Vanilla Chia Pudding
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An Easy Chia Pudding Recipe you can prep in under 5 minutes. This healthy chia pudding is made with only 4 ingredients. Creamy and delicious!
When you want an easy, healthy snack – chia pudding is the perfect option! Made with only a few ingredients – this creamy chia seed pudding is SO simple to make!
You can meal prep it in under 5 minutes and top with fresh fruit or stir in protein powder for a nutrient dense snack! Chia seeds are a powerhouse and make this pudding an excellent source of fiber (7 grams per serving!) and omega-3’s (325% of your daily value!).
This chia pudding has the perfect ratio of milk to chia seeds and sweetener. It’s creamy, delicious and couldn’t be easier to make!
This Chia Seed Pudding is super versatile. Pack it in a jar topped with a fresh fruit for an on-the-go breakfast, add protein powder for a sweet and healthy high protein snack, or dress it up with your favorite toppings for a lighter dessert!
tips for the best chia seed pudding
- When measuring the chia seeds, make sure your scoop is level. This will help ensure that you will have thick chia pudding but not too thick. A small amount of additional chia seeds will absorb quite a bit of liquid.
- Keep it low sugar. This recipe is lightly sweetened, perfect to allow for additional toppings without making it overly sweet. Feel free to add more maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter pudding.
- Don’t skip shaking the chia pudding periodically throughout that initial hour! This will prevent you from getting a chunky texture where the chia seeds have stuck together. You can also stir with a spoon if you notice any large clumps towards the bottom of the jar.
- Leave it overnight. While the chia seed pudding can be eaten after 1 hour, it is thickest if left to chill overnight.
- Choose the right milk: The type of milk you use will affect how thick the pudding mixture becomes. I tested almond milk and dairy milk in this recipe, and both worked well, but almond milk needed a little longer to set (except when I used the Malk brand for some reason, which is gum-free). If your chia pudding is not as thick as you would like it after it has set overnight, you can add an additional ½ tablespoon of chia seeds, shake and allow it to set for another 30 minutes. If you notice your pudding is super thick after only 1 hour in the fridge, consider adding 1-2 additional tablespoons of milk.
Ingredients
chia pudding recipe substitutions + variations
Milk – Whole milk will make the creamiest pudding, but almost any type of milk or milk alternative will work. We like 2% milk in this recipe. If using a dairy-free option, do not use full fat canned coconut milk as the cream in the coconut milk will solidify when chilled and can become a chunky. For milk alternatives, use unsweetened options to avoid the pudding becoming too sweet.
Chia Seeds – Black chia seeds tend to be the most readily available, but white chia seeds are essentially the same. Either will work in this recipe! This ingredient can be found in the baking or health food aisle of most grocery stores or you can order them online.
Maple Syrup – You can use maple syrup, honey, or any type of granulated sweetener in this recipe. You can also add less maple syrup and sweeten to taste after the chia seeds have soaked for an hour. Honey and granulated sweeteners tend to be a little more difficult to dissolve, but this generally is not an issue in this recipe since you have to shake the jar a lot in order for the chia seeds to stay suspended. Liquid stevia can be used but adjust to taste since it will not measure 1:1 with maple syrup and you will need far less.
Sea Salt – You don’t have to add salt to the recipe, but a little salt helps balance sweetness and improve depth of flavor in this simple-ingredient recipe.
Other Flavors: We’ve included options for protein chia pudding and chocolate chia pudding below. Chia pudding is also great with fruit blended in it. I love this Blueberry Chia Pudding!
How to Make Vanilla Chia Pudding
- Combine all ingredients in a jar that has a well-fitted lid.
- Seal the jar and vigorously shake for about 1 minute to fully mix.
- Place the sealed jar into the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight. For no clumps, shake every 20 minutes for the first hour of refrigeration.
