Chia seeds have gotten a lot of buzz lately for their health benefits and ease of use. The tiny little seeds look a bit like exotic black and white swirled eggs from up close. They absorb lots of liquid and turn very gelatinous. They have a neutral flavor and while they cost a bit more than other seeds, it doesn’t take many to create an interesting effect.
Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and contain alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA). They also contain protein, fiber and some antioxidants. Chia seeds don’t need to be ground up like flaxseeds in order for the body to absorb their nutrients. I couldn’t find any information about the smoking point of chia oil, but I don’t think I’ll use them to cook or bake with since I’m not sure if the oils would break down and oxidize like flaxseed oil when subjected to heat.
I played around with different measurements, and I prefer 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk to 1/3 cup chia seed. You can make this pudding with milk, cream, almond milk, honey instead of maple syrup, stevia, etc. There are lots of ways to play with these little gems!
This pudding has a mousse-like consistency and only takes a few minutes to mix together. I prefer to eat it at room temperature because when it’s chilled, the texture becomes a bit too gelatinous. If you refrigerate the pudding, make sure to leave it out for about 15 minutes to take the chill off. It’s great with berries, a little whipped cream or chocolate shavings.
Chia Seed Pudding
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups coconut milk (I used organic canned coconut milk from Native Forest. The can isn’t lined with BPA and it’s a nice thick milk)
4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (or substitute with a few drops of stevia)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup berries
Directions:
Whisk coconut milk, maple syrup, and extracts until smooth. Stir in chia seeds. Divide mixture evenly between 4 glasses. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Serve.
If you’d like to make the pudding ahead of time, cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator. Set pudding out for 15 minutes before serving. Best if eaten within 24 hours.
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups coconut milk (I used organic canned coconut milk from Native Forest. The can isn’t lined with BPA and it’s a nice thick milk)
4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (or substitute with a few drops of stevia)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup berries
Directions:
Whisk coconut milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder and extracts until smooth. Stir in chia seeds. Divide mixture evenly between 4 glasses. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Serve.
If you’d like to make the pudding ahead of time, cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator. Set pudding out for 15 minutes before serving. Best if eaten within 24 hours.
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{ 68 comments… read them below or add one }
last month, I saw at the supermarket chia seeds and I didn’t know how to use them. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I would like to taste them, and this recipe is a good way for it.
THANK YOU THANK YOU for posting this!!!
We make dark chocolate chia seed pudding in canning jars using almond milk. It is a family favorite.
Hi, would you share your recipe as well? Thank you.
Can you recommend a good place to find Native Forest coconut milk? I haven’t been able to find it in any stores.
I recently noticed that I can’t find any either. I’m wondering if their stock is low…I usually order on Amazon, but all of the sudden their prices and availability have changed. Another great coconut milk is the Organic Thai Kitchens coconut milk. It has great flavor and is super thick.
Do you have a Kroger near you – that is where I buy Native Forest coconut milk.
I have a bag of chia seeds just waiting to try this! I have used them to top oatmeal and mixed in smoothies, but this sounds like a nice change. Thanks so much for posting this!
My brother does triathlons and puts chia seeds in his water bottle for the biking portion. I’ve done that myself for just everyday use and I love how I feel fuller and am less likely to crave junk food. I’ll also mix it in when I make a hot quinoa breakfast (just cooked quinoa with some vanilla, agave syrup, nuts, dried fruit, etc)
Great ideas! Thanks!
Made the chocolate one this weekend and it was SO GOOD! I tried it again with some almond milk – didn’t turn out quite like pudding (though I didn’t exactly measure, so I may not have had enough chia in there) but it was still superbly delicious chocolate chia milk. Chocolate cow milk is sometimes touted as a great after-workout drink (to get protein in) – since I’m lactose intolerant and don’t generally plan ahead to de-lactose my cow milk, I think I’m going to try the chocolate chia milk instead – I’ll probably do a combination of coconut and almond to get more good fats in. Thanks again for this, Carrie!!
How do you de-lactose milk yourself??? I buy Zero Lacto milk in NZ but its double the price of normal milk!
I just made the vanilla version and it’s SO GOOD! Thanks for posting this recipe. ☼
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I will have to try this. Love the berries on top!
I love making chia pudding; so perfect for summer…refreshing and delish. Thanks for sharing darling. Miss you and hope all is well.
xoox
Both puddings look really good! Wow. Thanks Carrie for sharing this great recipe.
