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Her Mise En Place

pudding

Sumo Orange Chia Seed Pudding: Seasonal Citrus Breakfast

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There’s something satisfying about cooking with ingredients at the peak of their season. As winter transitions into early spring, my grocery cart becomes a little more vibrant with the colors and brightness of seasonal citrus. Among these treasures, the Sumo orange—that distinctive, easy-to-peel citrus with its characteristic “topknot”—holds a special place in my culinary heart.

These sweet, seedless wonders typically appear more in markets from January through April. I find myself incorporating them into everything from savory salads to delicate desserts. Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to showcase this seasonal gem: a Sumo orange chia seed pudding that balances flavor and nutrition. It’s perfect for beginner or experienced home cooks looking to elevate their breakfast repertoire with seasonal ingredients. This make-ahead breakfast includes simple ingredients and results in lovely textures and flavors.

Why Sumo Oranges Deserve a Place in Your Kitchen

Sumo oranges, originally developed in Japan as “Dekopon” before being cultivated in California, aren’t just another citrus variety. What sets them apart from conventional citrus is their extraordinary sweetness balanced with just the right acidity, seedless interior, and a rind that is surprisinglyy easy to peel.

For the insightful home cook, Sumo oranges offer several advantages:

  1. Superior Flavor Profile: With sweetness levels often exceeding those of conventional oranges, Sumo oranges provide an intensity of flavor that can transform a simple dish into something memorable.
  2. Textural Versatility: The segments separate cleanly without the fibrous membranes that can mar the eating experience of other citrus varieties, allowing them to fold beautifully into delicate preparations like this chia seed pudding recipe.
  3. Visual Appeal: Their vibrant orange flesh and distinctive appearance make them aesthetically pleasing. As you know, we eat first with our eyes!
  4. Nutritional Density: Sumo oranges deliver several vitamins, including Vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and fiber, making them as nutritious as they are delicious.

When incorporated into a chia pudding, the Sumo orange transforms a potentially ordinary breakfast into a celebration of seasonal eating, providing both flavor and valuable nutrition!

Sumo orange that is uncut in hand.

MISE EN PLACE

Before we dive into the recipe, let’s prep our ingredients. You’ll need:

  • 4 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1 cup milk (dairy or plant-based of choice; almond or oat work particularly well)
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt (full-fat recommended for superior texture)
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional but recommended)
  • 1 large Sumo orange, peeled and sliced into chunks

For Garnish (Optional but Recommended):

  • Reserved Sumo orange segments
  • Light drizzle of maple syrup
  • Pinch of flaky sea salt
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Toasted sliced almonds or pistachios for textural contrast

NOW THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED, LET’S GET STARTED!

RECIPE STEPS TO MAKE SUMO ORANGE CHIA SEED PUDDING

STEP 1: Prep the sumo orange

Peel the Sumo orange and separate the segments. Chop the segments into smaller pieces, reserving a few for garnish.

Orange being cut with paring knife.

STEP 2: Prep the Pudding and Refrigerate Overnight

Whisk together the milk, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the chia seeds and stir thoroughly to combine, ensuring no clumps. Gently fold in the chopped Sumo orange segments.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight, allowing the chia seeds to absorb the liquid and create a pudding-like consistency.

Sumo Orange Chia Seed Pudding ingredients being stirred together with a blue spatula.

STEP 3: Stir Again, Garnish and Serve

Once set, stir the pudding and divide it between serving glasses or bowls. Garnish with the reserved Sumo orange segments and additional garnishes if desired. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Chia seed pudding with sumo orange chunks being scooped from metal bowl into a serving bowl.

Recipe Video

Here’s a short video tutorial of how this recipe is made.

How Can I Vary This Sumo Orange Chia Seed Pudding Recipe Through the Seasons?

