, ,

The Best Chia Seed Pudding Recipe (+ 5 Delicious Variations)

Katie Wells Avatar

Reading Time: 5 minutes

This post contains affiliate links.

Read my affiliate policy.

How to Make Chia Seed Pudding
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Breakfast Recipes » The Best Chia Seed Pudding Recipe (+ 5 Delicious Variations)

I love chia seeds and use them all the time. Chia seeds are mini powerhouses packing more calcium than milk, more antioxidants than blueberries, and more omega-3 than salmon.

Their texture can take a little getting used to, but they are very versatile and are a great protein-packed addition to many recipes because of their ability to thicken and gel.

What is Chia Pudding?

Chia seed pudding is a simple and delicious way to easily get the benefits of chia seeds. It takes minutes to make and has enough protein and nutrients to be a quick, on-the-go breakfast option.

This chia pudding could be put in reused baby food jars, small mason jars, or even squeeze pouches to be included for school lunches.

Personally, I love this with some chopped soaked nuts, fresh fruit, or even chocolate shavings for breakfast or a delicious low-sugar dessert.

Blended vs. Whole Chia Seeds

There are two texture options for chia seed pudding. I prefer to keep the chia seeds whole because I love their texture, but if you prefer a smoother texture that is similar to “regular” pudding, a blended version may be your preference.

Either way, this recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make. Here’s the difference:

  • For the whole seed version, just leave the seeds whole and whisk the ingredients together. If you are adding flavors (strawberries, PB&J, spices, chocolate, etc) you will need to blend these into the liquid (milk and sweetener) first before whisking in the chia seeds to keep the flavor from being uneven.
  • For blended (smooth) pudding, just dump all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. I prefer to do this with chocolate or colored options as the simple vanilla recipe will have a grayish color when blended.
How to Make Chia Seed Pudding

Chia Seed Pudding Recipe

Delicious and healthy chia seed pudding packed with protein, omega-3, antioxidants, and calcium that you can make in under 5 minutes. 
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Calories 376kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • For blended/smooth version: Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.
  • For whole chia seed version: Blend all ingredients except chia seeds in a blender until smooth, including any added flavors, fruits, or chocolate. Whisk in chia seeds.
  • Pour mixture into a jar or glass container and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to let gel.
  • Shake or whisk a few times within the first hour to help it gel evenly. I prefer to make this at night to have ready for a fast breakfast the next day. It is also great to make in the morning for a delicious pre-made dessert at night.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chia Seed Pudding Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 376 Calories from Fat 271
% Daily Value*
Fat 30.1g46%
Saturated Fat 22.1g138%
Sodium 20mg1%
Carbohydrates 25.1g8%
Fiber 7.3g30%
Sugar 11.8g13%
Protein 5.6g11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

This recipe is endlessly customizable! Try some of the variations below.

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Chia Seed Pudding Variations

The beauty of this recipe is that there are dozens of ways to customize it. You can change the flavor, the texture, the sweetener, the color, and practically any other part of the recipe and it is almost impossible to mess up. I’ve included the basic vanilla coconut chia seed pudding recipe that I make above, but you can try these variations:

Different or Less Sweetener

Chia Seed Pudding RecipesIf you can’t have or don’t want to add the maple syrup as a sweetener, you can easily substitute stevia (no glycemic) or leave the sweetener out entirely if you like the natural sweetness of coconut and chia.

Stevia can be a very potent healthy sweetener if you find a good version that hasn’t been bleached or that contains added ingredients. My favorite brand is Sweet Drops and they have dozens of flavor options. My personal favorite is to use 5 drops of the English Toffee Stevia in place of the maple syrup in the original recipe.

You could also easily substitute dates or banana in the blended version of this recipe or honey in the whole chia seed version. Experiment and see what your family likes best!

