Sweet puréed persimmon and vanilla pudding are layered in this vegan persimmon chia pudding.
Good news, my lovely blog friends: it's persimmon season!
I rediscovered persimmons last November after maybe eating them once or twice in a "fancy" salad when I was a kid, and I'm absolutely in love with them. They're sweet, creamy, and bursting (literally, like they're about to burst open with a mere poke of the finger) with flavor. Although they look like they've tossed on a tomato costume, these orange-hued beauties are actually berries. Not even kidding. Often referred to as the "Divine Fruit," persimmons have an abundance of good-for-your-bod properties, including the following:
1| They're rich in phytochemicals, including Catechin which is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Our bodies love anti-inflammatory foods because inflammation is a nagging, draining, pesky jerk when it wriggles its way into our bodies.
2| They have a wonderful balance of fiber (aka digestion cheerleader) and tannins (aka digestion pace-keepers) so they promote an evenly-moving digestive process.
3| They contain cancer-busting antioxidants including Vitamin A, C + K, Shibuol, Beta Carotene, Lycopene, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Cryptoxanthin, and Betulinic Acid. Extra perk = vitamins a, c + k are also good for our eyeballs. Eat more persimmons, see more persimmons.
4| They contain copper which encourages proper absorption of iron which, in turn, improves our production of red blood cells.
5| Fun fact: persimmons are known to alleviate hiccups. Forget those scare tactics, drinking water upside-down, and altering your breathing patterns to rid yourself of pesky hiccups; eat a persimmon instead!
6| They're packed with potassium, which makes them powerful stress- and fatigue-warriors. Afternoon slump? Slice into a persimmon.
7| They're juicy and fabulous and readily available in the winter months when it's a bit trickier to find juicy and fabulous fruits.
Since persimmons are already so tasty on their own, this recipe keeps things simple and props their flavors right up on a pedestal where they belong. A simple vanilla chia pudding is layered with sweet persimmon cream (i.e., ripe persimmons blended with a pinch of cinnamon). Some might classify this as a dessert, others as breakfast. I say it's suitable for both occasions, so let your heart guide you. My heart guided me to eat this for breakfast this past Monday and let me tell you, it made the start of the week so much sweeter.
📖 Recipe
Persimmon Chia Pudding
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Chia Pudding
- 2 cups vanilla coconut milk or almond milk
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 vanilla bean or 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground cardamom
For the Persimmon Cream
- 3 very ripe persimmons*
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnnamon
Instructions
To Make the Vanilla Chia Pudding
- Add nut milk, chia seeds, vanilla bean seeds or extract, maple syrup, cinnamon, and cardamom to an airtight container. Whisk and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
To Make the Persimmon Cream
- Once your chia pudding is ready, de-stem your persimmons and add them to a food processor along with the cinnamon and process into a smooth cream.
- In four small glasses or two larger glasses, create layers of chia pudding and persimmon cream starting with the pudding. I did 6 total layers or 3 layers of each.
- Enjoy and refrigerate leftovers!
Notes
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I never quite know what to do with persimmons, so this looks like the perfect start!
Ashley says
Most of the time I just eat them on their own as a snack or toss them into a salad, but this is a fun way to mix things up a bit!
Emma says
Utterly gorgeous! I've just discovered that a local market sells persimmons super cheaply so I'm excited to stock up, make this pudding and many more recipes with them!
Ashley says
Thanks, Emma! That's amazing that you have a local market that sells persimmons for a reasonable price. They can be quite pricey otherwise. I hope you have a chance to try this recipe!
Celeste Jackson says
I have to admit I haven't done anything with persimmons since I made those salads when you were a kid. Time to change that....looks like the perfect recipe. Had no idea they were packed with so much nutrition!
Ashley says
Haha, I miss those salads! They're quite the nutritional powerhouses, aren't they? Love them!
Tracey @ A Taste of Trace says
I just enjoyed these as a perfect & super delicious lazy Sunday breakfast! I added a layer of cranberry sauce (with orange, ginger, cinnamon & dates) which really complimented the persimmons. I've never used persimmons before but I'm thinking that'll have to change now! :)
Ashley says
Tracey, your Instagram photo of this with the layers of cranberry sauce looks amazing! Such a creative and festive twist to this recipe. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment with your feedback and adjustments, and I'm so, so happy you enjoyed it -- especially for a lazy Sunday breakfast. Those are the best!
zara says
Hi. This recipe is amazing. But in my area I can't find chia seeds. Is there any substitute for that?
Ashley says
Hi , Zara! You could try flax seeds as they thicken as well, but the flavor would be significantly different as flax seeds have a much more pronounced flavor than chia.
Jennifer says
Order them online.... it’ll make a huge difference. :)
We have a persimmon down here in Alabama that is more heart shaped. You definitely need to wait for those to ripen or they will, as my MawMaw used to say, draw your mouth up.... think licking a antiperspirant stick 😝 I enjoy the flatter tomato shaped ones will they are firm... I’ve never kept any around to wait for them to get mushy. I ❤️ them firm.
Wish I knew what salad y’all are talking about that sounds yummy, too. But now for a question... Do you blend them with the skin on? I saw destemmimg them... do I peel them too or use the skin? Too expensive to mess up a batch.
OH! One more thing... Costco sells them! A box of 9 for $7,99. They’re usually $2-$2.50 each at Publix
Jennifer says
PS... I was talking about ordering the chia seeds online.
Ashley says
Hi, Jennifer! So true about eating un-ripe persimmons—they really do create a super dry mouth feel! I blend mine with the skin on, but if the skin on yours is particularly tough then you may want to peel them.
ER says
Had some very ripe persimmons that needed to be used & this was a great use for them! Delicious.