Have you gotten your fill of persimmons this year? If not, hurry – season’s almost over!
What’s a persimmon?
If you’re not familiar, persimmons make their grand and brief appearance in California from September to November. While they are native to North America, the variety that shows up most often in US grocery stores are the Japanese “kaki fruit.” There are two types to watch for: the Fuyus, which have the texture of a tomato or peach and flavor of a cloyingly sweet papaya or sapota (mamey/chikoo). And then there are the Hachiyas, which are astringent due to tannins and best enjoyed in baked goods.
Despite their overbearing sweetness, persimmons are surprisingly good for you. They’re rich in antioxidants (vitamins A & C, polyphenols and other phytochemicals) and a good source of fiber. They’ve been studied for various benefits, including cardiovascular, cholesterol lowering and for promoting healthy skin (to mention a few).
They’re also a feast for sore eyes – adding persimmons to salads, desserts and smoothies treats you to a welcome burst of color on a drab wintry day.
Needless to say, I buy as many persimmons as humanly possible when they’re in season.
Which brings me to this recipe.
This chia pudding combines the sweetness of persimmon with lime and ginger to make a refreshing, delectable, tropical flavor. Throw in some coconut and you may as well fire up the tiki torches!
Enjoy as a light breakfast, snack or dessert – just get those persimmons in before they’re gone!
xo – Mux
For variation:
I use homemade pecan milk in the recipe, but you could use any nut or seed milk. Use my almond or cashew milk recipe as a guide.
If you run out of persimmons, you can use any fruit with a similar texture – mangoes, chikoo, papaya, peaches or even blueberries.
Add spices! Cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg would be lovely here.
Persimmon Ginger Chia Pudding
Equipment
- High-speed blender (if making nut milk from scratch)
Ingredients
1 cup nut-milk
- 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts (soaked overnight)
- 1 cup water
Chia pudding
- 4 tbsp. chia seeds
- 2 tbsp. hemp seeds
- 1 Fuyu persimmon
- 1 tbsp. raw ginger root (finely grated)
- 1/2 lime (juiced)
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut (or more)
Optional
- 2 tbsp. hemp hearts (or hemp seeds)
- drizzle raw honey
Instructions
For the nut-milk (approx. 1 cup):
- Rinse and drain the soaked pecans and add to a high-speed blender.
- Add 1 cup of filtered water.
- Blend for about 1 minute (until smooth) and pour the pecan milk into a mason jar.
For the chia-pudding:
- Stir the chia seeds into the pecan milk and mix well (if you don't stir, the chia will clump together).
- Let the pudding set for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. If your kitchen is warm, leave it in the fridge.
- Optional: After the chia pudding has set, add 2 tbsp. hemp seeds and mix well.
- Wash and cube the persimmon and add it to a separate bowl.
- Add the ginger and lime juice to the cubed persimmon and mix well, mashing the fruit slightly. Once the persimmon is a little mushy and juicy, it's time to assemble the pudding!
- Take two small jars, glasses or dessert bowls. Layer the pudding by scooping 1-2 tbsp. chia pudding into each jar, then 1-2 tbsp of the persimmon mixture, then more chia pudding, and more persimmon (until it's all gone).
- Finally garnish each jar with 1 tbsp. of shredded coconut each and a tiny drizzle of raw honey. Enjoy!
