I have now experienced the magic of Chia Seed Pudding. If you haven’t tried it yet, you need to. It is so easy and delicious!
Chia seeds have amazing gelling properties that once combined with milk, create a pudding in just 10 minutes! Magic!
Plus, Chia Seed Pudding is PERFECT for meal prep. You can prepare a weeks worth at once and pop them in the fridge. They are ready the next morning to grab on the go and will keep all week in the fridge. Breakfast is DONE!
As I was researching chia seed pudding recipes, I noticed many had maple syrup, molasses, or honey added. You will see that none of these recipes have added sugars because they are not a part of the Eat to Live diet. Maple syrup & honey are high in calories and lower in nutrients and honey is not vegan (it comes from bees, which is NOT a plant). If you are trying to lose weight or reverse a disease, I recommend not adding maple syrup or molasses to anything.
If you want more sweetness, then use raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, or chopped dates (pits removed) and make sure to soak overnight. The dried fruits soften and sweeten up the pudding nicely.
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Chia seeds can be found just about at any regular grocery store these days – Walmart, Kroger, even Aldi. But if you don’t have them locally you can order them here on Amazon. Make sure you buy the WHOLE chia seeds, not the ground for this recipes.
Chia Seeds have high nutrient per calorie density
Also, chia seeds are super duper healthy. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, which most Americans don’t get enough of either. Just 1 ounce has 10 grams of fiber! They are also a great source of Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, and Iron.
Chia Seeds are also loaded with antioxidants which help to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are what damage DNA and potentially cause cancer & aging, so getting lots of antioxidants from whole foods is important as the efficacy and safety of supplements remains unclear and likely a waste of money.
Chia seeds also have a higher amount of protein than most other plants, coming in at 14% protein – 4.7 grams for 1 ounce. This is great for those on a completely plant based diet and also for athletes.
Chia seeds are also great for strong bones – they have a higher amount of calcium (ounce per ounce) than dairy and is also high in Magnesium & Phosphorus.
Chia Seed Pudding is So Easy
You can make chia seed pudding in the morning if you have the 10 minutes to wait while it gels up or you can make it the night before and have it all ready to go!
I like to use these cute Mason jars with a lid and handle. The 16 ounce are a perfect size and the handle helps my kids not drop them!
Basic Chia Seed Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons whole chia seeds
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (like Almond or Soy)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (not the fake kind)
- glass container like these Mason Jars
Other optional ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon vegan chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup-1 cup fresh or frozen berries
- sliced banana
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
The base of the recipe is 3/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of whole chia seeds. The ratio is very important and I like this best because it’s not too runny or too thick. I think it’s the perfect pudding consistency, but you can always adjust the milk to chia seeds if you like it thinner or thicker. I add vanilla to all my puddings because I like the additional flavor.
Make sure you pour the milk & vanilla in first and THEN add the chia seeds. It will mix much better this way and you won’t have clumps. It starts gelling fast!
After you take your pudding out of the fridge you may need to stir it again to make it the most consistent through out. Feel free to top with additional toppings or fresh fruit!
The Chia Seed Pudding Recipes are Endless
I have listed 5 different Chia Seed Pudding recipes, but the possibilities are endless! You can get creative with any combination of fresh or frozen fruit, spices, dried fruits, and nuts.
- Cinnamon Apple Chia Seed Pudding
- Pumpkin Pie Chia Seed Pudding
- Very Berry Chia Seed Pudding
- Banana Bread Chia Seed Pudding
- Vegan Chocolate ChipCherry Coconut Chia Seed Pudding
For the very berry, I prefer to use frozen berries & thaw them because the juices color the milk a beautiful blue, pink, or purple! But you can definitely use fresh if that’s what you have.
You can use any plant milk you prefer. I like to use unsweetened soy or almond, but coconut is great for the Chocolate Cherry Coconut recipe. I usually buy organic, but that’s only because it typically has higher Vitamin B-12 added and since that’s the only vitamin missing from a plant based diet, then I like to get as much as I can from many sources. Note: we do take Vitamin B-12 supplements also and if you are on a mostly plant based diet, you SHOULD TOO! Lack of this vitamin can cause serious irreversible medical issues.
If you come up with a chia seed pudding combination you like feel free to share in the comments below!
5 Easy Chia Seed Pudding Recipes
Ingredients
Base Chia Seed Pudding
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds (not ground)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Apple Raisin
- 1/2 cup chopped apple chunks
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons raisins
Banana Bread
- 1/2 ripe banana, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Very Berry
- 1 cup frozen berries (any or a mix)
Pumpkin Pie
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Chocolate Cherry Coconut
- can use coconut milk as base optional
- 1/4 cup dried coconut
- 1/2 cup frozen dark cherries
- 1 tablespoon vegan chocolate chips
Additional optional ingredients
- 1/2 cup raisins, dried cherries, or craisins
- 1/4 cup almonds or pecans
- 1/4 cup fresh raspberries, blueberries, pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Pour plant milk and vanilla in a 16 ounce glass jar or container. Add chia seeds and stir to combine. (don’t put chia seeds in first or they might clump together)For pumpkin pie either use a larger jar or mix milk, vanilla, and chia seed in a separate bowl then pour into jar.
- For the Cinnamon Apple or Banana Bread, add their ingredients to your chia seed milk mixture & stir again. Refrigerator for 10 minutes or overnight.
- For the Very Berry, thaw frozen berries in a microwave on 50% power for 1-2 minutes, then add to chia seed milk mixture & stir. Refrigerator for 10 minutes or overnight.
- For the Pumpkin Pie, mix the milk, vanilla, & chia seeds in a separate bowl. Then mix pumpkin & pumpkin pie spice in a bowl until well combined and then add to chia seed milk mixture & stir until well combined. Pour into glass jar. Refrigerator for 10 minutes or overnight.
- For Chocolate Cherry Coconut, you can use coconut milk (refrigerated kind) for your plant milk base. Thaw frozen cherries in microwave on 50% power for 1-2 minutes. Add thawed cherries, coconut, & vegan chocolate chips and stir. Refrigerator for 10 minutes or overnight.
I noticed the vegan choc chips but upon research, saw they contained cocoa butter. Is this okay?
It’s up to you and personal preference. Cocoa butter is not actually butter, but oil pressed from the cocoa bean. I’ve actually started getting the dark chocolate chips now that are a healthier version. Some people don’t mind very small amounts of oil like this, but others avoid it 100%.
I recently wanted to make the chocolate cherry version, but i didn’t have any chocolate chips so i tried subbing with 1 tsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder, and it is amazing. I have tried most of your variations, and they are a great change from overnight oats, and are a great treat, while being healthy. Thank you for your recipes!!!
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it!
How long will this last in the fridge?
Hi Susan, this will last about 5 days in the fridge.
Thank you for these recipes. I’m going to start making in morning