- Serve with additional sweetener (if desired), fresh berries (we love blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or strawberries), shaved chocolate, coconut, or any of your favorite toppings.
vegan chia seed pudding
This recipe is very easy to make vegan. Any milk alternative can be used in place of dairy milk to make this chia seed pudding vegan friendly.
Select a creamy option and avoid coconut milk (specifically full fat canned varieties) as the coconut cream can become chunky and hard when chilled.
For a protein-rich vegan chia pudding, use an additional ½ cup of milk alternative and ¼ cup of vegan protein powder.
Protein Chia Pudding
- 1 ½ cup milk (or milk alternative)
- ¼ cup chia seeds, measured level
- ¼ cup protein powder
If using a 16-oz mason jar, you will want to add the milk and chia seeds, shake, and then add the protein powder to ensure there is enough room in the jar.
Once protein powder is added, agitate and chill as you would in the original base recipe.
Because protein powder is generally sweetened, I recommend waiting until you taste your chia pudding before adding additional sweetener.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
- 1 cup milk (or milk alternative)
- ¼ cup chia seeds, measured level
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (or preferred sweetener)
- 1 tbsp Hershey’s Special Dark 100% Cacao Powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Dash of sea salt (1/8 tsp or less)
topping ideas for chia seed pudding
- Add some sliced fresh fruit (any of the options on our healthy yogurt bowls would be good)
- Try layering in frozen berries once the pudding has set and allow the berries to thaw overnight for a delicious chia seed pudding parfait
- Top with homemade whipped cream or whipped coconut cream
- Layer in peanut butter and jam for a tasty PB&J chia pudding
- Sprinkle on some shaved chocolate or mini chocolate chips for an indulgent treat
- Top with a homemade vanilla granola
How to Store Chia Pudding
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: We dont recommend freezing chia pudding. It’s best made and consumed within a few days.
Heating it up: Chia seed pudding is meant to be eaten cold. We haven’t tried warming it up.
what to pair with chia pudding
This chia pudding is great on its own (topped with berries and bananas) for a delicious breakfast or a snack, but here are some things you can pair with it to make it an even more filling meal:
Easy Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk or milk alternative (we like 2%)
- ¼ cup chia seeds measured level
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or preferred sweetener
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Dash of sea salt 1/8 tsp or less – optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a jar that has a well-fitted lid (16-ounce volume or greater will work best).
- Seal the jar and vigorously shake for about 1 minute to agitate the pudding and make sure all the chia seeds are suspended in the liquid.
- Place the sealed jar into the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Highly recommended: Shake the sealed jar every 20 minutes for that first hour to ensure you don’t get any clumps. If you don't shake the pudding, the chia seeds float to the top and will get clumpy!
- Serve with additional sweetener (if desired), fresh fruit, shaved chocolate, coconut, or any of your favorite toppings.
Perfect recipe for busy lifestyles!!
So easy and so very delicious! I did use almond milk and I also used a bit more chia seeds to thicken more, I’m making this on repeat!
Thanks for this recipe!
So easy and delicious. It was simple and delicate
Loved the recipe, was simple and easy to make. I left mine to sit overnight and it had a good consistency. I like that it wasn’t too sweet either, and that I could still had some fruit after if I wanted to.
I love this recipe, my go-to breakfast!!
It was absolutely delicious! It was my very first time trying chia pudding at all and I’m so glad this was the recipe I used! Definitely worth the try.
happy you enjoyed it!
Mine never thickened up. Has anyone had this happen?
i’m sorry to hear that. I have never had that experience. Chia seeds are super absorbent!
I am wondering why this recipe is so high in carbs & sugar. I was going to make until I saw the nutritional facts.
All of the ingredients in this recipe have naturally occurring carbs and sugar. (Milk: 11g carbs, 11g sugar) Chia seeds (17g carbs), Maple Syrup (26g carbs, 24g sugar). You could cut the maple syrup in half or cut it out as a whole and just add a little bit to taste if you’re watching your sugar intake!