While this recipe showcases Sumo oranges during their winter-to-spring peak season, it’s essential to have adaptability throughout the year. Here are seasonal variations that maintain the integrity of the base recipe while celebrating what’s at its prime:

Late Spring:

Summer:

  • Replace Sumo orange with ripe peaches or nectarines
  • Mix in freshly chopped basil or lemon verbena for herbal notes
  • Top with seasonal berries

Fall:

  • Swap in spiced poached pears
  • Incorporate roasted pumpkin puree and a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom

Early Winter:

  • Use blood oranges
  • Add a touch of warming spices like cardamom or star anise
  • Mix in pomegranate arils for additional color and added texture

Can I Make This Pudding Dairy-Free?

For those avoiding dairy products, this pudding adapts beautifully to a plant-based preparation with a few substitutions:

  • Milk Alternative: Choose unsweetened almond, oat, or coconut milk. Each option adds its own character to the pudding—almond provides neutrality, oats offer creaminess, and coconut contributes tropical notes that complement the citrus.
  • Yogurt Substitute:
    • Coconut yogurt
    • Almond-based yogurt offers a neutral base
    • Cashew yogurt

Note: Some plant-based yogurts have a thinner consistency than full-fat Greek yogurt. If you use these, you may want to reduce the amount of milk you use.

All in All

Whether enjoyed as a quiet weekday breakfast or as part of an elegant weekend brunch, this Sumo orange chia pudding represents what I love best: simple recipes with seasonal ingredients that are easily adaptable!

What seasonal ingredient are you most excited to incorporate into your cooking right now? Share your thoughts and variations in the comments below.

Bowl of sumo orange chia seed pudding with spoon, orange peels on the side and a decorative rainbow napkin.

Sumo Orange Chia Seed Pudding

Discover the perfect Sumo Orange Chia Seed Pudding recipe for health-conscious home cooks. This seasonal winter citrus breakfast combines the vibrant sweetness of Sumo oranges with protein-rich chia seeds and creamy Greek yogurt.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cooling Time 6 hours
Course Breakfast
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1 cup milk dairy or plant-based of choice; almond or oat work particularly well
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt full-fat recommended for superior texture
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 large Sumo orange peeled and sliced into chunks

Optional Garnishes

  • Reserved Sumo orange segments
  • Light drizzle of maple syrup
  • Pinch of flaky sea salt
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Toasted sliced almonds or pistachios for textural contrast

Instructions
 

  • Peel the Sumo orange and separate the segments. Chop the segments into smaller pieces, reserving a few for garnish.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
  • Add the chia seeds and whisk thoroughly to combine, ensuring no clumps.
  • Gently fold in the chopped Sumo orange segments.
  • Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight, allowing the chia seeds to absorb the liquid and create a pudding-like consistency.
  • Once set, stir the pudding and divide it between serving glasses or bowls.
  • Garnish with the reserved Sumo orange segments and additional garnishes if desired. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Black History Month Virtual Potluck: Rice Pudding

I am glad to have been chosen to participate in the 2020 Black History Virtual Potluck. It is an honor to share my recipe alongside AMAZING Black Food Bloggers who I admire and follow.

Vanilla and orange scented rice pudding topped with coconut flakes, pecans, and dried cranberries. This easy and healthy dish is sweetened with coconut sugar.

At the end of this post, is a full list and links to the participant sites!

What is the #BHMPotluck?

This is the fourth annual event. The Black History Month Virtual Pot Luck is an opportunity for 28 Black Food Bloggers to showcase their unique recipes and cooking styles. This year participants were asked to share their take on a soul food or black cuisine recipe that is vegetarian or vegan.

I chose to adapt one of my favorite comfort foods: RICE PUDDING! It’s a dish my great-grandmother used to make, as did my grandmother, my mother, and now me. We all, of course, have our version.

My Rice Pudding Experience

“If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go.” 

