Chia seeds have been making a bit of a comeback lately. My mom used to drink these seeds back in Mexico as a kid. Grandma would give this to all her kids, especially when they were sick. When you soak chia seeds in water, they take on a unique gelatinous consistency. This gel will actually help to keep you hydrated, which is great before or after a hefty workout…or if you are sick with fever. Chia seeds are also the richest in Omega-3’s and help with satiety, since they absorb water. They are also a decent egg substitute in vegan diets.

I got some inspiration for this recipe from a Chia Seed Pudding recipe at whatscookinggoodlooking.com. I really liked the recipe, but thought it would be fun to make into a flan. 🙂

Makes 1 six ounce flan (Make as many as desired)

• 6-oz ramekin or custard cup
• 1 1/2 – 2 heaping tablespoons of chia seeds
• 4-5 oz of Vanilla Almond or Coconut milk – sweetened
• raw honey (or sweetened condensed milk)
• cinnamon, to taste

Add honey to the bottom of your ramekin/cup. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, chia seeds, and cinnamon together until seeds are separated and not clumpy. Pour mixture into ramekin. dust with cinnamon. Cover with saran wrap and put in refrigerator for 4 hours  or overnight (preferable). The seeds will soak up with milk and take on a custard-like consistency. Just run a knife around the ramekin to loosen and serve or just eat it straight from the cup. 🙂

This is also great with raisins added. Next time I’m going to add some cocoa powder and see how it comes out.