My Homemade Healthy Chia Desserts

Many years ago, I learned about a tiny grain that was grown by the Aztecs, called chia. Since my discovery, I have experimented with adding to my rarely-made baked goods. What a delightful find! Not only does it blend well with other ingredients, it is simply delicious on its own.

All of the chia seed desserts below are my own creations. Everyone who was given samples, said they were great. Please bear in mind, baking is not my forté and you may not like them at all, but we did.

Most of the desserts are gluten-free, too, so - enjoy!

Chia seeds absorb lots of water, so you should add some extra liquid to your recipes, whenever you are baking or cooking with it. We usually use maple syrup, and the combination of chia and the liquid in the syrup is a perfect match. If you substitute brown sugar, or raw sugar, add water to equal about 1½ times the amount of sugar that you use.

*These are gluten-free!

Lemons, lime, and lots of raisins!

Our Chia Raisin Lemon Crush is for our raisin radicals and lemon lovers. With two whole lemons in every batch, one lime, and a cup of raisins, your taste buds will thank you! Loaded with chia, of course, unsweetened coconut, pure vanilla, and sweetened with maple syrup! You'll have a "crush" on these delightful gluten-free squares!

Ingredients:

• 2 whole lemons
• 1 lime
• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• ½ cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup of pure maple syrup
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup sulfite-free organic shredded coconut
• ½ cup chia seeds
• ½ cup organic raisins
• ½ teaspoon turmeric

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line 12x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease it lightly with coconut oil.

Cut lemons and limes in half, across the middle. Remove all seeds. Place them in a blender or a food processor with the water, and purée thoroughly. Beat the eggs, and then add the vanilla extract, the coconut oil, and the maple syrup. Add this mixture to the purée of lemon, lime, and water, and mix thoroughly.

Combine the coconut flour, chia seeds, raisins, and turmeric in a mixing bowl, and pour the liquid mixture on top of it. Blend all ingredients together, and pour into the baking pan.

Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. Cool in the refrigerator or at room temperature, cut into squares and serve.

There are seven chia desserts here, that we make at home. Of the seven, five of them are gluten-free.

Always a winner!

We have yet to have anyone who likes natural, whole foods, who doesn't like our Chia Coconut Crumbles! They are super moist, chewy, and just delicious!

Loaded with natural, sulfite-free, unsweetened shredded coconut, pure maple syrup, chia seeds, and kissed with genuine vanilla, freshly ground nutmeg, and cinnamon - they are guaranteed to melt-in-your-mouth!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup virgin coconut oil
• ½ cup water
• ¾ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup chia seeds
• 1 cup sulfite-free, unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F

Line 12x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease it lightly with coconut oil.

Blend in a food processor, or a blender, all of the wet ingredients. While they are mixing, combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then, add the mixture from your food processor or blender to the dry mix in the mixing bowl, and stir until all of the dry ingredients are moist.

Pour the mixture into your baking pan, making sure it is spread out evenly.

Bake about 25 minutes, or they are golden brown. Cool in the refrigerator or at room temperature for about ½ hour, cut into squares and serve. Delicious, chewy, and crumbly all by themselves, they are especially good with vanilla ice cream or gelato!

With the exception of the two desserts made with phyllo dough, the chia desserts can be effectively made in a jelly roll pan.

I have one that has served my family well for about 30 years!

Another one of our "raisin-y" treats!

These are really moist and delicious, but not gluten-free! They are brimming with organic raisins, mixed with our special ingredients, and layered between sheets of phyllo dough. We prefer whole wheat phyllo dough, but the regular type works just as well.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups organic dried raisins
2. 1 cup organic chia seeds
3. ¾ stick butter, melted - or it can be made with margarine
4. 1-1½ cups pure maple syrup, depending on how sweet you like your desserts
5. ½ cup virgin coconut oil
6. 1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
7. 1 tablespoon natural vanilla extract
8. 1 teaspoon natural rum flavoring or rum raisin flavoring
9. ¼ stick butter, melted, to brush the top of the phyllo dough
10. 1 box phyllo dough, thawed at room temperature

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Line a 12x9 baking pan with parchment paper.

Combine the first 8 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Arrange 4 sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of the baking pan. Add about ¾ cup of the filling mixture in your mixing bowl, on top of the phyllo dough. Add about 4 more sheets of phyllo dough, and another ¾ cup of the mixture. Repeat the process until you have used all of the filling, and finish off with 4 to 6 sheets of phyllo dough.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes, then remove it from the oven, and brush the top with the ¼ stick of melted butter or margarine. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the top layer of phyllo dough is a nice golden brown.

Remove it the oven, let it cool for a few hours, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Our Chia Peanut Butter Squares are completely gluten-free, as are a few of our other delectable edibles. We have a hard time not eating 4 or 5 of them at a time!

Full of "peanut-ty" goodness!

Are you a peanut butter lover? You are? Then our Chia Peanut Butter Squares are just the thing to satisfy your craving for peanut butter! We start with our own homemade peanut butter, and add freshly ground teff flour, coconut flour, vanilla, pure maple syrup, chia seeds, extra-virgin coconut oil, Chinese Five Spice, and cinnamon. Yum! Loaded with all-natural ingredients, are super-moist, chewy, and peanut-ty delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 generous cup peanut butter - we use our own, that we make with Spanish peanuts.
• ¾ cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup teff flour
• ½ cup chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line 12x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease it lightly with coconut oil.

Beat together with an electric mixer, or blend in a food processor, the peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Continue mixing or blending until you have a nice, smooth consistency.

In a mixing bowl, blend together the teff flour, the coconut flour, the chia seeds, the Chinese Five Spice, and the cinnamon. Pour in the peanut butter mixture, and blend until all of the liquid ingredients are incorporated into the dry ones.

