Cardamom Pistachio Chia Seed Kheer with Raisins and Almonds
Chia seed kheer made with almond and coconut milk, warmed with cardamom and saffron, plus plump raisins and toasted pistachios. A make-ahead festive breakfast.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Rest
- 4 h
- Serves
- 4
Cardamom Pistachio Chia Seed Kheer with Raisins and Almonds is a vegan breakfast recipe made with unsweetened almond milk, full-fat canned coconut milk, ground cardamom. It takes 18 minutes of hands-on time, plus 4 hours resting, serves 4, and each serving has 366 calories, 9 g of protein and 11 g of fiber.
This chia pudding tastes like kheer, the Indian rice pudding. Before the chia goes in, you warm the almond and coconut milk with cardamom and saffron, which brings out much more aroma than stirring the spices into cold milk. The raisins plump in the warm milk, and the pistachios and almonds go on toasted just before serving so they stay crunchy. Make it the night before for an easy breakfast during Navratri or Diwali.
A cuisine (Indian kheer-style cardamom, pistachio and almond milk for Navratri/Diwali instead of pumpkin pie spice parfaits) take on our Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding Parfaits with Coconut Yogurt and Maple Pecan Crunch.
Ingredients
Pudding
- 2 cups480 gunsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup113 gfull-fat canned coconut milk, well stirred
- ¾ tsp1.5 gground cardamom
- 1 pinch0.1 gsaffron threads, lightly crushed (optional)
- 3 tbsp60 gmaple syrup
- 1 pinch0.4 gfine salt
- ¼ cup36 ggolden or dark raisins
- ½ cup96 gchia seeds (white chia seeds look most like kheer)
Topping
- ⅓ cup41 gshelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup36 gsliced almonds
- ¼ tsp1.3 grose water (optional)
Kit: small saucepan, whisk, small skillet
Tips
- Warming the spices in the milk is what makes this taste like kheer, so don't skip it. Just don't add chia to very hot milk, or it can clump.
- Freshly ground cardamom from about 8 green pods tastes noticeably brighter than pre-ground.
- Keep the toasted nuts in a separate container so they stay crunchy.
Swap ideas
- Chopped dates or dried apricots instead of raisins
- Richer, caramel-like sweetness. You can cut the maple syrup to 2 tbsp.
- Cashews instead of almonds
- A softer, creamier crunch, as in many festival kheers.
- All almond milk (2½ cups) instead of adding coconut milk
- Lighter and less creamy, with a cleaner almond flavor.
- Jaggery or coconut sugar instead of maple syrup
- Deeper, earthier sweetness that's more traditional. Dissolve it in the warm milk.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
366kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 7.2 g 36%
- Sugars
- 17.1 g
- Sodium
- 137 mg 6%
- Potassium
- 513 mg 11%
- Calcium
- 434 mg 33%
- Iron
- 4.1 mg 23%
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg 2%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Beverages, almond milk, unsweetened, shelf stable, Nuts, coconut milk, canned (liquid expressed from grated meat and water), Spices, cardamom, Syrups, maple, Salt, table, Raisins, dark, seedless (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Seeds, chia seeds, dried, Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw, Nuts, almonds
Method
Pour the almond milk and coconut milk into a small saucepan. Add the cardamom, saffron if using, maple syrup and salt, and whisk to combine.
Warm over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the milk is steaming and small bubbles form at the edge, 4–5 minutes. Don't let it boil hard. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the raisins.
Let the milk cool for about 5 minutes until it is warm but not hot. Whisk in the chia seeds and keep whisking for 30 seconds so they don't clump.
Let it stand for 10 minutes, then whisk again to break up any clumps. Cover and refrigerate until thick and spoonable, at least 4 hours or overnight.
While the pudding chills or just before serving, toast the pistachios and almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often, until the almonds are lightly golden and smell nutty, 3–4 minutes. Tip them onto a plate to cool.
Stir the pudding. If it is too thick, loosen it with a splash of almond milk. Taste and add more maple syrup if you like. Divide among 4 bowls or glasses, sprinkle with a few drops of rose water if using, and top with the toasted nuts.
Storage: Refrigerate the pudding, covered, for up to 4 days. Stir in a splash of almond milk if it thickens too much. Keep the toasted nuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, and add them just before serving.
Questions
- How much protein is in cardamom pistachio chia seed kheer with raisins and almonds?
- Each of the 4 servings has 9 g of protein, 11 g of fiber and 366 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is cardamom pistachio chia seed kheer with raisins and almonds vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does cardamom pistachio chia seed kheer with raisins and almonds take to make?
- 10 minutes of prep and 8 minutes of cooking, so 18 minutes of hands-on time, plus 4 hours of unattended resting.
- Can you make cardamom pistachio chia seed kheer with raisins and almonds ahead?
- Refrigerate the pudding, covered, for up to 4 days. Stir in a splash of almond milk if it thickens too much. Keep the toasted nuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, and add them just before serving.
- What can I substitute in cardamom pistachio chia seed kheer with raisins and almonds?
- Chopped dates or dried apricots instead of raisins — richer, caramel-like sweetness. you can cut the maple syrup to 2 tbsp.. Cashews instead of almonds — a softer, creamier crunch, as in many festival kheers.. All almond milk (2½ cups) instead of adding coconut milk — lighter and less creamy, with a cleaner almond flavor.. Jaggery or coconut sugar instead of maple syrup — deeper, earthier sweetness that's more traditional. dissolve it in the warm milk..
- Does cardamom pistachio chia seed kheer with raisins and almonds contain tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 1, 2026 ·Indian
