Chia Pudding

I've been reading about the health benefits of chia seeds and decided to try chia seed pudding. Oh my goodness, it was delicious. I just put some seeds in a mason jar, add the milk, vanilla, and maple syrup (which is the best sweetener!), stir and put it in the refigerator the night before and have it for breakfast. 

4 Tablespoons chia seeds

1 cup almond or milk of choice

½ Tablespoon maple syrup, honey or sweetener of choice*

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Toppings of choice: fresh berries or other fruit, granola, nut butter, etc

https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/basic-chia-seed-pudding/#wprm-recipe-container-33190

Pistachio Pineapple Dessert

So I had Pistachio pudding that needed used up and St. Patty's day was this week, so what a perfect time to make a green dessert! I actually skipped the cookie crumble step and just made the pudding mix. The addition of pineapple, lime and cream cheese was exactly what this needed. So tangy and delicious! It was hard not to eat the entire thing in one night!

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pistachio-pineapple-dessert-1970610

Pistachio Pudding Cake

I came across this one on St. Patrick's Day and knew I "had" to make it. Pistachio anything is probably my second favorite, next to hazelnut as my number one. Pistachio pudding is very nostalgic for me as a kid. I liked that this recipe included walnuts rather than pistachios, but I think either one would have been just fine. Allow extra time for the cooling and chilling. This cake was good at room temperature, but I think it was even better after refrigeration.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pistachio-pudding-cake/

Banana Poke Cake

Once again, I had pudding boxes that were nearing expiration, so I "had" to come up with something. This happened to be banana pudding and I really enjoy poke cakes, so I whipped up this pan of yumminess yesterday. It takes about 4 stages to prepare (with lots of cooling and chilling), so make sure, if you're planning to serve it to a group, that you have plenty of time. Also, a trick to extend the life of this cake is to serve the bananas separately, slicing them for each individual bowl more as a garnish. That way, you don't end up with brown bananas in your cake and it can seem fresh for several days. In this particular case, I crushed animal crackers and vanilla wafers. I had to restrain myself from eating the entire pan. :D

http://www.food.com/recipe/banana-pudding-poke-cake-483403

Fluffy Lemon Pudding Dessert

Yep-you guessed it, this is another pudding recipe that needed to happen. I won't say this one is my favorite, but then again, lemon pudding isn't either. I ended up adding lemon juice to the pudding mix which helped alot. I also added fresh blueberries to the top. The hubby enjoyed it, although he doesn't plow through pudding desserts unless they contain chocolate ;)

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fluffy-lemon-pudding-dessert

Pistachio Dessert

So I've been doing a pantry inventory of expiring foods. I had a series of pudding that I've slowly been using up. I think I was planning something with pistachio last year that never made it to the table, so I decided it was time. Pistachio pudding is my favorite, so needless to say, I ended up eating quite a bit of this one (found on Pinterest). You can't go wrong with a shortbread crust and cream cheese. ;)

Pistachio Pudding Cookies

Ok, I'm convinced. Any cookies I make from now on will have pudding mix in them. In this elevation, they come out chewy and moist. It's amazing! For this recipe, I didn't have pistachios so I added (ice cream) nut topping and white chocolate chips-Yum! Having fun using up my pudding boxes. :)

https://www.sugardishme.com/pistachio-pudding-cookies/

Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Pudding Cookies

Do you ever eat something so scrumptious that you almost embarrass yourself with how much pleasure envelops after tasting it? Well, that's what happened when I took a bite of these cookies. Of course anytime you combine butterscotch pudding and butterscotch chips, you can't go wrong. When it comes to pudding and chips, I never buy generic...ok, I did buy off brand once, and I didn't like the quality, so no more cutting corners. The bonus is that it's probably even easier to make than chocolate chip cookies. :)

http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/soft-and-chewy-butterscotch-chip-pudding-cookies/