Looking for a healthy snack or breakfast idea that’s easy to meal prep? Chia pudding is one of the easiest recipes to put together – you can make these homemade versions for less than $3.
These chia pudding recipes are made with healthy, simple ingredients. Amazing flavors can be created with easy additions. Similar to our overnight oat recipes, these are high in fiber, healthy fats and a great superfood breakfast!
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The flavors below include chocolate chia pudding (for the sweet tooth), vanilla, peanut butter and jelly, blueberry, strawberries and cream and banana split.
If you’ve never used chia seeds before, you might be surprised… when you add them to a liquid they will soak up 10 times their weight in water and produce a gel coating. This results in a “thick and creamy” texture that pairs well with greek yogurt and coconut cream.
What Does Chia Pudding Taste Like?
Chia pudding has a gel texture and a tiny bit of crunch. It doesn’t really have a taste, but it certainly has a distinct texture.
Chia pudding isn’t for everyone. It’s a rich, gel-like consistency that you either love or don’t. If this is your first time trying it, I recommend starting with one serving to see what you think.
I like to add different toppings to mine like greek yogurt or coconut cream. Adding fresh fruit, nuts and seeds will also help to change the texture. Some people like to add chia pudding on top of their oatmeal. There are a variety of ways to enjoy this healthy treat and make it work for you.
Free Cookbook
Make sure you grab my free chia pudding recipe cookbook. Inside you’ll get the six delicious flavors you see here plus all the best tips and tricks for making this delicious treat.
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Recipe Ingredients
- CHIA SEEDS: Black chia seeds tend to be cheaper than white chia seeds but you can use either.
- MILK: You can use any type of milk including regular dairy milk or non-dairy milk, including unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, soy milk, oat milk or hemp milk.
- SWEETENER: Use your favorite sweetener of choice including real maple syrup, honey, stevia or monk fruit sweetener for your chia pudding. I like to use maple syrup.
- VANILLA: Vanilla extract is optional, but adds a nice flavor.
- COCOA POWDER: Look for an unsweetened cacao powder. This is perfect for chocolate chia pudding.
- NUT OR SEED BUTTER: You can use almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter or a seed butter like Sunbutter.
- FRUIT: Pureed or mashed fruit can be added right into the chia pudding. The recipes below use pureed strawberries and blueberries (made in a blender), and mashed banana.
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Topping Ideas
Toppings are a great way to add flavor and texture to chia pudding recipes. Feel free to play around with your favorite toppings, but here are some ideas to help get you started:
- FRUIT: Fresh fruit including berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries), sliced grapes, banana, oranges, mango and kiwi are all great on top of chia pudding.
- GREEK YOGURT: A dollop of plain greek yogurt adds extra protein.
- COCONUT CREAM: Coconut cream is one of my favorite healthy dessert toppings. It’s rich and creamy and tastes delicious.
- COCONUT: Shredded coconut or coconut flakes add a good source of fibre. Adds great texture when combined with other toppings like fresh fruit or chocolate chips.
- CHOCOLATE CHIPS: For a healthier option, choose 70% dark chocolate chips that are sweetened with stevia. For a sugar-free version consider trying cacao nibs.
- NUTS: Add any of your favorite nuts for extra crunch, including almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc.
- SEEDS: Hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are all great sprinkled on top.
- PROTEIN POWDER: a great way to add extra protein.
Best Containers To Use
- MASON JARS: The easiest and most inexpensive way to store chia puddings.
- YOGURT PARFAIT CONTAINERS: You might prefer to use plastic containers if you’re taking these to work or school. These parfait containers are BPA free and will keep the toppings separate from chia pudding until you’re ready to eat. This keeps them fresher longer.
- WECK JARS: An upgrade from traditional mason jars, these glass containers are so beautiful and reusable for a variety of recipes.
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How To Make Chia Pudding
- Add milk, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, sweetener, and vanilla to a medium bowl according to full recipe instructions below.
- Stir it together and seal with a lid.
- Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Add fresh toppings before serving and enjoy!
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Recipe Tips
- Prep The Chia Pudding The Night Before. Chia puddings are really easy to assemble. But you want to give the chia seeds some time to fully soak up the milk. I find that letting them soak overnight gives the best results.
- Meal Prep On Sundays. Make a big batch of chia pudding on Sunday night and divide it into 6 oz mason jars. It’s an easy way to eat healthy breakfasts or snacks for the week.
- A Little Goes A Long Way. No need to eat a big amount of chia pudding, a small serving will fill you up! Chia seeds are high in healthy fiber which helps with digestion and can make you feel fuller longer.
- Maximum Freshness. If you make chia pudding in advance, don’t add fresh toppings until the day you’re ready to eat. This will prevent eating soggy fruit, which isn’t much fun.
- Customize To Your Tastes. Once you try out a few chia pudding recipes and learn what you like, start playing around with different combinations. You can add different fruits, nuts or seeds, and don’t be afraid to swap any ingredients that you don’t like.
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Chia Pudding FAQs
It’s pretty straightforward to eat. Take a spoon and stir it up – then take a bite. Chia pudding is usually eaten cold, so keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. It’s fine stored at room temperature for a few hours if you plan to bring it to work or school.
