Learn how to make Chia Pudding - this easy make-ahead recipe soaks overnight in the fridge for a gut-friendly breakfast. Easily made vegan or Whole 30 compliant, this simple chia pudding is for everyone to enjoy!
I have a policy when I'm eating at restaurants to never order things I could easily make at home. For instance, it blows my mind that people will fork over their hard-earned cash money for avocado toast when it's a simple matter of mashing some avocado on a pice of toast and calling it a day.
How often do you make Hollandaise sauce at home? Order some eggs florentine, for pete's sake!
Actually, never mind. I just decided that I'm going to open an avocado toast restaurant and make millions. Give me your money, people, I'll mash those avos for you. I'll sprinkle them with the fancy salt and everything.
Anyhoo, I almost never order chia pudding in a restaurant due to this aforementioned policy, but every now and then a pud will catch my eye due to some fancy topping or flavour combination and I'll give it a try. Generally, though, I prefer my go-to super simple chia pudding recipe as the base, and then I can get as creative (or not creative) as I feel like with the toppings.
Let me show you how to make chia pudding so you, too, can avoid silly over-priced restaurant breakfasts you could easily make at home.
How to Make Chia Pudding
Basically, you make it like this:
- Put some chia seeds into a jar.
- Add liquid to the jar.
- Maybe add some sweetener and / or something for flavour.
- Stir it up.
- Put in the fridge for at least a few hours to set up.
- Your chia pudding is done!
I've tried a bunch of different formulas to find out the chia pudding taste and texture I like best, and what I've settled on is one part chia seeds to six parts liquid. For the liquid, my preference is to use one part plain yoghurt and two parts plant-based milk. If that sounds like complicated math, worry not, I've broken it down into portions in the recipe below.
Adding yoghurt also gives the chia pudding a bit more heft and tang than without, and I like that. If you don't eat dairy you can skip the yoghurt and add extra plant-based milk instead. I like to add a splash of vanilla extract and a bit of maple syrup for sweetness, but that's as fancy as it gets.
There isn't anything terribly revolutionary about this chia pudding. It isn't sprinkled with sparkles and pixie dust to make it into unicorn pudding (and I just googled unicorn chia pudding to see if that's actually a thing and OF COURSE IT IS.) There are no hard to find ingredients or unpronounceable superfoods, just regular ingredients you can find at your local supermarket, I promise you.
Tips for making Chia Pudding
Learning how to make chia pudding at home isn't rocket science. In fact, I'm pretty sure that chia pudding science is the literal opposite of rocket science, but I've gathered my top tips for you anyways.
- The main thing is figuring out the ratio of chia seeds to liquid that works best for you. If you want a thicker pudding you'll want more chia seeds and less liquid, and if you want a thinner pudding you'll need fewer chia seeds and more liquid.
- The chia seeds will settle to the bottom of the jar after you first mix them. This is totally normal. I like to let the jar stand on the counter for 10 minutes and then give it another good stir before placing in the fridge to soak. This helps prevent clumps and distributes the chia seeds more evenly.
- Don't add any toppings until after this 10 minute resting time, or they'll sink to the bottom as well.
- Can I make this chia pudding vegan? Absolutely! You can either replace the yoghurt with a non-dairy yoghurt, or a similar amount of non-dairy milk.
- Do I have to use plant-based milk? Nope. Plant-based milk is my preference here, but good old fashioned cow's milk will do just fine.
- Play around with the toppings. My favourite is frozen berries, which I gently put on top of the pudding the night before, so when I pull it out in the morning the berries are thawed and their syrupy juices have melted into the pudding. Otherwise a diced banana, a dusting of cinnamon, or a sprinkle of toasted almonds are all very fine options.
Hey Nutrition Lady, are chia seeds good for you?
Yes my friends, they certainly are. Chia seeds are a concentrated source of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), are rich in dietary fiber. They are an excellent source of essential minerals such as phosphorous, manganese, calcium, sodium and potassium.
Due to the exceptional water-absorption properties of chia, it can help prolong hydration and help the body retain electrolytes at times such as during exertion. Whole, water-soaked chia seeds are easily digested, and their nutrients can be quickly absorbed by the body.
Once soaked, chia seeds bulk up, then work like a cleaning crew in our digestive systems. As they move through the intestinal tract, they help to dislodge and eliminate accumulated waste in the intestines. Many people find their stools also become more regular once they eat chia.
We did a deep dive into the benefits of chia seeds in this Chia Fresca post, so if you'd like to learn more, please hop over there.
Other make-ahead breakfasts you might enjoy:
Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos
Berry Cream Pie Overnight Oats
Healthy Pumpkin Granola
Healthy Cherry Muffins with Dark Chocolate Chunks
How to make Chia Pudding
Ingredients
How to make Chia Pudding for One
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 tablespoon plain yoghurt
- â…“ cup milk of your choice oat, almond, cow
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
- a tiny splash of vanilla extract
How to make Chia Pudding for 4-6
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 2 cups milk of your choice oat, almond, cow
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the chia seeds, yoghurt, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla into a jar (for the large batch I find a one-liter wide-mouth mason jar works perfectly) and stir well.
- Let the mixture stand on the counter top for about 10 minutes, then stir again to break up any clumps.
- Screw a lid onto the jar, and place into the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 3 hours.
- When you're ready to serve, stir the chia pudding, spoon into bowls, and add any desired toppings.
Notes
- Nutrition Values are an estimate only
- Chia pudding will last 3-5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Sustainable Cooks - Sarah
I had texture issues the first time I tried Chia pudding, but after a few bites I realized it was both awesome and delicious! This version is amazing.
Katie Trant
I find that the yoghurt really helps with those texture issues. Without it I find chia pudding gummy and weird and I don't like it nearly as much.
Maclean Nash
This recipe is delicious and your chia seed - liquid ratio is spot on! I cant wait to try your fresca!
THANK YOU!
Katie Trant
Yay! Glad you like this chia pudding technique as much as I do!
Jess
This looks lovely! I must admit I've never had chia pudding before but I think I'll try making it for my son and I. Can you use whole cows milk instead of plant milk? I'd rather not buy an extra ingredient and we don't use plant milk for anything else x
Katie Trant
Hi Jess! You can definitely use whole cow's milk in the same quantity. The flavour will be slightly different, but no sense in buying plant milk if you don't use it. I hope your little guy likes this!