Look out! Art and food coming atcha for your weekly dose of Pickled Rose’s Fine Art Friday. I’m going to start off by saying that I know chia pudding is old news. But let me try to persuade you to revisit this old breakfast staple, if for nothing else, because it’s easy as hell to make. And who doesn’t need something easy in their life on the regular?

What makes this chia pudding next level? A date sweetened cashew cream scented with cinnamon and cardamom that tastes like ice cream. Oh, and it’s also sugar free and vegan, if that’s your jam.

Next Level Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp chia seeds

1 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 C raw cashew pieces

1 C water

3 medjool dates, pitted

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl combine chia seeds with 1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In blender combine cashews and water. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature. In the morning add dates, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 C almond milk to blender, and puree until smooth.

Remove chia pudding from fridge and stir to get rid of any clumps. Add 2/3 C of cashew cream to chia mixture. Stir until combined. Reserve extra cashew cream for topping fruit, ice cream, or layering into yogurt/chia pudding parfaits.