I’ve talked about my rhubarb obsession before. It’s the first garden plant to start producing properly in spring, apart from some early edible flowers like violets, and has such a unique flavour. My rhubarb plant is a couple of years old now and this is the first year we can harvest from it properly.

You get a really nice contrast in this rhubarb chia pudding – the compote is tart and fruity, while the pudding is ultra creamy and a bit sweet. It’s a great combination.

I’m not generally a big fan of chia pudding, unless it’s blended like a chia mousse, but this is an exception. Using coconut milk makes such a difference, especially with a hint of vanilla and lemon. Dessert for breakfast!

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Rhubarb: I’m using plain garden rhubarb from my garden. If you can get forced rhubarb, it may be pink enough to skip the beet for the compote.
• Red beet: this creates the strong red/pink colour for the rhubarb compote if your rhubarb is green. See below for more on that.
• Coconut milk: light is best, either bought specifically or mixed with more water. You can use the type that comes in a carton if preferred.
• Vanilla: I typically use vanilla powder (extract is more expensive here) but paste or extract work too. My homemade vanilla extract is steeping away but won’t be ready for a while yet.

Step by Step

Step 1: place the compote ingredient in a small saucepan.
Step 2: cook until the rhubarb has broken down – don’t forget to remove the beetroot after cooking.
Step 3: make the chia pudding by combining all the ingredients in a dish and refrigerating until set.
Step 4: assemble in lidded containers and keep refrigerated.

Recipe Notes

As you can see in the pictures, my garden rhubarb is (as yet) almost fully green. Instead of using berries, I often add a piece of peeled red beet to rhubarb compote. This doesn’t change the flavour but makes for a much more appealing colour.

If you prefer, or don’t have beets, you can add some fresh or frozen raspberries to the compote instead. Just a small handful will give enough colour and the flavour combination is nice.

The compote can be doubled or tripled if you want to make enough to last for a full week of breakfasts. It’s good for several days, while the chia pudding needs to be made every 2-3 days.

More Spring Rhubarb Recipes

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Vegan Rhubarb Streusel Cake
Honey Rhubarb Lemonade
Lemon Rhubarb Cake

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4.57 from 16 votes

Rhubarb Chia Pudding

Author: Alexandra Daum

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Print Recipe

Description

Rhubarb chia pudding with a creamy coconut milk base and rhubarb compote. This sweet seasonal breakfast works just as well as a dessert and is a nice way to use spring rhubarb.

Ingredients

Coconut chia pudding

• ▢ 250 ml (1 cup) light coconut milk*
• ▢ 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• ▢ Zest of a lemon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon extract
• ▢ 3 tablespoons chia seeds

Rhubarb compote

• ▢ 3 stalks rhubarb 150 grams (~1 cup), roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 small beet peeled and quartered
• ▢ Juice of a lemon
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup to taste

Metric – Cups

Instructions

Coconut Chia Pudding

• Add the coconut milk, honey, lemon zest, and vanilla to a container or jar. Whisk to combine.
  250 ml (1 cup) light coconut milk*, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon vanilla powder, Zest of a lemon
• Add the chia seeds and mix again, then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until the seeds have gelled and the pudding is thick.
  3 tablespoons chia seeds

Rhubarb Compote

• Place the rhubarb, beet, lemon juice, and honey into a small saucepan.
  3 stalks rhubarb, 1 small beet, Juice of a lemon, 1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• Heat over medium, covered, to bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer until the rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes.
• Set aside to cool fully. If the compote is not particularly pink, don’t worry – it will colour further as it sits with the beet.
• Remove the beet pieces before adding to the pudding and serving.
• Both the chia pudding and the compote will keep for up to five days in sealed containers in the refrigerator.

Notes

* Don’t use the coconut cream from the top of a can – either use lower fat coconut milk, or combine some of the water with the cream to make a thinner milk, the consistency of whipping cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 18mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 14g

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.

This post was originally published in June 2017. It has been updated most recently as of May 2021.