Easy Chia Seed Pudding (2025)

Published by: Liz Marino | 04/29/2024 |

Last updated: 10/07/2024

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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 prep it in under 5 minutes and top with fresh fruit or stir in protein powder for a nutrient dense snack!

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 snack, or dress it up with your favorite toppings for a lighter dessert!

Table of Contents

3 great reasons to make coconut chia pudding

Chia seed pudding is a great snack or breakfast. Here are some of the reasons why we love it!

Super Easy to Make:This chia seed pudding can be whipped up in minutes, and, apart from shaking the jar, requires almost no effort. It is so easy to make the night before and have ready for an effortless breakfast meal prep. Chia seed pudding makes a great morning alternative to oats!
Packable & Versatile:Make this pudding in a jar with a lid and you have a portable on-the-go option for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Omega-3’s & Fiber: Chia seeds are a powerhouse and make this pudding super rich in fiber (7 grams per serving!) and omegas-3’s (325% of your daily value!).

base Ingredients

To make this pudding you’ll need:

milk of choice – regular or nondairy will work
chia seeds
maple syrup – you can also use honey, or whatever sweetener you like
vanilla extract – for flavor!
salt – optional, but helps balance the sweetness

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

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 fruit, 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
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

tips for the best chia seed pudding

When measuring the chia seeds, make sure your scoop is level. This will help ensure that your pudding is thick 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 chunks 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 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.

Recipe FAQs

Is it OK to eat chia pudding every day?

To make sure you don’t have any digestive problems, some recommend not eating more than one serving of chia seeds per day.

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 for breakfast or a snack, but here are some things you can pair with it to make it an even more filling meal:

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins
Egg and Sausage Muffin Cups
Zucchini Bread Muffins
Baked Veggie Frittata
Egg Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns

Easy Chia Seed Pudding

Recipe by: Liz Marino

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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!

Prep Time : 5 minutes minutes

Total Time : 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Serves : 2 3/4 cup servings

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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.

Nutrition Facts

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