7 great chia seed recipes

Chia seeds - a superfood high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, fibre and minerals. Many of us are familiar with them, but don't know how to incorporate them into our diets. That's why we've put together 7 recipes to inspire you.

Basic chia gel

Chia gel has a neutral taste, hydrates the body from the inside and you can add it to any dish to lower its glycemic index and enrich it with a variety of health benefits.

• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 small glass of water

Pour the chia seeds into a bowl and cover with water. Stir after 15 minutes, let stand, the seeds will bind the water to themselves, forming a thick gel.

Nutritional values per 1 serving

• 104 kcal
• Protein 4,8 g
• Carbohydrates 0,4 g
• Fat 7,4 g
• Fibre 7,2 g

Note: chia gel can be used in recipes instead of eggs.

Chia protein pudding

A healthy alternative to the classic store-bought pudding.

• 65 g chia seeds
• 1 and a half cups (almond) milk
• 24 g of whey protein (choose the flavour of your preference)

Put the chia seeds in a bowl and stir the whey protein into the almond milk. Then pour the protein over the chia seeds and mix well. Put the finished pudding in the fridge for 30 minutes to set (it's a good idea to stir it halfway through), then serve.

Nutritional values per 1 serving

• 287 kcal
• Protein 18 g
• Carbohydrates 16 g - of which sugars 1 g
• Fat 16 g

Chia marmalade

A healthy marmalade that tastes great on pancakes, wholemeal toast, porridge and cottage cheese.

• 2 cups raspberries (other fruits can be used)
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• a little water
• natural sweetener to sweeten (can be omitted)

Wash the raspberries, put them in a saucepan, cover with a little water and bring to the boil. Add the chia seeds, sweeten to taste and mix well. Pour the marmalade into a jar, let it cool, then close the lid and put it in the fridge to set. The finished marmalade will only last a few days, so it is advisable to consume it as soon as possible.

Nutritional values per 1 serving (approx. 2 tablespoons)

• 28 kcal
• Protein 1,1 g
• Carbohydrates 5,7 g - of which sugars 1,4 g
• Fats 1.4 g

Protein chia pancakes

The ideal breakfast that fills you up.

• 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein
• 4 egg whites
• ½ cup of ground oats
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon crushed flax seeds
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin or banana puree
• ¼ cup (almond) milk
• coconut oil or other fat suitable for cooking

Mix or whisk all the ingredients together to make a soft dough and let stand for a while. Bake the pancakes in a good quality frying pan brushed with a little coconut oil until golden brown on both sides. Before serving, you can brush with the chia jam from the recipe above.

Nutritional values per 1 serving

• 200 kcal
• Protein 24 g
• Carbohydrates 18 g
• Fat 4 g

Banana muffins

A simple and tasty variant of muffins that is not only suitable for snacking.

• 1 cup of ground oatmeal or whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 mashed bananas
• ¼ cup applesauce
• natural sweetener to sweeten (e.g. 1 tbsp maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• a few drops of vanilla flavouring (can be omitted)

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with 12 muffin cups. Mix all the dry ingredients (flakes, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon) in one bowl and the wet ingredients (eggs, bananas, applesauce, sweetener and vanilla flavouring) in another bowl. Gradually fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour the finished batter into the muffin cups and bake for about 15 minutes, until well cooked through. Then let cool and serve.

Nutritional values for 1 muffin

• 71 kcal
• Protein 2 g
• Carbohydrates 13,7 g - of which sugars 4 g
• Fat 2,7 g

Savoury muffins

Muffins don't just have to be sweet, the savoury version is definitely not to be missed and contains only a small amount of carbohydrates.

• 280 g cooked baby spinach
• 1 large chopped tomato
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C and place 6 muffin cups on a baking tray. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites, gradually whisk in the rest of the ingredients and season with sea salt and white pepper. Pour the finished batter into the muffin cups and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven when baked, can be served hot or cold. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutritional values for 1 muffin

• 95,4 kcal
• Protein 7,9 g
• Carbohydrates 6,8 g - of which sugars 0,2 g
• Fat 4,7 g

Cookies

Crispy cookies with a light hint of vanilla.

• 120 g almond butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 50 g vanilla whey protein
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Preheat the oven to 170 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper. In a bowl, first mix the almond butter in the water, then gradually stir in the vanilla protein and chia seeds. Roll the dough into 12 balls, spread them out on the baking paper and press them lightly to make flat cookies. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes. Let cool and serve.

Nutritional values for 1 biscuit

• 90 kcal
• Protein 5 g
• Carbohydrates 3 g
• Fat 6 g

[Image and information sources: thehealthyapple.com, myfussyeater.com, yogagurl.com, pamelasalzman.com, bewholebeyou.com, flickr.com, calorietabulky.com]