Baked Sweet Chia Pudding Cakes

1.Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a standard 6-cup muffin tin or use paper liners.

2.In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, chia seeds, baking powder, and salt.

3.In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg until lightly beaten. Add the milk, melted butter (or oil), and vanilla extract. Whisk until just combined.

4.Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk gently until the batter is mostly smooth; do not overmix. A few small lumps are acceptable.

5.Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. This allows the chia seeds to begin absorbing moisture and developing the pudding-like texture.

6.Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.

7.Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs attached.

8.Allow the cakes to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

9.Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh berries.