Mix up the Flavor

I prefer basic vanilla chia seed pudding, but I’ve always been a vanilla ice cream person too. If vanilla isn’t your thing, here are some great flavor options you can try:

  • Chocolate: Add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the blended version of this recipe and/or add chocolate flavored stevia.
  • Strawberry: Add ½ cup fresh strawberries to the blended recipe. Or, try blending fresh strawberries into a juice and use as part of the liquid in the whole chia seed recipe.
  • Chai: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of cardamon and cloves for a chai flavor.
  • PB&J: Add 3 Tablespoons each of natural peanut or almond butter and jelly or jam of choice. Blend into recipe if using blended version. For whole chia seed variation, blend the peanut butter and jelly into the milk before mixing in the seeds. Here’s a peanut butter and blackberry jam chia pudding recipe we love.
  • Pecan Pie: Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the base recipe and an optional ½ teaspoon of almond extract. Mix ½ cup of chopped toasted pecans into the finished pudding.
  • Matcha: Add 1 Tablespoon matcha green tea powder to the mix for a naturally bright green chia pudding  (great idea for St. Patrick’s Day!).

Up the Protein

I love to add a little more protein to this recipe, especially if it is going to be a breakfast recipe. I add 2-4 Tablespoons of collagen powder (I use the blue-lid kind from here). This adds more protein and skin/hair boosting collagen without changing the taste at all.

How Long Can You Keep Chia Seed Pudding?

This recipe uses all natural ingredients and is not a processed food. It tastes best within two days after it is made. The ideal time to eat is the day after making it for best flavor. I prefer to make at night to have it ready the next morning.

This delicious pudding vanishes so quickly in our house that I don’t know if it will last longer than 4 days. I would recommend only making the amount you plan to eat over a 2-3 day period for best flavor and freshness.

Chia seeds are a protein-packed wonder food. Make this delicious chia seed pudding with only 4 basic ingredients (and try my 5 delicious variations!).

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

232 responses to “The Best Chia Seed Pudding Recipe (+ 5 Delicious Variations)”

  1. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    HI. Can you provide nutritional content, i.e. protein, carbs and fats breakdown in general for your chia seed pudding recipe by serving?

    Thanks.

  2. Siiri Cressey Avatar
    Siiri Cressey

    I made this recipe last night. As of this morning, it was still runny. Did I do something wrong? My measurements were not exact and I do not have a blender.

  3. Liana Avatar

    4 stars
    I only had enough coconut milk for one cup so the other cup I used vanilla soy milk.. I also didn’t have maple syrup so I used agave syrup instead. I took half of the mix and made chocolate pudding, blending the chai seeds. And the other half I made the original vanilla with whole chai seeds. The vanilla one tasted ok but the chocolate one came out really bitter and bland. My husband hated it. Did this happen to anyone else? Or is it just because of my changes to the recipe?

    1. Tabitha Avatar
      Tabitha

      I haven’t had chocolate turn out, but I thought it was the blending that made it taste horrible (bitter aftertaste). Hmm. Guess we’ll try vanilla and see how that goes.

  4. Siiri Cressey Avatar
    Siiri Cressey

    5 stars
    I do not have a blender. It looks like the other ingredients (not the seeds) would mix well without one. Do they?

  5. Patricia Avatar
    Patricia

    5 stars
    love thechia seed pudding packed with protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and anti-oxidants and calcium. Perfect recipe.

  6. Amy Graham Avatar
    Amy Graham

    Super excited to make this! Just had one question and sorry if it’s a silly one…when listing coconut milk as an ingredient is that canned full fat or the boxed coconut milk found next to the soy and regular milk?

  7. Lyndsay McCully Avatar
    Lyndsay McCully

    4 stars
    This is delicious but I used the exact recipe, stored overnight and the texture is totally off. It’s too firm like a spoiled freezer burnt ice cream. Suggestions? Perhaps more coconut milk? I used Spectrum Essentials Chia Seeds and canned raw coconut milk. :/

    1. Bree Colbern Avatar
      Bree Colbern

      5 stars
      I’m guessing it was the canned coconut milk. Canned coconut milk is often used in ice cream recipes because it thickens the recipe a lot more than regular. 🙂

  8. Emily Boronkay Avatar
    Emily Boronkay

    5 stars
    I just made my first batch.