—James Baldwin

My earliest memories of eating rice pudding were in my early childhood. I grew up eating it primarily for breakfast. It was a sweet treat made with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk. It broke up the monotony of cereal or scrambled eggs. It sometimes was a way to use leftover cooked rice from a previous meal- because waste not.

My mother and grandmother made rice pudding on the stove top. According to my cousin Chris (our family historian & amazing cook), my great-grandmother Agnes typically baked rice pudding as a dessert for family gathering and holidays. He also confirmed that hers was baked and included raisins. According to my Mom, she included egg to create a more custard-like pudding for the dessert.

My Great-grandmother, Agnes Daniels, in the 1940’s.

Soul Food and Vegetarianism


When I think of soul food, I think of the powerful and delicious influence African Americans have had on American cuisine for centuries. It is said that Soul Food began with African American slaves making do with what ingredients were available.

Ultimately, the influence of the African Diaspora in cooking has lead us all to traditional soul food dishes such as fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and so much more (if I keep going, I’ll start drooling on the keyboard). Soul Food is truly an important part of African American heritage, history and pride. It shows how our ancestors experienced food, created traditions and adapted a flavorful cuisine despite adversity.

“Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.” 

—Ola Joseph

Today you can find Soul Food restaurants from coast to coast. There are even vegetarian and vegan soul food restaurants! According to author Joshua Clark Davis in Black Prospectives, “While restaurants offering meatless versions of soul food classics like Atlanta’s Soul Vegetarian, are over twenty-five years old,” He continues on to say, “Many more “vegan soul” eateries have opened in the last decade. A wide array of vegetarian cookbooks for African Americans have hit the shelves in the last decade.”

Here is my take on Rice Pudding:

Bowls of Rice Pudding

Mise En Place

The version I am sharing with you is elevated with fresh vanilla beans, orange zest, coconut sugar, honey and fragrant jasmine rice. Coconut milk is a healthy and flavorful alternative to cream. My rice pudding still includes hints of traditional spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloved. The toppings include dried cranberries instead of raisins, pecans and coconut flakes.

The Steps

1. Making the Topping: Start by preparing your rice pudding toppings. In a bowl, stir together coconut flakes, 1/2 tablespoon of water, and sugar. Next, you’ll mix in the pecan pieces. Spread the mixture into a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for no more than 5 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once cooled, stir in dried cranberries.

Adding a little water helps the sugar to stick to the dry coconut flakes.
You’ll want to be careful not to burn the mixture. The coconut and nuts toast quickly.
Cranberries are a tasty and colorful alternative to traditional raisins in rice pudding.

2. Preparing the Liquid for the Rice: The next step is steeping your spices, coconut sugar, honey, orange zest and vanilla bean seeds and vanilla bean pod in a pot of water and coconut milk. For a vegan option- omit the honey

Tip: Use a spoon to scrape the vanilla bean seeds out of the pod. This will get the most seeds out and lessen waste.
The smell of this in the kitchen is AMAZING!

3. Cooking the Rice: Once the milk begins to boil, you’ll need to turn your stove burner down to it’s lowest level, stir in the rice, and cover with a lid. Allow the rice to slowly simmer on low until it absorbs all of the liquid and is tender.

When your rice is finished, discard the vanilla bean pod and add more coconut milk and/or sugar to your preference. You can make the pudding as creamy or sweet as you desire!

4. Serving the Finished Rice Pudding: To serve, spoon warm rice pudding into a bowl and top with desired amount of the baked coconut mixture.

