Peach Melba Chia Pudding

Even I, a professional chef, couldn't resist the FiberMaxxing agenda. Quite possibly my favorite no-cook breakfast or spoon-snack this summer.

There’s a TikTok trend going around where you mix chia seeds with applesauce as a way to get in more fiber. I’m not knocking it. I tried it, it’s fine. But there are other options, like this creamy yogurt chia bowl.

I’ve been mixing up meal-prepped mason jars of milk-based chia pudding since my first desk job. Something about the texture never did it for me, but with yogurt? A completely different experience, more like pots de creme than gelatinous health food. Melissa Ben-Ishay shared a strawberry version, and a lightbulb went off in my head.

One of my favorite desserts as a kid was peach melba: warm, macerated peaches with raspberry sauce over ice cream. Or, more often than not, icy, hard nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (it was the 90’s). My siblings and I heard melba as “mailbox” and the name stuck. It’s a perfect flavor profile: sweet, tart and summery.

There’s an opportunity for someone to start a really good, hard-pack frozen yogurt brand. Is it you?

I’ve been having a spoonful or two first thing in the morning, in an attempt to not drink coffee on an empty stomach. To make it pretty, spoon and swoosh into a shallow bowl. Top with fresh fruit and a sprinkle of granola.

I do think a shallow bowl makes all the difference, like the Everyday Bowl from East Fork.

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Peach Melba Chia Pudding

Makes about 1 quart, 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium ripe peach or nectarine, pitted, skin-on, chopped

• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

• 2 cups plain low-fat or whole milk Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup chia seeds

• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

• Pinch of kosher salt

• For serving (optional): Fresh fruit and granola

Directions:

1. In an upright blender, large jar or quart-size deli container with an immersion blender, blend the peaches and raspberries until they have a thin, jammy texture. Add the yogurt, chia seeds, maple syrup and salt, continuing to blend until the chia seeds are evenly distributed.

2. Transfer to an airtight container (or cover the jar) and refrigerate overnight.

3. Enjoy on its own or top with fresh fruit and/or granola. Store chia pudding, without toppings, in the fridge for about a week.\

   Recipe Tips:

   • You can also use frozen fruit. Thaw overnight in the fridge before blending.

   • Feel free to swap in other types of juicy, ripe fruit, like mango, blackberrries, blueberries, cherries or plums. I am curious what a fall version with sautéed apples would taste like? A little vanilla or almond extract is a nice addition, but just a drop or two as it can taste medicinal in this preparation with fruit, raspberries in particular.

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