It’s October already (but still 90 degrees outside here) and that means prepare yourself for the onslaught of ALL the pumpkin things. As if you haven’t already been totally inundated since August at every store and Starbucks ad, right? But I promise you, these Pumpkin Chia Parfaits with Caramelized Apples just might get you back on the pumpkin-spiced train.

I don’t like pumpkin flavoring. It’s gross. Pumpkin pie spice and things that use real pumpkin? I’m down. Unpopular opinion alert: pumpkin spiced lattes just taste fake to me. Bleh. It’s the same way I feel about cherries and grapes. LOVE the fruits, hate anything that has cherry or grape flavoring too it. Just nasty.

These parfaits though. Layers of chia pudding with real pumpkin (okay, it was canned because I’m too lazy to roast a whole pumpkin, scoop it all out, let it cool, and THEN make the chia pudding with it – but it’s still real pumpkin. Deal.), coconut whipped cream, and caramelized apples and walnuts sprinkled in there. UMMM layers on layers of deliciousness. You know what else would be great in here? Some graham crackers. Except we all know how horrid I am at baking, so I wasn’t even going to attempt to make those homemade, and I haven’t found any GF ones at the store I like. Open to graham cracker deliciousness recommendations.

Anyway. These would be great (and super easy!) to serve up at a Halloween party, Friendsgiving, or any of your holiday get-togethers, and are super simple to throw together too, for the win!

BONUS with these babies: you’re getting a gut health boost from the chia seeds which can help with bulking up the stool (yep, poop!) but we’re also throwing some of the Just Thrive Probiotics in there, which help beneficial bacteria in your gut thrive! You guys know if you’ve been following along with the podcast this month that I’ve been working with Just Thrive, which is is the first spore-based probiotic and antioxidant supplement available on the retail market that arrives 100% alive to your intestines. If you read (or listened to!) the probiotics post/podcast from a few weeks ago, you now know all about spore vs. soil vs. raw-based probiotics, and Just Thrive has some amazing research behind their spore-based formulation! I wanted to give you a fun recipe that you can use their products in. And what better way to do that than with a pumpkin-style recipe for fall?

Pumpkin Chia Parfaits with Caramelized Apples

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Dana: Real Food with Dana

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Chia Pudding

• 1 cup almond-coconut milk blend (or your choice of milk)
• ⅔c canned pumpkin
• ¼c chia seeds
• 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Just Thrive Probiotic capsules

For the caramelized apples

• 1 apple, chopped into small pieces
• ¼c coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 Tbsp ghee
• ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

For layering

• coconut whipped cream

Directions

1. First, make the pudding. Open the probiotic capsules and pour them over the almond milk. Combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized glass bowl and stir until the pumpkin and spices are all mixed in. Let it set in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. Next, make the caramelized apples. Heat 1 Tbsp ghee in a skillet over medium heat and add the apples and walnuts. Sprinkle on the ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice, and if desired, add a small pinch of coconut sugar.
3. Switch the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the apples begin to break down and brown (but don't get mushy!)
4. Allow the apples to cool while you assemble the parfaits. Start with a layer of the chia pudding, then add the whipped cream, then the apples and walnuts. If you like, you can do a second three layers too! Oh you fancy, huh.

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What’re your favorite EASY pumpkin desserts?