Kesar Badam Chia Pudding (Indian Style Overnight Chia)
Overnight chia pudding with saffron-bloomed milk, green cardamom, and toasted almonds. Make-ahead breakfast or light dessert; dairy or plant milk.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Jars or airtight container for chilling
Ingredients
For the base
- 6 tbsp chia seeds about 60 g
- 2 cups milk of choice whole dairy, or unsweetened oat or almond milk
- 12–15 saffron strands kesar
- 2 tbsp warm milk same type as above; for blooming saffron
- ¼ tsp green cardamom powder or seeds from 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 2–3 tbsp sweetener maple syrup, honey, fine sugar, or date paste; plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ⅓ cup sliced or slivered almonds badam; toasted, divided
- ½ tsp rose water optional
Optional toppings
- Extra toasted almonds, pistachio slivers, or crushed cashews
- Pomegranate arils, chopped mango, or berries
- Honey drizzle or Greek yogurt (optional)
Instructions
Bloom the saffron
- Warm 2 tbsp milk gently until just steamy, not boiling. Crumble saffron into the warm milk and steep 10–15 minutes until tinted gold and fragrant.
Mix the pudding base
- In a mixing bowl, whisk cold milk with sweetener, cardamom, salt, and optional rose water until dissolved.
- Whisk in the bloomed saffron milk, scraping in every strand.
- Add chia seeds and whisk hard 30–45 seconds so no clumps settle on the bottom.
- Fold in about half of the toasted almonds; reserve the rest for topping.
Chill and set
- Divide between jars or one covered bowl. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Stir once about 30 minutes into chilling if you remember.
Serve
- Taste. Thin with a splash of milk if too thick. Top with reserved almonds and fruit. Serve cold.
Notes
For a spoonable set, use about 3 tbsp chia per 1 cup liquid with whole milk; plant milks may need the higher end.
Toast almonds until golden and fragrant for deeper badam flavor.
Keeps in a clean airtight jar in the refrigerator up to about 4 days.
If warming for a hot breakfast, heat gently over low while stirring; avoid a hard boil or texture can loosen.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!