How to make Chia Seed Pudding (plus 5 flavors)

Chia pudding is one of the easiest recipes you can make to serve as a healthy breakfast or whenever you want a pick-me-up snack or treat. 

Make this 2-ingredient healthy chia seed pudding recipe and enjoy it in as little as 30 minutes, or make it overnight if you're into meal prepping.

Add your favorite toppings or make one of my 5 healthy chia seed pudding recipes.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love these chia seed pudding recipes
• Ingredients
• How to make healthy chia seed pudding (the base)
• The ratio of chia seeds to liquid
• What kind of milk is best for chia seed pudding
• Storage
• General topping Ideas
• Other FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 5 amazing recipes to flavor chia pudding

Why you'll love these chia seed pudding recipes

• Having a good batch of healthy chia pudding ready in the fridge makes preparing morning meals or snacks for the week so easy.
• I'll give you a couple of excellent "chia seed pudding ratio" options to start with, from thin, thick, to super creamy (blended chia pudding).
• I also share 5 of my favorite healthy chia pudding blends to flavor a basic chia pudding, plus plenty of extra topping ideas.
• The basic proportions are easy to remember once you've found your perfect chia seeds pudding thickness.
• You can make this silky, smooth, healthy pudding with your milk of choice.
• All the recipes are dairy-free and gluten-free.
• Some of them are also low-carb (Keto) chia puddings that you can quickly adapt.

Ingredients

All you need to make the base of the pudding are:

• Chia seeds
• Your milk of choice

How to make healthy chia seed pudding (the base)

Well, as mentioned before, It's ridiculously simple.

STEP 1: Place the suggested amount of chia seeds into a sizeable bowl or jar. Pour your choice of milk over the seeds. Then stir until well combined.

STEP 2: Let it sit for 2 to 5 minutes. Give it another stir to break up any chia seed clumps that might have developed—especially at the bottom.

STEP 3: Store in a sizeable see-through mason jar(s) or a bowl(s) with a lid. Then store it in the fridge until it has a nice, thick pudding-like consistency.

Note: It thickens quickly, but I usually let it sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight if you wish to prepare it the night before.

STEP 4: When ready to consume, give everything a good stir again to break up the seeds and check that the pudding has a good solid texture. Take out whatever you need to make your pudding with your toppings of choice.

Keep it stored in the fridge.

The ratio of chia seeds to liquid

Based on your chia seed pudding ratio, you can make your pudding thin, thick, or super creamy. And I'll give you a couple of "seeds to liquid" ratio options.

I prefer a less thick pudding consistency, but I encourage you to experiment with it. It's just chia pudding.

You add more liquid if its' too thick for you or more seeds if too watery and pop it back into the fridge—ridiculously simple, no?

A THINNER CONSISTENCY: Most packages recommend two tablespoons of chia seeds for every cup of milk. It creates a lovely consistency, primarily when you use plant milk like oats or nut milk. 

A THICKER CONSISTENCY: If you like a thicker chia pudding, use two tablespoons of chia seeds for every half cup of milk or ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) per cup of milk, and for a big batch, that equates to ½ cup (82 grams) chia seeds per 2 cups of milk.

BLENDED CHIA PUDDING (CREAMY): Don't like the chia seed texture? Try blending the pudding before adding the toppings or any extra sweeteners.

You'll get a super creamy concoction, almost equivalent to a mousse texture.

Note: The bigger the batch, the better it blends in your blender. And you can go all the way until all seeds have entirely disappeared. Blending the chia seeds is not my favorite option. But it works great with a chocolate flavor reminiscent of a chocolate mousse and is great if you also want to make a batch for your toddler.

What kind of milk is best for chia seed pudding

Any milk. However, I admit that I have never used regular dairy milk before because I don't care for its taste.

Go for an unsweetened choice of milk, and some of my favorites are:

• oat milk (my daughter's favorite)
• cashew or hazelnut milk
• hemp milk (my favorite)

But I've also used:

• almond milk
• soy milk
• coconut milk
• pea milk

Storage

• It stays well refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• If you feel that the seeds have thickened a bit too much, add some more milk or give it a good stir to thin out the pudding again.
• If you make a big batch, you can store it in a large mason jar—that's what I usually do—or an airtight container.
• Then only take out what you need for the day to create your variations of breakfast, snack, or desserts.
• But you can also portion your pudding into individual servings with your favorite toppings for a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack.

General topping Ideas

My basic 2-ingredient chia pudding recipe doesn't have much flavor. But that's THE. FUN. PART. 

It's pretty much a blank canvas to add whatever toppings and flavors you feel like eating on any given day.

Okay, now you have that batch of healthy chia pudding waiting for you in the fridge, and all you need to do is add your favorite toppings. 

Here are a few suggestions:

• Fruits: frozen or fresh fruits in season.
• Seeds and nut butter: Try healthy hemp seeds, sesame seeds, or (homemade) nut butter.
• Dried fruits: such as coconut shreds, dried cranberries, figs, or apricots.
• Nuts: walnuts, Brazil, and almonds are my favorite.
• A lovely (homemade) jam: a couple of tablespoons are enough to add that sweet, mild flavor to the pudding.
• Additional flavors: vanilla or almond extract, cocoa or cinnamon powder.
• Stir in a sweetener of choice: maple syrup, honey, Stevia, or a sugar substitute like Monkfruit—just a few suggestions.
• Protein powder: especially if you want to enjoy it as a post-workout snack.
• Dark chocolate chips or shavings: to make it a lovely dessert.

