Indoor Picnic Brunch Ideas and Delicious Mocha Chia Pudding Recipe

The best indoor picnic ideas with items you already have! Plus, a delicious mocha chia pudding recipe for an indoor picnic brunch for the family.

Who says you have to wait for warm weather to have a picnic? While the weather is still frightful outside across the country (snow storms up north and cold, rainy days around our home), it’s the perfect excuse to create a more fun and memorable snow day with an indoor picnic brunch and a twist on a classic pudding cup with our mocha chia pudding recipe!

We recently decided that there is no time like the present to have an indoor picnic. It’s the perfect remedy for those spring showers (be it rain or snow!).

It’s actually really easy to take a break from the norm of eating at the table, and spread out across the floor.

What I REALLY like to do?

Clean out our fridge and pantry and serve all kinds of easy to eat items that everyone is free to help themselves to! Fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, crackers, bread, jams… even granola. It doesn’t necessarily look like a full meal, but with everyone noshing away, bellies fill surprisingly quickly. 

We went with a picnic brunch theme (having croissants, granola and lemon loaf on hand helped my decision… see, cleaning out the fridge and pantry!) and I wanted to add a little healthier treat as well.

This is where our Mocha Chia Pudding comes in. I’m pretty sure everyone has heard of chia seeds by now as they are pretty mainstream in a lot of paleo diets, smoothies, and other healthy alternative recipes. We thought, why not combine our favorite things all together and excite our taste buds for brunch… So, coffee, chocolate, and pudding – with chia seeds.

Not only was it a healthy pudding dish, breaking out the blender in our house causes all the littles to come running to see what drink or snack is being made.

I love to get my children involved in the kitchen when I can. Introducing them to new ideas is what it’s all about for me. I want them to know that creativity is not contained to one small category, but the kitchen is just one perfect place for creativity to flourish. We all have to eat anyway, why not make it creative and have fun experimenting with new ideas, try new flavors, taste from different cultures?

So yeah, while chocolate may not be quite so different for us, this was a new, healthier take on the pudding cup. Made in the morning, it had enough time to set before our picnic brunch. 🙂

Our picnic turned out great.

It’s just fun. Eating yummy food together, putting on music, breaking for dance parties, laughing and talking over good eats… making the best of a rainy day (and really, indoor picnics are fun for ANY day!).

Though I will say, it took a little bit for our littles to get over “seeing” the seeds visible in the mocha chia pudding. Which is fine… because, coffee.

For our next picnic brunch, I’ll do a half batch, one with coffee and one without, but my husband and I relish in the fact that we can add some healthy inclusions to our picnic.

Continue to Content

Mocha Chia Pudding

Print

Ingredients

• ½ cup brewed coffee (chilled)
• ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1 heaping tablespoon almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (optional depending on the amount of sweetness you like)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup chia seeds

Instructions

1. Blend brewed coffee, coconut milk, almond butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and cocoa powder in a blender.
2. Place the mixture into a resealable large jar (or 2 smaller jars) then add chia seeds.
3. Seal the jar and shake.
4. Place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 3 hours.
5. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Have you tried chia pudding before? What are some of your favorite recipes for it? I’d love some new ideas!

Delicious Brunch Recipe Ideas!

Brunch With Love + A Valentine's Popcorn Recipe

Continue Reading

Easy Homemade Waffle Recipe

Easy Homemade, Family-Favorite Waffle Recipe for an Amazing Breakfast for Dinner Family Night. Create a Fun Chicken and Waffles Breakfast Board!

Get the Recipe

Clone of a Cinnabon: Easy Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls

Easy bread machine cinnamon rolls dough. The best gooey sticky buns and clone of a Cinnabon roll icing! NO waiting overnight. Check out the recipe and how-to video for fluffy cinnamon rolls homemade with a bread maker machine! Use all purpose flour or make them gluten free.

Get the Recipe

5 Anti-Aging Ways to Elevate the Best Toast Recipes

Continue Reading

Ham and Turkey Monte Cristo Waffle Skewers

Continue Reading

Mocha No Bake Protein Bars

Get the Recipe

Coffee Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

Continue Reading