Chia pudding is a creamy, delicious, and healthy breakfast or snack right at your fingertips. Not only is it super easy to make, but it’s also endlessly customizable with a variety of fruit flavors!
Many of you know that I’m a big fan of overnight oats when it comes to breakfast. But, there’s no denying that chia pudding will always remain my number one healthy breakfast option. I’ve been making chia pudding for over a decade (which you can see in my Youtube video below) and I keep the recipe interesting by constantly changing up the toppings and flavors.
Chia pudding is perfect for when you need a light meal or on-the-go option that’s surprisingly filling. Plus, it highlights my favorite powerful and nutrient-dense little chia seeds – and who can resist those?
There’s no denying that chia seed benefits are significant. But to sum it up — they pack a hefty nutrient punch with Omega-3’s, antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats. That means they’re great for digestion (and keep things moving), they’re great for heart health, they help balance blood sugar and they’re great for bone health. Long story short, they’re good for you!
Chia Pudding Ingredients
Just two easy ingredients are all you need, plus a little sweetener if you’d like. Chia pudding is astoundingly easy to make!
- Chia Seeds: While black chia seeds are the ones you’ll find most often at the market, you can use either black or white chia seeds. Both offer similar nutritional benefits!
- Milk: You can use your favorite milk, whether that’s dairy or dairy-free. I personally like to use my homemade cashew milk, almond milk, or oat milk.
- Sweetener: A splash of maple syrup (or honey) and vanilla extract gives the chia pudding base a lightly sweet flavor.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
How To Make Chia Pudding
I wasn’t kidding when I said this is the easiest recipe to make. Just make sure to have some jars on hand if you plan on meal prepping chia pudding for the week! Here’s how to make it.
Stir the pudding. Stir together the chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract either in a large bowl (for one large batch) or individually in jars. Let it sit for 10 minutes, so it can start to gel. Then give it another stir.
Let the pudding chill and thicken. Cover the bowl or jars and allow the pudding to thicken for at least a few hours (or overnight) in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve it up, top it with your favorite fruits and nuts, or even layer a fruit puree at the bottom (like I did in the video below!).
Chia Pudding Tips
- Watch the portion size. It’s easy to go overboard on chia pudding and make it “Instagram-worth” (I’m guilty with these pics as well). But in doing so, you’re likely consuming a much larger portion. Try to stick to 1/2 cup milk to 2 tablespoons chia seeds.
- Adjust the ratios to suit you. Some people like a thicker chia seed pudding and some like a thinner version. Feel free to add more milk to make a thinner version.
- Get creative with toppings. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon, cardamom (chai spices) or cacao powder (for chocolate chia pudding). Use seasonal fruit both in whole pieces and in purees and don’t forget nuts and seeds. See more ideas below!
How to Store & Meal Prep
If you follow me on Instagram you’ll frequently see me meal prep chia pudding for the week. I’ll make the exact ratio in the recipe below, stir it all together in individual Weck Jars, top with frozen berries and then freeze.
It will last for several weeks (if not longer) in the freezer. Then, when I want a healthy breakfast I’ll just thaw it in the fridge the night before. So easy!
Chia Pudding Variations
As you might expect, the first few times I made chia pudding it was just the basic recipe – chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract – soaked overnight. And not that there’s anything wrong with that, I still make it plain all the time.
But chia seed pudding can be an amazing and creative piece of breakfast artwork. It’s like an adult coloring book. Except there are no lines and the flavor combinations are endless! Here are few delicious ways to jazz it up.
- Blueberry Chia Pudding
- Chocolate Chia Pudding (or this mousse version!)
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding
- Eggnog Chia Pudding
- Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding Mousse
- Pomegranate Chia Pudding Parfait
Helpful tip: Chia pudding has the texture of tapioca pudding. But if you don’t love that texture, you can blend up all the ingredients in a high-powered blender for a smooth texture. Check out the chia pudding mousse recipes listed above!
More Chia Seed Recipes You’ll Love
A bag of chia seeds really does go a long way! Here’s what else you can make with them.
- Chia Seed Jam – a much healthier alternative to store-bought jam
- Chia Seed Water – give your daily water a nutritional boost
- Ultimate Seed Crackers – the best homemade crackers with a variety of seeds
- Mango Date Energy Balls – the best bite-sized healthy snack
If you haven’t hopped on the chia pudding wagon, now’s the time to do so. Once you give it a try, let me know your thoughts in a comment below!
Description
Video
Ingredients
Individual Serving
- ½ cup milk (dairy or dairy-free)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional toppings: fresh fruit, nuts and seeds.
Larger Bowl (4 servings)
- 2 cups milk (dairy or dairy-free)
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional toppings: fresh fruit, nuts and seeds.
Instructions
- Add the chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla to a bowl or jar and stir together. Let sit for 10 minutes, then stir again once the seeds have started to gel.
- Cover the bowl or jar and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Chia seeds can also be made overnight for breakfast the next morning.
- Stir the chia pudding before serving and add your favorite fruit, nuts, seeds and spices.
Lisa’s Tips
- The nutritional information is for an individual serving.
- If you notice your chia seeds aren’t starting to gel and thicken after 15 minutes, you may have dud chia seeds. This can happen in they’ve been sitting in your pantry a while. Just grab a new bag of chia seeds.
- You can always add more milk for a thinner texture, if you feel your chia pudding is a bit too thick.
- I layered my chia pudding on top of a strawberry fruit puree, which was simply fresh strawberries pureed in my food processor. That’s it!
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted August 2016, but updated to include new information.
This looks great, but how to add oats to it for more flavor & fiber? Amounts of each?
Thanks.
Hi Patty – If you want to add oats, I would use my overnight oats recipe instead!
Hi :) can you add protein powder to this :)
Yes, you sure can!
I’ve been looking for quick and easy to-go breakfast options and this chia seed pudding recipe is the absolute best! I’ll make it on Sundays, set it in the fridge or freezer, and I have breakfast prepped for the week!
It’s always a great feeling have a batch of chia pudding prepped in the fridge! Happy to hear you’re loving this recipe, Lily.
I love your chia pudding and all of your tips. I don’t like having too much glass in my freezer so have been making the big batch and after the second stir I put them in 1/2 cup cubes. Once frozen I defrost the portion in my glass jars. Thanks for all you help!
Great idea for meal prep, Catherine!
Hello! I have made this a lot recently, just different ways. Anyways, I do have a question for you. I was reading ur tips, and one of them said, watch your portion size. And it said basically stick to the smaller one for one person, but I made the bigger portion for 2 people, so how much should I eat if everything is already mixed together, so I don’t go overboard, cause can’t eat for 1 person, it’s already mixed
Hi Ed – You can just eat half of the mixture you made!
Can’t wait to make this! Thank you for sharing!
Where can I find the glass jars you used in the video? How big are they? Thank you!
Hi Sandra – Those are the 1/4 Liter Weck jars! You can find them in the shop page on my website.
Hi I watched your video about the chia seeds pudding. Could you please tell me the ingredients for the fresh strawberry puree?
Hi Hounayda – I simply blend the fruit in a food processor, that’s it!
This chia pudding recipe is now a go to for my weekly prep. Chocked full of good for you benefits. My favorite toppings are blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and a bit spoonful of Lisa’s Granola!
This chia pudding is the perfect recipe to add to your weekly meal prep! Glad you’re loving it, Laurie.
Perfect breakfast option especially during the warmer months.
Most definitely! It also works well as a healthy snack. Enjoy, Bobbi!
I started with a fresh bag of Bob’s Red Mill Chia Seeds. I followed your directions. After 10 minutes on the counter, most of the chia seeds were gelled at the bottom of the jars. Is this normal?
Hi Susan – Yes! You need to mix it after the 10 minutes and let it sit again in the fridge.
I have been making chia seeds with some fruit juice I didn’t like to drink but mixed with chia seeds is addicting! I let it sit overnight in the Refrigerator and it’s ready the next day!
That’s the beauty of chia pudding! Happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Marion.
Hi. I was under the impression that the chia seeds have to be crushed to be get any nutrients from them. Can you clarify? Thanks.
How did you make the strawberry purée?
I just added strawberries to a food processor and blended them up. That was it! :)
I just mixed this up and I added 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract along with all the other ingredients. I can’t wait to try it in the morning with some blueberries!
Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Hope you enjoy it!
Hi, Lisa. First time making this recipe. The simplicity is amazing. I added your nut butter (used organic cashews) and jam (fresh raspberries) recipes with fresh blackberries. As you stated in the video, this is an easy prep dessert or breakfast. Yummy!!!!!!! Loving the recipes!
So glad you enjoyed this chia pudding, Karen! It sounds delicious with the nut butter and berries, yum!