This super delicious and healthy chia pudding recipe lets you try a new flavor for breakfast or snack every day of the week!
Chia pudding is the ultimate healthy dessert
If you’re new to chia seeds, this easy chia pudding recipe is a great starting point.
You simply stir everything together and refrigerate until thick. No fancy cooking gadgets, no whisking on the stovetop, and no baking required.
The resulting pudding is deliciously thick and creamy, with so many health benefits! It can be vegan, gluten free, raw, paleo, sugar free, oil free, nut free, low calorie, low carb, soy free, and keto friendly.
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I’ve posted the basic recipe below, along with some of my favorite flavor variations, each of which can be prepared in under 5 minutes.
And you can eat chia pudding for breakfast, snack, or a healthy dessert.
Why you should try chia pudding
1. High in fiber, protein, and calcium
It’s also high in B vitamins, iron, phosphorous, zinc, and magnesium.
2. Chia seeds are rich in Omega 3s
Just 2 tbsp of chia seeds have the same amount of heart-healthy Omega 3s as four ounces of salmon, so it’s a good vegetarian source of Omega 3s.
3. They’ve been shown to help you feel full
Chia seeds can expand up to 10 times their size by soaking up liquid, which can help keep you hydrated and aid in the digestion process. They are a great source of energy and can help in weight loss but are not strictly a diet food.
4. Natural alternative to cornstarch or heavy cream
The chia seeds naturally thicken the pudding, with no need to add any flour, starch, cream, eggs, or thickeners like xanthan gum, cornstarch, or carrageenan.
5. A new flavor idea for every day of the week
Try some of the flavor variations below, or have fun coming up with your own.
You can make chia seed pudding with almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, yogurt, cashew cream, or even other liquids such as orange juice or coconut water.
Or make a breakfast chia parfait by layering the pudding with fresh berries, banana, coconut yogurt, graham cracker crumbs, or Vegan Brownies, Sweet Potato Brownies, or Black Bean Brownies.
Chia seed pudding flavors
Chocolate Chia Pudding: Add a spoonful of mini chocolate chips and 2 tbsp cocoa powder or your favorite chocolate protein powder to the base recipe below for a yummy chocolate fudge pudding variation.
Strawberry Coconut: Use canned or carton coconutmilk for the milk of choice in the base recipe, and garnish with chopped or sliced strawberries or layer the pudding in a glass between layers of fresh berries (as shown in the photo below with raspberries).
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough: Stir one or two tablespoons of peanut butter or powdered peanut butter into the base recipe. If desired, crumble a few Keto Peanut Butter Cookies or these Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies on top.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Stir in mini chocolate chips and 1/4 cup mashed banana for a banana chia pudding. I like to quickly heat the banana first so it caramelizes, adding natural sweetness.
Blueberry Pie Chia Pudding: Stir in 1/4 cup mashed or pureed blueberries or blueberry yogurt. Add a dash of cinnamon and tiny sprinkle of cardamom if desired.
Other flavor ideas for how to make chia pudding include mocha, pumpkin pie or sweet potato, matcha, pb&j, piña colada, chocolate chip cherry, cinnamon roll, orange vanilla, key lime pie, or coconut chocolate.
Or stir in a tablespoon each of cocoa powder and this Homemade Nutella Recipe.
How to make the recipe
Start by gathering all of your chia pudding ingredients, and take out a container with a lid that can be used to store the pudding once it’s made.
Whisk all ingredients together in the container until evenly combined. Cover the container, shake it up, and refrigerate overnight.
This recipe will keep 4-5 days in the fridge, so it’s great for meal prep.
Feel free to double or triple the recipe below if you want a larger batch, or make up a bigger version of the base and then portion individual servings into containers, turning each one into a different flavor so you can try a new flavor every day.
And if you’ve tried chia puddings in the past and weren’t a fan of the gel-like texture, simply blend all of the ingredients together before letting it sit overnight. The resulting pudding the next day will be thick and smooth.
What would be your dream flavor chia pudding?
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Above, watch the chia pudding recipe video
Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk of choice or cashew cream
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- sweetener of choice, as desired
- scant 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- *Sweetener amount will depend on the type of milk and sweetener you use, as well as your tastes. Options include maple syrup, stevia, sugar, coconut sugar, date paste, etc.Chia Pudding Recipe: Whisk all ingredients in a container. If desired, you can blend everything together now, which will result in a smoother consistency the next day, but I actually love the taste and fun texture of leaving the seeds whole, so it's up to you. Cover, shake, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, it will be nice and thick. The pudding will keep 4-5 days refrigerated, so feel free to make a larger batch and portion into individual containers. I’ve included some flavor ideas earlier in this post, or have fun dreaming up your own!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Healthy Ways To Use Chia Seeds
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I love chia seed pudding! And now I am craving raspberries more than ever… yum. Hopefully will find my chia seeds soon so I can make this- we moved again yesterday and they are nowhere to be found.
(PS- I bet a chocolate variation of this would be fantastic, too- raspberries & chocolate. Amazing! Or PB chocolate…)
I love chia pudding, and chia in my green smoothies. One trick I’ve learned recently is using chia to thicken oil-free salad dressings.
I LOVE chia pudding! It’s so great that you can play around with chia pudding recipes, and make them ‘your own’ so easily. My favourite at the moment is choco-chia pudding, which I also add protein powder too, and sometimes a dash of peanut butter.
I have chia everyday for breakfast, and sometimes dessert. I find it keeps me full for ages and my hair and nails have grown so long and strong since using chia consistently.
Your photography is beautiful Katie!
This recipe looks so simple and amazing! I think the hardest part of the entire process is the patience…till tomorrow seems like so long to wait for such deliciousness.
I just bought chia seeds for the first time today and came here to see if you had any chia recipes, so I think I have to make this now!
It’s been too long since I’ve made chia seed pudding, this looks great! I usually just add chia seeds to breakfast smoothies which is great for thickening them up.
I love love love chia seeds!!! I’ve been basically coming up with a new chia seed recipe every day, lol! This past week I made a raw vanilla bean coconut and a raw carob chip & cocoa pudding…I can’t get enough of it!! 😉
I love chia seed pudding! I find the easiest way to make it is to dump all the ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid or a mason jar and SHAKE! I keep it on the counter for the first 15 minutes or so and give it a good hard shake every couple of minutes, otherwise I find I get clumps in mine (if I just let it sit). Just a hint if anyone has issues with clumps!
This is the first time you have posted a recipe that I already know and love! I LOVE LOVE LOVE chia pudding! I omit the fruit. It gets in the way of the yummy chia-ness. My nutritionist says this is so good for you, you can eat it for breakfast. Imagine how giddy I was when I ate it for breakfast! Not going to lie. I have never used vanilla bean paste. I use vanilla extract. Now I need to find vanilla bean paste. I’m intrigued.
I LOVE chia seed pudding and I love that this recipe is sooo simple and yummy! 🙂 I am going to have to try this with some cashew milk! And to answer your question, I love everything Chia! In fact I am drinking a Chia seed smoothie right now!