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.
Chia Seed Pudding Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ½ cup chia seeds
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup or sweetener and amount of choice
- ¼ tsp cinnamon optional
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
Notes
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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
If 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.
This recipe is great! It’s quick and easy!
I set my timer so I would stir the mixture every 20 min. for an hour and a half after refrigerating (a total of 4 times over the 90 min.) and it came out smooth and gelatinous, with no settling. The sweetness in the original recipe was perfect, however think I would prefer mine with more pudding and less “seedy” so another time I might cut the seeds in half.
I made this on Friday to this recipe exactly as written, and since I’m the only one who eats it, it has taken me a few days to get through, so Today is Weds. and I’m eating the last portion, and it’s fine – it’s kept very well over the 4-5 days.
I was skeptical when I made this. I feel Chia to my bird and have never used it myself. I sweetened with agave and it is delicious. My parrot loves it too. Thank you!
Hi Well was Mama
I am going to try to 30 day AIP BUT I notice you ha e chia seed pudding, which by the way I have eaten for years and love it. I have researched and chia is a no go for AIP. My question, if it is not AIP friendly why is it included in your AIP?
Thank-you
Laura
I avoided chia in the intense part of AIP, but have many recipes on site that are not strictly AIP
This is my all time favorite chia seed pudding recipie! Thank you
I am moving into a plant based diet and this is the perfect recipe for substituting yogurt with my homemade granola. I did the blender version where you add the chia seeds for a smooth blend and it was delicious. I feel like I am eating dessert at breakfast. I’m going to try the recipe using the whole seed, but I think I know already I’ll prefer the creamy blended seeds.
Love this recipe … but even though I follow it as written, it never thickens as much as it should… it’s too thin & liquidy the next morning? I’ve tried adding the peanut butter, fruit etc but still seems much too thin & only thickens slightly overnight. I must be doing something wrong but can’t figure out what it is? Any help is appreciated Tnk you! ?
There seems to be some variation in chia seeds. Try increasing the amount of chia seeds by 1/3
Hi!
I just started using this recipe last week – and it’s my new go-to fun snack! I stayed with the vanilla base, but in a few batches added rum extract and pumpkin pie spice for a spiced rum feel. Today, I finally tried the chocolate variation and in one of the batches I included mint extract for a grasshopper vibe.
I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe. I adore recipes that produce a solid base product but allows a lot of room for creativity as well. Cheers!
Making this tonight with my collagen and choc protein powder – looks like it will be dee-lish 😉
I was wondering about the serving size? I made this recipe and love it- just wondering how to gauge it for a reasonably breakfast serving!
SO GOOD! I love textured pudding so did the whole chia seed version. Just the posted vanilla version. So delicious and love the texture. I would maybe use a little less maple syrup but overall, love this recipe. Fast, easy, and flexible like you said. I’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you!
I made this and it took me less than 10 minutes start to finish.
I picked the blended version chocolate, using dark chocolate powder.
The taste was overall good, the texture was creamy, but the only thing that some might find objectionable is the slightly “woody” leftovers however tiny they might be, at the end of the bite.
Thank you – I love this recipe! Seriously so easy and delicious using ingredients I always have on hand. I use a can of coconut milk, 1/4c+2tbsp chia seeds, and 2tbsp agave (I could go as low as 1tbsp sweetener). Added bonus: clean up is next to nothing.
I always soak my chia seeds before adding the rest of the ingredients. Then I mix in a large scoop of chunky peanut butter before microwaving it. Love it.
Hi. I followed the recipe but I used 2 cups of milk because it’s all I had in the fridge. Got up this morning and no pudding. Can Chai seeds go bad and not expand or is 2 cups of milk just to much liquid? I just threw in 1/3 cup more of seeds hoping to make this work. Help!!
is it 376 calories per serving?
Such a great recipe! What would your recommendation be for a coconut milk replacment? We just recently found out our 3 y/o is allergic to it (added to the list of dairy, eggs, peanuts, peas, etc!). Thanks so much for all the healthy yummy recipes. We love your book. Our 3 y/o especially loves the kima recipe!!
Does this need to be made with a specific matcha powder? I have Tenzo Tea’s organic matcha but a lot of them look the same
HI I just made this Chua pudding and it is awesome. Thank you so much for the recipe.