    Into my vitamix in this order:
    7 tablespoons whole chia seeds
    2 cups So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Milk
    3 tablespoons coconut flour
    Vanilla extract
    Started on low and slowly turned to about 7. It thickened up really quickly.

    Added:
    a handful of soaked almonds
    About 1/3 cup of cacao nibs
    1 tablespoon chia seeds

    Ran just long enough to incorporate.

    Voila! Almond Joy chia pudding into 4 jars for breakfast this week.

    Thanks Katie !!!

    1. Silvia Avatar

      Hi Emily, did you add the almonds, nibs and 1T seed to the vitamix and mix or did you just add those as toppings?
      -Silvia

  9. Melissa Avatar

    5 stars
    I like to mix chia seeds with plain greek yogurt and honey. Sometimes I add some oatmeal or bran too and let sit overnight to eat for breakfast.

  10. Katie S Avatar
    Katie S

    5 stars
    I was wondering what the texture of the whole seed version is supposed to be. I made this recipe last night and this morning I tried a bite. The seeds absorbed all the liquid, but were still crunchy in the middle. The flavor was great, and I didn’t necessarily mind the crunch, but I’m wondering if they’re supposed to be soft all the way through to be more like tapioca? Should I use more liquid next time? Thanks!

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      It is definitely still a little chewy and won’t ever be quite as soft as tapioca, but you can make it slightly softer by adding more liquid.

  11. Kristi Avatar

    Ok, I have not idea what I am doing wrong but everytime I go to make a chia seed pudding it never sets. I have tried both black and white seeds. I mix the ingredients and in the morning it just liquid! HELP! What am I doing wrong?!

  12. Karen S Avatar

    4 stars
    Does anyone know the calories per serving on the basic recipe and/or variations?

  13. Sondra Avatar

    I just made this recipe tonight using some minor substitutions, almond milk and half of a vanilla bean, and it worked out great! For the people who said it turned into a glob of chia seeds on the bottom, all you need to do is stir it once every hour or so. After the first hour there was indeed a glob on the bottom, but after a quick stir it mixed together. I stirred it two more times and by the 4th hour it was perfect and delicious! Will be making again in bigger batches 🙂

  14. Jeda Avatar

    Hello There,

    Just found this recipe and just had a question How long does the chia seed pudding keep, could you make a batch to last the week on a Sunday or do you have to make it fresh each night?

  15. Jennie Avatar

    5 stars
    Hi Katie, thanks so much for your recipes/blog! A first time mum and I really enjoy it! I’m just wondering if I could give this to my 8 month old baby for breakfast? She doesn’t like porridge so trying to find something for her. So far she just has yoghurt and fruit but would like another couple of options!

  16. Rhia Avatar

    Is it possibile to add some heated stewed apple or other warm topping to heat it up on a cold winter morning? or would heating destroy the nutrients?

  17. Beth Avatar

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I add a pinch of salt to help round out the flavor. My favorite way to eat it is with fresh fruit on top. Pineapple is a divine addition!

  18. Hanna Avatar

    5 stars
    I was wondering if it would work to add flax seed to the pudding ? If it was a flax seed and chia mix I was using ?

  19. Lisa Avatar

    Hi, do you know of any toppings that I could use on my chia seeds that doesn’t include fruits, nuts or seeds? I’ve been looking all over but can’t find them. I really want to enjoy my pudding but I don’t want to wreak havoc on my teeth with the phytic acid in the nuts/acidity in the fruits. Any tips would be helpful. Thanks.

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      You could top with some chocolate shavings for a dessert. Shredded coconut would also be good. Of course, you could always just top with some spice like cinnamon or a bit of nutmeg …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating