6 Easy Chia Seed Pudding Recipes

Why You'll Love These Chia Seed Pudding Recipes

Whenever I'm in a breakfast rut, I turn to chia pudding. Granted, I love my easy green smoothie bowls, but chia pudding is one of those things that are crazy simple to make but also can be jazzed up a million different ways. Here's why I think you'll love it too:

• Meal prep friendly. Chia pudding can be made the night before and stored in the fridge, so it's the perfect grab and go breakfast. Plus, you can double most recipes so you have a few batches ready for you!
• Keeps you satisfied all day.  It's high in protein, full of omega-3s, and packed with fiber, so it's a great way to start any day.
• Easy. The best part about chia pudding is that it only takes a few minutes to prep, 10-15 minutes of rest time, and then you have a delicious breakfast ready for you!
• Customizable. Chia pudding is totally customizable meaning you can really make any type of flavor you’d like! As long as you’re using the base recipe outlined below, you can make a different flavor each and every time!

Today we're going to talk all about how to make chia seed pudding. I'll give you tips and tricks for making it taste amazing and I'm even showing you 6 of my favorite healthy chia pudding recipes.

Think of this post as your Chia Seed Pudding 101 Masterclass!

What You'll Need

A basic chia seed pudding only requires 2 ingredients:

• Chia seeds
• Liquid (usually non-dairy milk)

From here, you can honestly do whatever you want. Add sweetness, add spices, add fruit, add vegetables (!?) and more. Here is my basic formula for perfectly creamy and flavorul chia seed pudding:

• 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or sweetener of choice
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 3/4 cup milk of choice

How to Make Chia Seed Pudding

Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can make your pudding like so:

1. Combine. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Let it sit. Leave on the counter at room temperature to thicken, about 15 minutes.
3. Adjust consistency. Once thick, stir together again and add a splash of extra milk if needed.
4. Add toppings. Stir in your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Chia pudding on its own is fairly plain in the flavor department. But that's what makes it fun! Because you can really have some fun with the flavors. If you keep reading after the recipe card below, I'm going to share 6 specific chia pudding flavors that I make on repeat.

Toppings & Mix-Ins

• Nut butter: Whether used as a topping, as a layer or stirred into the mix. I like raw almond butter, raw cashew butter and also peanut butter.
• Chocolate: You can never go wrong with chocolate. Stir some raw cacao powder into your chia – it's going to make it taste like dessert!
• Fruit: This is another way to totally change up the flavors of your chia pudding, while also adding sweetness and more nutrients. I like berries, banana, apples, pears, peaches.
• Coconut: If you're a coconut lover like me, this is a great way to jazz up the flavor of your pudding – whether you use coconut milk in the base, shredded or flaked coconut on top, or even coconut butter as a drizzle.
• Jams & spreads: If you don't have access to fresh fruit, or you want to avoid browning or tons of added sweeteners, pick up a no added sugar 100% fruit spread and stir it into your pudding.
• Spices: Have fun here – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, cardamom, etc. are all amazing ways to add a punch of flavor!
• Milk: And you could also swap out the type of milk you're using to change up the flavors. Many plant-based milk companies offer flavored milks like maple-walnut, vanilla and more.

Meal Prepping Your Pudding

Chia pudding usually lasts about 5 days in fridge. It kind of depends on which fruit you're adding, so keep that in mind as well. Berries will last longer than bananas (I usually say bananas will only last 2 days, max!).

I like to use these tulip jelly weck jars to meal prep my chia pudding! They're super portable so you can take them with you to work or school, easy to clean, and c'mon – who doesn't love a cute mason jar?!

Want More Flavor Variations?

Here is my base chia seed pudding. It has a mild in flavor and can be used with all sorts of different flavor combos! Keep scrolling past the recipe card to get 6 more delicious ways to make chia pudding.

6 Chia Pudding Flavors To Try

I've made chia pudding at least 100 times. I love it and love coming up with new flavor combinations. But since there are literally a million different ways to make it, I want to give you my favorites.

Here are the flavors we're working with today:

• Banana Bread
• Lemon Raspberry
• Coconut Vanilla Cashew
• Chai Latte
• Dark Chocolate
• Strawberry Cheesecake

Chia pudding makes an awesome meal prep option, so I recommend making a few flavors on a Sunday to enjoy all week long. If you do actually assemble/mix the flavors ahead, I recommend starting your week with the ones that contain fruit (banana first!) as those will get mushy the longer they sit.

Ready to learn how to make chia pudding? Let's do this!

1. Banana Bread

My first go-to flavor is banana bread. It's only 5 ingredients, tastes so good and is naturally sweet. What I love about using banana is that because it's so sweet, you don't need to add extra sugar. The only thing about this one is it doesn't keep as well – so eat it the same day or next!

Ingredients you need for your Banana Bread Chia Pudding:

• 1 whole banana, halved
• 3 tablespoons black chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• Chopped walnuts to garnish

Mash half of the banana in a small bowl. Add the chia, cinnamon and almond milk and stir to combine. Allow the chia to sit for 10 – 15 minutes, or overnight. When ready to eat, add half the chia pudding into your jar. Layer on some slices of the remaining banana, then the rest of the chia pudding, the rest of the banana and some chopped walnuts.

2. Lemon Raspberry

I love the combo of lemon and fresh berries. Lemon brightens everything up and berries are sweet, but still low on the glycemic index which makes the whole meal a little healthier. This chia pudding is zingy, fresh and delicious!

Ingredients you need for your Lemon Raspberry Chia Pudding

• 3 tablespoons white chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup fresh raspberries + more to garnish

Add the chia seeds, syrup and most of the lemon zest into a bowl. Stir to combine and then let the bowl sit for 10 – 15 minutes to thicken up. When ready to serve, add half the raspberries to the bottom of your jar and mash them into a “jam” consistency. Give the chia pudding a quick stir then add it on top of the raspberries. Finish with a few more raspberries and the rest of the lemon zest.

3. Vanilla Coconut Cashew

I'm a biiiiig coconut lover and this chia pudding recipe is one of my favorites on the list. It's made with creamy coconut milk which gives it a little natural sweetness, but we also stir in some vanilla to give it a pop of flavor. Finished off with some cashew butter and coconut flakes and it tastes like incredible!

Ingredients you need for your Vanilla Coconut Cashew:

• 3 tablespoons black chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk (full-fat or lite)
• 1 tablespoon cashew butter
• Shredded coconut to garnish

Whisk together the chia seeds, syrup, extract and milk in a small bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 – 15 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Give it a stir before serving then add the chia pudding into a jar (or keep it in the bowl). Top with the cashew butter and coconut flakes.

4. Chai Latte

I've always loved the chai lattes from Starbucks, but they're just too much sugar for me these days. So I created a chia pudding inspired by that drink! It tastes like a chai latte, but is packed with protein and not much sugar. It's also caffeine-free so it can be enjoyed as an afternoon treat as well.

Ingredients you need for your Chai Latte Chia Pudding:

• 3 tablespoons black chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon each: nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• Chopped pecans and a cinnamon stick to garnish

Whisk together the chia seeds, sugar, spices, and milk in a bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 – 15 minutes until it has thickened. Give it a stir before serving then add the chia pudding into a jar (or keep it in the bowl). Top with the almond butter, pecans, and a cinnamon stick if desired.

5. Dark Chocolate

I had to throw something chocolatey in here because I just love chocolate for breakfast! This combination has a base of creamy chocolate pudding (thanks to cacao and almond milk) and then is topped with coconut yogurt, hazelnuts, and mini chocolate chips. It's just divine!

Ingredients you need for your Dark Chocolate Chia Pudding:

• 3 tablespoons black chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• Coconut yogurt, chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips to garnish

Whisk together the chia seeds, raw cacao powder, maple syrup, and almond milk in a bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 – 15 minutes until it has thickened. Give it a stir before serving then add the chia pudding into a jar (or keep it in the bowl). Top it with coconut yogurt, nuts and some chocolate chips if desired!

6. Strawberry Cheesecake

This might just be my favorite ones on the list! There's a creamy coconut-infused base and then a layer of strawberry jam and finished with some chopped fruit and almonds on top. Each layer is infused with sweet strawberries and a creaminess that reminds me of cheesecake. It's fabulous!

Ingredients you need for your Strawberry Cheesecake Chia Pudding:

• 3 tablespoons white chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
• Fresh strawberries & almonds to garnish

Whisk together the chia seeds, vanilla, and milks in a bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 – 15 minutes until it has thickened. Give it a stir before serving then add half of the chia pudding into a jar (or keep it in the bowl). Top with the jam and spread it into an even layer and then add the rest of the chia pudding on top. Finish with the fresh strawberries and almonds.

What's Your Favorite Chia Pudding Flavor?

Since the possibilities are truly endless with chia pudding, we'd love to hear from YOU! What are your favorite ways to make chia pudding? We'd love for you to leave your flavor combinations below!