Refreshing Lemon Chia Parfait

So we made it through the unusual heatwave that hit Portland and Seattle this week! 110 in the Pacific Northwest! That was just crazy! Thank God we have air conditioning! All we wanted to eat was cold and refreshing food. Definitely no baking during these few days! The key is to stay hydrated and mineralized. That’s why we always have lemons at home. So the idea of making a lemon chia pudding sounded real good. Chia seeds are a great way to thicken any pudding or jam. However, I am not always a fan of the bumpy texture the seeds make when they swell. They resemble small tapioca pearls. So we decided to ground the seeds to make a smooth parfait or custard.

We went with one lemon per person. This dessert uses both the zest and the juice so it is really lemony. To balance the acidity of 2 lemons we added some full-fat coconut milk and some sugar or maple syrup. Depending on how sweet you like it, you may need to increase the sweetener. The chia seeds need time to thicken, so it is best to prepare the pudding the night before. After experimenting with the original recipe, we thought the pudding could use a little something (it was a little thin) so we decided to add 2 frozen bananas to give more creaminess and it did the trick. We added a tablespoon of homemade raspberry jam in between two layers of lemon parfait to add some visual effect. It looked so fancy!

So here it is.

Lemon chia parfait

Make this refreshing lemony dessert great for hot summer days, full of vitamin C and potassium.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Setting Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine European

Servings 5

Calories 75 kcal

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

  

• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 lemons juiced
• 2 lemons zested
• 1.5 cup full fat coconut milk or cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 frozen bananas
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of turmeric

Instructions

 

• Zest the 2 lemons.
• Juice the 2 lemons and remove all seeds.
• In a blender, add the lemon juice, zest, 1.5 cup of coconut milk, 2 frozen bananas, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of sugar, turmeric, and salt.
• Blend until the frozen bananas are completely blended. Add the chia seeds (whole or ground).
• Taste and adjust the level of sweetness.
• Pour the parfait into small glasses and refrigerate overnight.
• Top with a little raspberry jam and a mint leaf before serving.

Notes

You can freeze the parfait for a colder and firmer dessert.

Keyword dairy-free, gluten-free