This easy chia seed pudding recipe is a perfect healthy breakfast or snack! It tastes like dessert, but it's filled with fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Now that the weather’s warming up, this chia seed pudding recipe has become my go-to breakfast/afternoon snack. It’s cool, creamy, and lightly sweet, with warm depth of flavor from a pinch of cinnamon. Topped off with fresh fruit, homemade granola, and a drizzle of maple syrup, it tastes like dessert, but it’s packed with fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Another reason I love this chia pudding? It’s super easy to make, and it keeps in the fridge for about 5 days. So if you’re a big fan of meal prepping, this recipe is for you. Make a batch of chia seed pudding on the weekend, and portion it into individual jars or containers. You’ll have a quick, healthy breakfast ready for every day of the week!
Chia Pudding Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy chia pudding recipe:
- Chia seeds, of course! I used white chia seeds on the day I took these photos, but black chia seeds will work here too.
- Almond milk – Or any milk you like! If I don’t have almond milk on hand, I often make this recipe with other non-dairy milks. Light coconut milk and oat milk are both great. Regular milk also works.
- Maple syrup – I mix some into the chia seed pudding to sweeten it naturally. When I eat, I drizzle more maple syrup on top!
- And cinnamon – For warm depth of flavor.
Optional, but delicious: Add a pinch of salt to make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Chia Pudding
This chia pudding recipe couldn’t be simpler to make! Here’s how it goes:
- First, combine the ingredients in lidded Mason jar. If you don’t have a jar, use another small airtight container, or whisk together the ingredients in a bowl.
- Next, shake! Secure the lid on the top of the jar, and vigorously shake to combine the ingredients.
- Then, chill. Pop the pudding in the fridge for a few hours.
- An hour or two later, stir. This step is crucial for breaking up any seed clumps within the pudding. If the chia seeds stay bunched together, they won’t absorb the liquid in the jar, making for a lumpy, crunchy chia seed pudding. No, thanks!
- Then, chill again. After stirring, cover the jar, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Your chia seed pudding is ready to eat when it has a creamy, pudding-like texture. Just add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Troubleshooting
I find that a ratio of 2 tablespoons chia seeds to 1/2 cup almond milk yields a creamy texture that I love.
But on occasion, I hear from readers whose pudding hasn’t set up properly. Here are my best tips for making perfect chia seed pudding every time:
It’s important that you stir the chia pudding after it’s chilled for a few hours. By stirring it, you’ll break up any clumps of chia seeds in the milk or at the bottom of the jar. If the chia seeds are clumped, they won’t absorb as much liquid, which will result in a thinner pudding.
If your chia pudding is too thin after it chills overnight, add more chia seeds, stir well, and chill it for another few hours. The extra chia seeds will absorb the excess liquid.
Chia Seed Pudding Serving Suggestions
On its own, chia pudding is creamy, rich, and lightly sweet. But let’s be honest: the best part of any chia seed pudding recipe is the toppings! Here are some of my favorites:
- Fresh fruit. I love piling berries and tart cherries on chia seed pudding. Use fresh ones in the summer and thawed frozen ones for the rest of the year.
- Something crunchy, like coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or homemade granola.
- Something sweet. Add an extra drizzle of maple syrup or honey. Chocolate chips are delicious too!
Load up your chia seed pudding for a healthy breakfast or snack! If you’re meal prepping this chia pudding recipe, wait to add the toppings until right before you eat.
How to Store
Store chia pudding in a covered jar or other airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If the pudding becomes too thick, loosen it with a little extra milk before adding your desired toppings and digging in.
Tip:Â Scale up this recipe if you’re making it for meal prep!
What are the best chia pudding jars?
I love using these small clear jars from Le Parfait for chilling and storing chia seed pudding. They come in a pack of 6 and have a cute and minimalist design. The airtight jars have an 11-ounce capacity, which leaves plenty of space for toppings like granola and fresh fruit.
More Favorite Breakfast and Snack Recipes
If you love this chia pudding recipe, try one of these yummy breakfasts or snacks next:
- Overnight Oats
- Strawberry Muffins
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Or any of these 60 Healthy Breakfast Ideas or 49 Best Healthy Snacks!