The calories will vary depending on the flavor you choose and the ingredients added. A basic vanilla chia pudding without toppings has __ calories for reference.
There are a few things that can result in runny chia pudding… not waiting long enough for chia seeds to soak is a big one. Chia pudding should chill in the fridge a minimum of 3 hours before eating.
Chia seeds are like natural thickeners – once you add them to a liquid, they will start to form an outer coating. But the longer they sit, the thicker pudding you’ll get. So it’s best to make your chia pudding in the evening and then let them chill overnight.
Note: After experimenting with various flavors, I’ve found that vanilla or any mixed with fruit tend to thicken nicely (ex. mashed banana, pureed blueberry, pureed strawberry). The chocolate and PB & J turned out slightly runnier due to the added cocoa and nut butter. They still taste great though! It’s something that doesn’t bother me personally, but if it would for you try making the vanilla recipe and adding toppings for flavor afterward.
These can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. If you’re meal prepping a large batch of chia pudding, I recommend saving the toppings until the day you’re ready to serve for freshness.
More Recipes
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Chia Seed Pudding Recipe (Six Flavors)
Ingredients
Vanilla Chia Pudding (1 serving)
- ½ cup milk - dairy or non-dairy
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tsp maple syrup - honey, or monk fruit sweetener
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Optional Toppings - plain greek yogurt, fresh berries, sliced banana
Chocolate Chia Pudding (1 serving)
- ½ cup milk - dairy or non-dairy
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp maple syrup - honey, or monk fruit sweetener
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Optional Toppings - plain greek yogurt, shredded coconut, dark chocolate chips
Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding (1 serving)
- ½ cup milk - dairy or non-dairy
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp nut butter - or seed butter (ex. Sunbutter)
- 2 tsp maple syrup - honey, or monk fruit sweetener
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp low-sugar strawberry jam
- Optional Toppings - nut butter or seed butter, nuts and seeds
Blueberry Chia Pudding (1 serving)
- ½ cup milk - dairy or non-dairy
- ½ cup blueberries - fresh or frozen
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tsp maple syrup - honey, or monk fruit sweetener
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp plain greek yogurt - optional
- Optional Toppings - plain greek yogurt and fresh blueberries
Strawberries and Cream Chia Pudding(1 serving)
- ¾ cup milk - ¼ cup first layer, ½ cup second layer
- ½ cup strawberries - fresh or frozen
- 2 ½ Tbsp chia seeds - 1 tsp first layer, 2 Tbsp second layer
- 2 tsp maple syrup - honey, or monk fruit sweetener
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Optional Toppings - plain greek yogurt and fresh strawberries
Banana Split Chia Pudding (1 serving)
- ½ banana - mashed with a fork
- ½ cup milk - dairy or non-dairy
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tsp maple syrup - honey, or monk fruit sweetener
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Optional Toppings - plain greek yogurt and banana slices
Instructions
Vanilla Chia Pudding:
- Add ½ cup milk, 2 Tbsp chia seeds, 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey) and ½ tsp vanilla extract to a mason jar or bowl. Mix together, seal with a lid and let sit in the fridge for minimum 3 hours, but preferably overnight. Add toppings before you serve, including plain greek yogurt, fresh berries, shredded coconut and banana slices.
Chocolate Chia Pudding:
- Add ½ cup milk, 2 Tbsp chia seeds, 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey), and ½ tsp vanilla extract to a mason jar or bowl. Mix together, seal with a lid and let sit in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, but preferably overnight. Add toppings before serving, including plain greek yogurt and chocolate chips.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding:
- Add ½ cup milk, 2 Tbsp chia seeds, 1 Tbsp nut butter (or seed butter), 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey), and ½ tsp vanilla extract to a mason jar or bowl. Mix together, seal with a lid and let sit in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Once the chia pudding has thickened, top with 1-2 Tbsp of strawberry jam. Add 1 Tbsp of nut butter or seed butter, then sprinkle a few nuts or seeds on top.
Blueberry Chia Pudding:
- Add ½ cup milk and ½ cup blueberries to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add blueberry mix along with 2 Tbsp chia seeds, 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey), and ½ tsp vanilla extract to a mason jar or bowl. Mix together, seal with a lid and let sit in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, but preferably overnight. Stir together, then add toppings like plain greek yogurt and fresh blueberries.
Strawberries and Cream Chia Pudding:
- Make the bottom layer: Add ½ cup strawberries, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 tsp chia seeds to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into mason jar, seal with a lid and let sit in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.
- Make the top layer: To make the top layer, combine ½ cup milk, 2 Tbsp chia seeds, 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey), and ½ tsp vanilla extract in a bowl and mix. Cover and add to refrigerator for minimum 3 hours.
- After chilling for 3 hours, stir each layer then pour pink top layer on top of the bottom layer in mason jar.Add toppings like plain greek yogurt and fresh strawberries.
Banana Split Chia Pudding:
- Mash half of a ripe banana with a fork.
- Add the mashed banana, ½ cup milk, 2 Tbsp chia seeds, 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey), and ½ tsp vanilla extract to a mason jar or bowl. Mix together, seal with a lid and let sit in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, but preferably overnight.Stir together, then add toppings like greek yogurt and sliced bananas.
Recipe Notes:
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.