BHM Virtual Potluck Round Up

Here are the links of participating bloggers in the 2020 BHM Virtual Pot Luck. Please show them some love by pinning, sharing, and/or visiting their recipe posts! #BHMPotluck

Beautiful Eats & Things | Honey Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes | vegetarian

D.M.R. Fine Foods |Vegetarian Chili | vegetarian

Dash of Jazz |Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits with Spiced Pear Compote | vegan

Dish it with Tisha | Mushroom and Okra Po’ Boy |vegetarian

Domestic Dee |Dirty Rice |vegan

Food Fidelity |Vegan Curry Cauliflower | vegan

Kenneth Temple |Wakanda Cake | vegan

Marisa Moore Nutrition |Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Fritters | vegan

Meiko and the Dish | Cajun Shrooms & Grits | vegetarian

Rosalynn Daniels | Vegan Bread Pudding | vegan

Savory Thoughts | Haitian Black Rice (Diri Djon Djon) | vegan

The Hungry Hutch | Vegetarian Southern-Style Collard Greens | Vegan

Whisk it Real Gud | Vegan Jollof Rice | vegan

A Little Food | Southern Sweet Fried Corn | vegan

AGirlCalledAdri | Pound Cake | vegetarian

Baum Ass Foods | Slow Cooked Black-eyed Peas + Greens | vegan

Collards Are the Old Kale | Red Beans and Tri-Color Quinoa | vegetarian

FoodLoveTog | Black-Eyed Pea Hummus | vegetarian

Her Mise En Place | Rice Pudding | vegetarian

Kalisha Blair | Yeasted Cornmeal Dinner Rolls | vegetarian

Kenya Rae | Sweet potato Biscuits | vegetarian

On Ty’s Plate | Collard Greens Salad with Orange Vinaigrette | vegetarian

Orchids + Sweet Tea | Banana Cake + Cinnamon Browned Butter Buttercream | vegan

Razzle Dazzle Life | Roasted Garlic White Veggie Lasagna | vegetarian

Sweet Tea and Thyme Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar Topping | vegetarian

Orchids + Sweet Tea | Southerner’s Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bites | vegetarian

Marisa Moore Nutrition | Crispy Roasted Okra with Peanut Sauce | vegan

Kenneth Temple | Vegan File Gumbo | vegan

Meiko and the Dish | Sweet Potato Pancakes | vegetarian

All in All

Soul food and vegetarianism is ever-evolving! It’s exciting to see black cooks (including the featured bloggers) continually create and enhance traditional dishes that define our culture and experiences in America. Soul Food is definitely a topic in Black History that everyone should explore.

I hope you enjoy my take on Rice Pudding! Thanks for reading.

Bowls of Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Toppings

  • 1 Cup Dried Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)
  • 1 Cup Pecan Pieces
  • 1 Cup Dried Cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon Coconut Sugar
  • 1/2 Tablespoon water
  • Dash of salt

Rice Pudding

  • 1 Cup Jasmine Rice
  • 1 Cup Coconut Milk
  • 1 1/2 Cups water
  • 1 teaspoon Coconut Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon honey Optional- Omit honey to make recipe Vegan
  • 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
  • 1 Vanilla Bean Pod Split and seeds scraped out
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt I used course Kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves

Instructions
 

Make the topping

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, stir together coconut flakes, 1/2 tablespoon of water, and sugar. Next, mix in the pecan pieces.
  • Spread the mixture into a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for no more than 5 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once cooled, stir in dried cranberries. Set aside.
  • Once cooled, stir in dried cranberries. Set aside.

Make the rice pudding

  • In a pot over medium heat, whisk together water, coconut milk, coconut sugar, honey, orange zest,vanilla bean seeds and vanilla bean. When liquid begins to boil turn burner down to it's lowest setting.
  • Add rice to the liquid and cover. Let simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes or until liquid absorbs and rice is tender. Remove from heat.
  • Add desired amount of additional coconut milk until preferred creaminess is reached. Also add more sugar and/or honey to sweeten if desired.
  • Spoon warm rice pudding into serving bowls and top with the baked coconut, pecan and cranberry mixture.

Notes

If you chose to use a different type of rice (such as short grained, or arborio rice), cooking time and/or liquid amount may need to be adjusted. 
Coconut sugar can be substituted with your preferred sugar.  
Rice pudding keeps well refrigerated up to 3 days in an air tight container. 
Keyword rice