Chia Seed Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
- â…› teaspoon cinnamon
Optional toppings
- Tart cherries
- Blueberries
- Chopped nuts or granola
- Coconut flakes
- Maple syrup
Instructions
- In a lidded jar, combine the almond milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Cover and shake to combine. Chill for a few hours, then give it a good stir to loosen any clumps. Continue chilling for 8 hours or overnight for the pudding to set.
- Serve with toppings like fruit, nuts, coconut flakes, and maple syrup as desired.
Can you provide nutritional info for this please!?
My chia pudding didn’t set up? I doubled the recipe.???
Hi Debra, I’m sorry to hear that! We’ve always had success with this ratio, but it’s possible that different brands of chia seeds/almond milk could affect the results. I’d recommend adding more chia seeds and chilling a few more hours to help the pudding thicken up.
Hi Debra,
I started making this the other day and it came out very watery the first two times I made it (I used protein granola to thicken it up). The third time (and after a few TikToks) I learned to go back to either stir or shake the mixture maybe 10-20 min after making. Once I did that, everything was perfect the next morning. I used mason jars and I found that shaking helps it a lot more.
Where did you get the adorable serving dishes seen in the chia pudding photo
I made this with blueberries and oat milk and it was delicious. Do you have the nutritional information please? Thanks
The dessert is 2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds? 2 Table spoons? Really?
they swell up
I love this :^)
Me too!!
How many calories in this breakfast serving approximately
Probably will depend on the brand of items used.
Delightful breakfast and snack. Easy to make and came out perfectly. I too, didn’t want anything overly sweet. This was my first go with Chia pudding, and your directions and recipe made it easy, and customizable in the future.
Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it and I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Very interesting breakfast treat
What is the nutrition facts
I was pleasantly surprised by this chia seed pudding. It is easy to make, tastes delicious, and is an easy way to pack in the healthful benefits of chia seeds.
Hi Lou, I’m so glad you loved it!
This recipe was perfect! I tripled the recipe, used a kilner jar to store so good for 3 days. 6tbsp seeds, 1.5 cups coconut milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1tsp cinnamon, and 1tbsp honey as I didn’t have any maple. Delicious. I know it’s not the recipe to a T, but the quantity outlined made the perfect texture.
Hi Daisy, I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing your variation.
Perfect! Not too sweet, just perfect.
5 star
Hi Kathy, I’m so glad you loved it!
I love your chia seed pudding!?
Absolutely delish!!!
May this be made with cashew milk instead of almond? Would there be any adjustments?
Excellent! Hadn’t had a chia pudding in a while. The hint of cinnamon does a lot…may add a touch more next time. Topped mine with blueberries, strawberries and sliced almonds. Making more for tomorrow!
Hi, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
Do you know how many calories and the nutritional values per serving? By the way, it came out perfect!
So glad you enjoyed it, Tally! We don’t calculate nutrition facts for our recipes unfortunately, but you could use an online nutrition calculator to get an estimate.
Added to my Nutritionix “Track” app, and here’s the nutritional value.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories154.9
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9.3ggrams12%Daily Value
Saturated Fat 1ggrams5%Daily Value
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3ggrams
Monounsaturated Fat 0.8ggrams
Cholesterol 0mgmilligrams0%Daily Value
Sodium 85.4mgmilligrams4%Daily Value
Total Carbohydrates 11.2ggrams4%Daily Value
Dietary Fiber 8.6ggrams31%Daily Value
Sugars 2.2ggrams
Includes 0ggrams Added Sugars0%Daily Value
Protein 5.5ggrams
Vitamin D 2.5mcgmicrograms13%Daily Value
Calcium 381.5mgmilligrams29%Daily Value
Iron 2.6mgmilligrams14%Daily Value
Potassium 222.8mgmilligrams5%Daily Value
Too runny as written and missing a key ingredient. So… I upped the chia seeds to 8 Tablespoons and added 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. NOW it’s a perfect, 5 star chia seed pudding!
you sure you were using tablespoons and not teaspoons? 8 tablespoons makes quite a lot