Put the contents into your baking pan, making sure it is spread out evenly.

Bake about 40 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. Cool in the refrigerator or at room temperature, cut into squares and serve. These are especially good with chocolate or hot cocoa!

If you opt to use parchment paper, as I usually do, drape the parchment paper over the edges of your baking pan. I often do that lengthwise, and horizontally, too.

When your chia desserts have finished baking, after they are cool, simply lift the edges of the parchment paper slightly, and slide the entire contents onto a large cutting board, on onto your counter.

The baking pan will be clean, and it is much easier to cut the chia desserts into squares, if they are on a flat surface.

Bursting with black walnuts, this is a connoisseur's delight!

Oh, boy, Chia Black Walnut Baklava! When was the last time you had some really good black walnuts? We order ours online, and combine them with chia, maple syrup, extra-virgin coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and our own specially blended spices, between layers of whole-wheat phyllo dough! Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. black walnut chunks
• ½ cup organic chia seeds
• ½ cup wheat germ
• 2 sticks butter, melted
• 2 cups pure maple syrup
• ½ cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice - we make our own
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon natural vanilla extract
• ¼ stick butter, melted, to brush the top of the phyllo dough
• 1 box phyllo dough, thawed at room temperature

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Line a 12x9 baking pan with parchment paper.

Combine the black walnut chunks, chia seeds, wheat germ, cinnamon, and black pepper, together in a large mixing bowl, until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

In another mixing bowl, blend the melted butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, and vanilla together.

Then, combine the contents of both mixing bowls, stirring until all of the dry ingredients are blended into the liquids.

Arrange 4 sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of the baking pan. Add about ¾ cup of the black walnut mixture to the layer of phyllo dough. Add about 4 more sheets of phyllo dough, and another ¾ cup of the mixture. Repeat the process until you have used all of the filling, and finish off with 4 to 6 sheets of phyllo dough.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes, then remove it from the oven, and brush the top with the ¼ stick of melted butter or margarine. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the top layer of phyllo dough is a nice golden brown.

Once you have removed it from the oven, let it cool for a few hours, cut into squares, and enjoy it plain, or topped with vanilla ice cream or gelato.

P.S. Here is a link to the company where we get our black walnuts, and they are always fresh and delicious - Nuts.com

We realize that some people who avoid gluten, cannot even tolerate oats. If that is the case, you can substitute any of your favorite gluten-free flours for the oats - but they won't be Chia Raisin Oat Crunches anymore!

Superbly endowed with raisins!

Never enough raisins for you? Well, there might just be in these! Our chewy Chia Raisin Oat Crunch is just jam-packed with plump California raisins, chia seeds, freshly-ground oats, cinnamon, vanilla, coconut flour, and flavor! Every mouth-watering bite is packed with healthy nutrients, and of course, lots of TLC!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups organic dried raisins
• 1 cup organic chia seed
• ¾ cup freshly-ground oats or regular oats
• ¾ cup coconut flour
• 1-1½ cups pure maple syrup
• 1-1½ cups virgin coconut oil
• 1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoons natural vanilla extract, depending on how much you like vanilla

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Line a 12x9 baking pan with parchment paper, or coat it liberally on the bottom with coconut oil.

Soak the raisins in 4 cups of warm water for a few hours, or overnight. They will become plump from absorbing the water, which helps maintain their moistness while baking. Drain the raisins, and set them aside.

Combine the chia seeds, oats, coconut flour and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together by hand, the maple syrup, the coconut oil, the vanilla.

Add the liquid contents of the second bowl to the first, and mix thoroughly. Dump the bowl full of raisins into your mixture, and blend until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Empty the contents into your baking pan, and spread it out until it has a uniform look to it, pop it into your preheated oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are starting to get slightly brown.

Remove the dish from the oven, let it cool for a few hours, cut into squares, and dig in!

Not only are the Chia Lemon Chews gluten-free, they do not even contain eggs, salt, cinnamon, or vanilla extract. We love those ingredients, with the exception of the salt, but think these taste great with only the ingredients listed.

Loaded with lemon-y flavor!

If you love the taste of lemon, you will really enjoy our Chia Lemon Chews! We use one whole lemon in every batch, but no salt, vanilla extract, or cinnamon; they simply do not need it. They are easy to make and delicious to eat. The turmeric adds to the yellow hue, and it is good for your health, too. Hope you love these as much as we do!

P.S. If they turn out a bit dry, add more coconut oil next time. The rule of thumb, when using coconut flour in baking, is that you always add more oil to make the baked goods moist. Adding water does not increase the moistness of the finished product.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole lemon
• ½ cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup sulfite-free organic shredded coconut
• ½ cup chia seeds
• ½ teaspoon turmeric

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line 12x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease it lightly with coconut oil.

Cut the lemon in half, and remove all seeds. Place it in a blender or a food processor, with the coconut oil and maple syrup, and purée thoroughly. In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut flour, the shredded coconut, the chia seeds and the turmeric. When thoroughly blended, add ingredients that you puréed in your blender or food processor, and stir until you have a uniform consistency.

Put this mixture into your baking pan, making sure it is spread out evenly.

Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. Cool in the refrigerator or at room temperature, cut into squares and serve.

Chia has been around for centuries! Once a valuable staple of the Aztecs, and Southwestern American Indians, it fell into disuse due to the "Conquering Heroes" like Cortez, and the "white man". Brought to light once more chia is FINALLY getting the attention it so richly deserves. You owe it to yourself to discover the incredible benefits of this humble seed. You can find LOTS of information about chia online, and it's about time!