If you like s’mores you are going to love this Gluten-free S’mores Chia Seed Parfait recipe. All the flavors of the classic campfire treat but in a healthy parfait. Less messy to eat as well!
Ahhh the senses of summer.. the warm sun in your face, the scent of your neighbor’s barbecue, the endearing chemical smell of sunscreen and chlorine and the gooey, melty, sweet, crunchy taste of s’mores on your lips.
With said s’more to soon be melted down onto your now, super sticky hand. Transferring chocolate stains all over your daughter’s freshly washed PJ’s, smashed into her face and oh yeah, now her hair.
Yeah, I don’t really like s’mores.
But not for all of the reasons outlined above necessarily! I’m all for getting dirty while eating. Sushi usually leaves me with soy sauce dribbles down the front of my shirt, burgers leave me with half of the condiments dripping down my arm. I’m cool with all that. The reason I don’t usually like s’mores is because they are so.damn.sweet.
I can have about half of one before I’m done. But I love all of the flavors independently.
So I decided to see if I could create a dessert that would use the flavors of a s’more without the inevitable sugar rush that would ensue. And what do you know? Here it is!
Gluten-free graham crackers are where it’s at.
Let’s start with the graham cracker part, shall we? Just a few years ago it was impossible to find any sort of gluten-free graham cracker on the market. But now they are here and (in my option) are usually better than their gluten-y cousins.
While I can usually find them at most grocery stores here in California, you can find them on Amazon as well. My favorite gluten-free graham cracker to this day has been those by Kinnickinnick, which you can find here on Amazon.
And as I mentioned above I like the taste and texture of them better than your everyday Honey-Maid graham crackers. They’re denser in both flavor and texture and hold up better when using them in desserts.
I also use them in my Dairy-Free Raspberry Cheesecake Pops. I’ve also used Pamela’s Gluten-Free Grahams and those are great too, but they don’t hold up quite as well.
If you don’t have any issues and would like to use regular graham crackers, those will work just fine!
Ch-ch-ch-chia! Pudding that is.
Every darn time I think about chia seeds, I think of Chia Pets. And what do you know, they have a poop emoji one these days. Do you remember those? I can still hear the commercials in my head that would play after school while we were watching Duck Tales. I digress.
For the chocolate portion of this s’mores creation, I decided to create a rich chia pudding.
How to get a perfectly smooth creamy chia seed pudding:
But did you know you can make a nutrient-dense chia pudding without the texture of the seeds?
Personally the texture of the seeds doesn’t bother me, in fact I like it. But I know a lot of people aren’t fans of the texture.
Here’s the deal. You can make a chia pudding, using chia seeds, without the slimy texture. All you need to do is blend your chia pudding in the blender beforehand. Blending it will agitate the seeds in the same way to release its gelatinous texture but will grind up the seed s you don’t actually taste it.
What you’ll be left with instead is a smooth, pudding-like chia pudding. What do you know, eh?
Feel free to use this technique with any other chia recipe, like my Mexican Hot Chocolate Chia Pudding. You’ll have all of the nutrients without the funky (funky but I love it!) texture. Which means your kid will most likely gobble it down too.
How to make non-dairy coconut whip:
Watch me whip, whip… coconut cream. Yep, that’s it. That’s all you need for a non-dairy faux marshmallow whip to top these chia seed parfaits. You’ll need one can of full-fat coconut milk with no additives. The additives are added to help keep a creamy consistency to the coconut milk, but in this case that’s not what we want.
Place your coconut milk (my favorite is the Whole Foods 365 brand) and let the fats solidify in the can. Let the coconut milk cool in the refrigerator overnight and proceed to scrape out the separated coconut fats from the liquid, that’s the coconut cream we’ll be using.
You’ll also want to make sure to place the metal bowl of a stand mixer in the freezer for at least an hour prior to whipping your coconut cream as this will help the coconut cream stay cold and fluffy; not soggy and wet.
Remember above where I said traditionally s’mores were too sweet for me? Well here’s a place where I cut the sugar, the dairy-free coconut whip topping. I’d rather have a cool, lightly sweetened topping to pay alongside the blended chia pudding than an overly sweet, heavier cream.
Lightening up the sweetness of the coconut cream will add a nice contrast to the rich
chocolate.
But by all means, if you’d like it to be sweeter feel free to double the honey. This whipped coconut cream topping is also perfect for all sorts of other desserts. Feel free to
add it to recipes like my 3-Minute Paleo Strawberry Mug Cake. You can also dig in with just a spoon, that works too!
I hope you enjoy this gluten-free chia seed parfait recipe as much as my family and I did! In fact, it’s a great recipe to have even the littlest of kids in the kitchen helping with.
Tips for making S’Mores Chia Seed Parfaits:
- Place a metal mixing bowl in the freezer prior to whipping your coconut cream, this will ensure a cold and fluffy whipped topping.
- This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and keep on hand. Make the components ahead of time and assemble the dessert by layers right before you eat it.
- For an extra bit of chocolate decadence add some chocolate chips to the chia seed parfait after it’s been blended.
My whipped topping won’t get fluffy, what can I do?
Make sure to get as little liquid, preferably none at all, out of the can. Scrape just the cream. Some brands separate better than others. As well, make sure you’re using a metal bowl that is COLD to keep the fats hard.
Can I make this chia seed parfait recipe without blending the chia pudding? I like the texture!
Yes, of course! It will be just as delicious!
I can’t find gluten-free graham crackers at the store? What else can I use?
You can use any crunchy gluten-free cookie! While you won’t have that s’mores graham cracker vibe, you will still have a delicious dessert parfait.
Gluten-free S'mores Chia Seed Parfait
Ingredients
- 2 15- oz cans full fat coconut milk coconut one refrigerated for 8+ hours and one at room temp
- 1/3 cup 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- pinch salt
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 3/4 cup crushed gluten-free graham crackers I like Kinnickinnick
Instructions
- Add the room temperature can of coconut milk, the chia seeds, maple syrup, cocoa powder and salt to a blender and blend on high for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend on high for an additional 20 seconds. Let the chia pudding cool for 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
- Scrape the coconut cream out of the refrigerated can of coconut milk and into the cold mixing bowl and add the honey. Using a whisk attachment, whip the coconut cream for 2 to 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
- To assemble the parfait, divide the graham cracker crumbs amongst three serving dishes.
- Divide the chocolate chia pudding over top of the graham crackers crumbs and top with the coconut whip.
- Dust with cocoa powder or cinnamon to serve.
Notes
- Place a metal mixing bowl in the freezer prior to whipping your coconut cream, this will ensure a cold and fluffy whipped topping.
- This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and keep on hand. Make the components ahead of time and assemble the dessert by layers right before you eat it.
- For an extra bit of chocolate decadence add some chocolate chips to the chia pudding after it’s been blended.
There are two cans of coconut needed to make this recipe. One cold and refridgerated and one at room temp. The room temp one makes the chia pudding and you use the cold one to make the whipped topping.