Other FAQ

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If you make one of my 5 flavored chia puddings below, then let me know which one was your favorite. And don't forget to leave a starred review. Thank you!

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📖 Recipe

5 amazing recipes to flavor chia pudding

• I share below some of my favorite recipes. All you have to do is blend, mix, or layer it with your prepped basic chia seed pudding.
• It is best to make these concoctions on the spot—it takes less than 5 minutes.
• However, you can make them in advance and store them in the fridge or assemble them with the chia seed pudding as a meal prep option.

1. KIWI-SPIRULINA DELIGHT (Dairy-free, Vegan, GF, Paleo-friendly)

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This first recipe contains delicious fresh kiwis and is sweetened with half a banana and just a tad of maple syrup (optional).

It's also infused with spirulina to add extra nutrients and antioxidants. If you like it sweeter, add a whole banana instead. It's best to eat this the same day or the next.

Ingredients you'll need for (2 servings):

• ½ teaspoon Spirulina (or matcha) powder
• 2 kiwis, peeled
• ½ of a peeled banana
• 1 tablespoon plant milk (I love hemp for this recipe)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Extra kiwi slices and coconut shreds for garnish

Directions:

1. Place spirulina, kiwis, banana, plant milk, and maple syrup in a small blender or food processor.
2. Blend until you get a smooth green liquid.
3. Mix or layer this sweet green goodness with up to 5 tablespoons of the base chia seed pudding per serving.
4. Garnish with extra kiwi slices and coconut shreds (highly recommended).

Note: love kiwi? Then also check out my kiwi popsicle recipe.

2. GRAPEFRUIT & ALMOND PUDDING (Dairy-free, GF, Paleo-friendly)

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Grapefruit, almonds, and the floral notes of honey complement each other and add a delicious fresh element to chia seed pudding.

A little bit of honey goes a long way to balance out some of the bitterness of grapefruit.

This is my absolute favorite, and it's best to make this with coconut or almond milk.

Ingredients you'll need for (2 servings):

• 1 large peeled grapefruit
• 1 tablespoon coconut or almond milk
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of almond butter, coconut shreds, and fresh basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. Place grapefruit, milk, and honey in a small blender or food processor.
2. Blend until you get a smooth orange liquid.
3. Mix or layer this sweet goodness with up to 5 tablespoons of the base chia seed pudding per serving.
4. Garnish with almond butter (highly recommended), coconut shreds, and fresh basil leaves (optional).

3. BERRY YOGURT PUDDING WITH HEMP SEEDS (Dairy-free, Vegan, GF, Paleo)

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You can choose any berries or a combo thereof. But I highly recommend throwing in a few frozen cherries to add a naturally sweeter taste.

I usually add a tad of honey or maple syrup—not much, though. And love drizzling this one with hemp seeds and tahini butter to add extra healthy fats and proteins.

Ingredients you'll need for (2 servings):

• ½ cup frozen berries (throw in some cherries, if you can)
• ¼ cup cashew yogurt (or coconut yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
• Top with hemp seeds, extra fresh berries, and a drizzle of tahini butter

Directions:

1. Place berries, yogurt, and sweetener in a small blender or food processor.
2. Blend until you get a smooth reddish-thick liquid.
3. Mix or layer this sweet red goodness with up to 5 tablespoons of the base chia seed pudding per serving.
4. Garnish with hemp seeds (highly recommended), extra berries of choice, and a drizzle of tahini butter or almond butter (optional).

4. DARK CHOCOLATE DELIGHT (Dairy-free, Vegan, GF, Paleo, Keto)

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This is so delicious, and it's probably more of a dessert. Flavors of cacao, cinnamon, and chocolate mint work well here.

I also sometimes like adding extra collagen peptides (optional, of course), turning this chocolate chia pudding into a post-workout snack that's simply irresistible.

Ingredients you'll need for (2 servings):

• 1 ½ tablespoons cacao powder (you can also replace half of it with dark chocolate collagen peptides)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ¼ cup cashew yogurt (or coconut yogurt)
• 3 teaspoons monk fruit sweetener (or more to taste)
• Top with dark chocolate bits, nuts, and chocolate mint leaves (optional) for garnish

Directions:

1. Place cacao powder, cinnamon, yogurt, and sweetener in a small blender or food processor.
2. Blend until you get a smooth dark brown liquid.
3. Mix this sweet chocolate goodness with up to 5 tablespoons of base chia seed pudding per serving.
4. Garnish with dark chocolate bits (highly recommended), walnut or pecans, and chocolate mint leaves (optional).

Note: love chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee-flavored recipes? Then try also my healthy coffee popsicles.

5. BASIL-INFUSED LEMON PUDDING (Dairy-free, Vegan, GF, Paleo, Keto)

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This delicious chia seed pudding is zingy and refreshingly citrusy.

A few fresh sweet basil leaves are all you need to add a sweet peppery taste that works surprisingly well in this simple concoction.

Ingredients you'll need for (2 servings):

• 1 lemon, peeled
• 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup cashew yogurt
• 3 teaspoons monk fruit sweetener (or more to taste)
• Top with extra Basil leaves and lemon slices for garnish

Directions:

1. Place lemon, Basil, yogurt, and sweetener in a small blender or food processor.
2. Blend until you get a smooth, light yellowish-thick liquid.
3. Mix this citrusy sweet goodness with up to 5 tablespoons of the base chia seed pudding per serving.
4. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra slices of lemon (optional).

Enjoy these healthy chia pudding recipes! Now it's time for you to make them.

Note: Chia seeds contain many health benefits and are an excellent food source for adding omega 3, fiber, protein, and extra vitamins and minerals to your diet.