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve ever been to a Juice Press store. What matters is that you know they have a special chia seed pudding, and it’s out of this world. Even I, a self-proclaimed lover of Popeye’s air-fried chicken sandwiches and bacon-wrapped banana slices , can’t get enough of this wonderfully addictive vegan pudding.
I’ve tried to replicate this pudding at home in the past, but failed every time. However, I’ve had more success recently thanks to the Vitamix Explorian E310 , which has helped me make a perfect replica of this cult favorite vanilla pudding.
The right blender matters
Chia seeds are unusual — they’re tiny, but they’re packed with nutrients. When stirred into liquid, they have incredible absorption properties, giving the resulting mixture a gel-like consistency. Juice Press’s chia seed pudding is vegan, which may leave you wondering how you can get a stable, pudding-like consistency without some key animal ingredients and lots of stovetop whisking. Instead of eggs, it uses cashews, and the chia seeds act as a natural thickener.
The key to this pudding’s success, then, is to create a creamy, non-grainy cashew sauce using a powerful blender. And that’s where having the right equipment comes in.
My past blenders and even some food processors have struggled to grind cashews to a fine consistency. Now, soaking the cashews helps here, and this recipe will be delicious no matter what blender you have, but producing a true pudding-consistency copycat—one so smooth you’ll be surprised to learn it’s made with nuts—requires a powerful motor and sharp, durable blades. The Vitamix Explorian E310 makes it all happen with ease—not to mention it’s the least expensive model offered by this top brand. ( Read my full Explorian E310 review .)
Making Chia Seed Pudding in a Vitamix
With three simple steps and just a few ingredients, you can make this creamy, slightly sweet, vegan vanilla pudding at home. It’s perfect on its own, but you can spice it up by adding a dash of cinnamon or cocoa powder to the mix.
Ingredients:
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¾ cup raw cashews
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½ glass of 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.
If you’re a big fan of raw food, you can soak the cashews overnight, but I’m also quite happy with the quick method: put the cashews in a bowl and pour just-boiled water over them. Leave them to soak for about 20-30 minutes.
2. Mix the cashew sauce.
Drain the cashews and pour the nuts into the blender. Add all the remaining ingredients except the chia seeds. The Explorian doesn’t have any fancy presets, but honestly, you don’t need them! (Here are my tips on how to operate the Explorian to its full potential.)
I like to start by pulsing the mixture to break it up a bit. Use the pulse switch on the left side four or five times. Then run the Vitamix Explorian on the lowest speed, with the dial set to speed 1. Let the machine run for about 10 seconds, then increase the speed to 10. The resulting mixture should be smooth and a little thick, like a milkshake.
3. Add chia seeds and let set.
Next, I pour the chia seeds into a bowl and stir the cashew sauce into them. Make sure the seeds are thoroughly mixed and not stuck together. I like to use a glass or plastic container so I can see what’s going on under the surface. I let the pudding sit for 30 minutes to allow the seeds to begin to absorb the liquid. They may settle a bit during this time, so stir again to combine. Cover the pudding and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours to set.
Explorian is great for making cozy hot soups in the winter and good old summer smoothies, but this chia pudding is without a doubt my favorite recipe to make year-round.