Easy and Incredibly Simple Chia Pudding Recipe (with tips and tricks!)

This post is all about chia pudding and the steps to take to achieve the perfect consistency! It’s a wonderful breakfast or snack loaded with protein, fibre and fats!

Chia pudding has got to be my favourite breakfast! I had friends who swore they didn’t love the consistency or taste of chia pudding and after I made it for them, they were raving about it too! I think getting the consistency can be tricky at first. It can clump really easily if you’re not stirring it well. There’s also some wonderful ways to change the flavour of the chia pudding so it’s always new and exciting! Follow along this blog to make the perfect chia pudding!

What exactly are chia seeds?

Doesn’t it seem like that chia seeds are a novel invention that exploded into our lives recently?
Chia seeds are the edible seeds of Salvia hispanica, a flowering plant in the mint family native to central and southern Mexico

Chia seeds are a source of:

• Zinc
• Calcium
• Protein
• Phosphorus
• Polyunsatured fat, as omega 3 fatty acids
• Fibre

Unlike flax seeds (which is digested better when ground up), chia seeds are absorbed and digested well in their whole form.

Getting started

All you need to get started is some plant based milk and chia seeds.

Some helpful info about the chia seeds: I do think, like everything to do with food, that the seeds should be fresh. If they’re stale or quite old, they may not plump up or absorb the liquid as much as fresh ones. Having said that, chia seeds can last on the shelf for 4-5 years.

Chia seeds come in black and white, but there is no difference in nutrient content between the two! I prefer to use black seeds personally.

To get about two – three servings worth (each in a mason jar that includes the possibility of extra yogurt, jam, fruits and granola and can be made ahead for a couple day’s worth of breakfast) measure out 1/4 cup of chia seeds and 1 1/2 cup of milk plus 1 tablespoon.

What type of milk should I use?

I’ve only used plant-based milks. I find all of them are wonderful but there are some that I find work really well:

• Ripple pea protein milk
• Coconut milk
• Soy milk

I find the thicker the milk, the creamier your pudding will be. We have some backup almond milk that is quite watery and doesn’t create such a beautiful texture but it’s fine in a cinch.

I added the milk to the chia seeds and mixed it pretty well. I find the secret in chia pudding is time and mixing.

Yogurt

After your pudding has been mixed within the hour of the seeds being added to the milk, you can add to the yogurt. I usually leave it until I’m ready to eat it. Try to give the pudding at LEAST an hour (however 3 hours is the magical number for me because the seeds have been plumped and it resembles a “pudding” consistency). I also think leaving it overnight is best.

Chia pudding can be served as a dessert easily and putting some thick yogurt can do wonders. I use Yoso as this has been the perfect consistency and thickness from all the vegan yogurts I’ve tried.

Sweetener

I personally think chia pudding needs a bit of sweetening and I usually get it from the coconut yogurt I purchase. Yoso adds agave to its vanilla yogurt flavour. My daughter, however, adds additional maple syrup.

You can add:

• stevia
• honey (if you’re not vegan)
• coconut sugar
• any other sweetener that you usually enjoy

Now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time for the fun stuff. Adding, decorating and garnishing your pudding!

Chia pudding stir-ins

You can make your chia pudding taste like just about anything – savoury with the help of turmeric or matcha, or sweet like cinnamon and cocoa powder/chocolate!

Here are some ideas to get you creative juices flowing:

• Protein powder: This can be a fantastic way to supplement extra protein into your diet.
• Medicinal mushroom powder: Many companies sell medicinal mushrooms in a powder form. Use these to tap into the magic of mushrooms! They have too much to offer
• Ashwagandha – same ideas are above. All the magic of ashwagandha or other herbs.
• Cacao – make it chocolate flavour by adding chocolate
• Matcha – has L-theanine which helps your brain relax. It’s also high in antioxidants
• Cinnamon
• Colourful natural powders – blue spirulina, matcha, purple potato powders, rose powders etc. You can create a beautiful rainbow looking chia pudding!

Chia pudding toppings

• Fruits – a great way to include phytonutrients into your diet
• Cacao nibs – small but mighty, these have iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, and copper.
• Hemp hearts – Hemp seeds contain over 30% fat. They are exceptionally rich in two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).
• Granola – make your own healthy granola
• Seeds and nuts – a wonderful way to add protein and fats!

You can eat your chia pudding in a bowl or a jar. You can keep it plain or take your time to dress it up. Whatever you decide to do, it should make you happy and be a pleasure to eat. Take a photo of your creation and share it with me on social media! I’d love to see how you get creative!

Other tips and tricks for a perfect pudding

Bowl or Jar?

It seems so simple but I find that mixing in a large mug or mason jar allows you to mix it more evenly with less clumps than a bowl.

I love eating it from a glass jar. I can see how pretty the layers look!

Shaking or stirring?

The magic of getting the perfect consistency is with the stirring. Shaking a jar with milk and chia seeds doesn’t seem to create that texture!

Making your own compote

If you have some overly ripe apples or berries, make your own compote to go along with this pudding!

It’s incredibly easy to make. All you need to make about a cup and half of compote is:

• 2 cups of your favorite fruit – best ones to make compote, I find, are raspberries and strawberries.
• 2 tsp of maple syrup

You could argue that you don’t need maple syrup, but I find that maple syrup helps make the compote sweeter but it also gives it a bit more liquid so the berries don’t burn but rather melt into a beautiful lush jam like consistency.

You don’t need more than 5 minutes. Start with cutting your strawberries (you don’t need to cut raspberries as they soften quickly) into desired pieces (you can have chunky jam or tiny pieces in your jam). Add them into your pan with the desired amount of maple syrup. Let your pan warm up to medium and you’ll soon see the compote start to bubble. Turn it down to low for 5 minutes and then shut off the heater.

Let it cool down and enjoy!

I’ve made all sorts of jam such as:

• raspberry (my personal fav)
• strawberry
• blood orange
• apple
• wild blueberries
• mango and pineapples
• and so on!

Some fun flavour combinations

I love trying different combinations in my pudding. If you have a suggestion – I’d love to hear it below in the comments!

• peanut butter and jelly (I make a jam/compote)
• apple cinnamon
• matcha
• chocolate and peanuts/peanut butter
• gingerbread
• avocado chocolate “mousse”

Other uses for chia seeds

• In a smoothie
• Frozen chia bars
• Chia eggs (much like flax eggs)

Thanks for getting through this long post! If you have any comments or suggestions – leave them below!

Here’s another breakfast option to make:

Delicious and lush banana nice cream