I’m so excited about trying these! Do you think one could use the date paste you used in the ‘sugar free creamers’ as the sweetener and strain it before adding the chia seeds?
So pretty + a fun twist on classic pudding recipes.
I have yet to jump on the chia bandwagon, but I really love you combining them into a healthy dessert.
What a great way to add in some extra protein. These look great!
I adore chia seeds and this pudding with coconut milk looks fantastic. Hope you are well these days Carrie!
Made this today and loved it. It is so easy, quick, and tasty. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks, Carrie.
Wow, what a yummy pudding! I’ve never had chia seeds, but I read up on all the nutritional benefits and I will definitely make it a staple in my diet.
Thanks for making it into a dessert.
I just made this and I’m waiting for the seeds to soften. They’re about 1/2 way there and it’s hard to wait to eat this. It’s sooo yummy! This is a keeper, I can tell!
I’ve been loving chia seeds too and I’ve always got a bag at home.
I love adding chia seeds to drinks, but have never had it in pudding. Thanks for the great idea.
Oooh, I love this, Carrie. I am totally making this.
Is it possible to make the pudding with soymilk as well?
I haven’t tested it with soy, but I’m thinking it might be too thin for this recipe.
I’ve used soymilk for chia seed pudding before… I’m allergic to almond so can’t use almond milk… I’ve also done a combination of coconut and soymilk… definitely creamier with coconut milk… have to watch the sugar content in soy milks.. use the unsweetened varieties…
Can I make the pudding with ground Chia seeds? Will it turn out differently?
Thanks.
I’ve never tried it, but I would think it would turn out ok.
I made the chocolate version and it was delish!, however i did find it to be a bit bitter so next time i think i will halve the cocoa. Before serving it up i mixed in a spoon of peanut butter and topped it with sliced banana and chopped dried apricots and YUMMMIO!!!
I used 2 Tbsp xylitol instead of honey or maple syrup to keep the calories and carb count down, and I just love it! With the vanilla version, the first time I made it, I could really taste the alcohol in the vanilla so the second time I made it, I heated the coconut milk, xylitol, and vanilla to a simmer to help heat off the alcohol before adding the chia. I also found it easier to just use a whole can of coconut milk, about 1 3/4 cups, and increase the chia seeds to 1/2 cup. I will have to try the chocolate version as well.
I’m enjoying the chocolate version as I type this. Delicious! I look forward to trying the plain version soon!
Thanks for the feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have been on a candida diet/cleanse for the past couple weeks and have really enjoyed this as a special treat that doesn’t break the diet rules and regulations! I have made the above versions and all of them have been delicious, but the other day I got creative and wanted to share a twist that also turned out well
Instead of adding sweetener and extracts to the pudding, I mixed the coconut milk and chia seeds together and added lemon juice and spices (salt, pepper, garlic, dill, etc). It was almost like cream cheese or a cheese dip/spread … at least, it was the closest thing to it on this diet!! It turned out tasty and I’m sure you could experiment with different spices and flavors.
Anyway, thought I’d pass that on for anyone who might be interested! Now I’m going to make a sweet version to use as a topping on my fluffy coconut flour/buckwheat flour pancakes tonight!
What a fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing!
@Hannah – what a great idea! I’ve been grinding my chia seeds because my boyfriend isn’t fond of the texture of the whole ones in our smoothies – I bet he’d eat the dip if I made it with ground chia, too! Thanks so much for sharing!
I was trying to get something similar to cream cheese and it was similar, but I had to add the spices to cover the coconut flavor! I thought about experimenting with other milk or spices … I thought it could use a little tweaking to make it perfect but all in all, it was really good and I was thrilled to find a cheese dip substitute
I wonder if you use Indian or Thai spices for the dip if they would meld better with the coconut flavor…I’m excited to try! I was also thinking about trying a combo of coconut and almond milk to cut down on the fat content (and maybe mellow the coconut flavor).
I was thinking almond milk would be good too. Great idea on the Indian spices … I didn’t think about that but I imagine they would be really yummy – I love curry
I read recently that guar gum is something to stay away from. I noticed that Native Forest uses organic guar gum in their coconut milk. Carrie, can you please share how you feel about this? I love your site and have made many of your recipes! Thanks for leading us to a healthier life!
Delicious!! I have been searching for an easy, healthy, chocolatey dessert that appeals to everyone in my family and this definitely hit all the points! I used vanilla almond milk instead of coconut milk (though I am dying to try that as well) so I didn’t need as much syrup for the sweetness and created a layered dessert with sliced strawberries and bananas. It took longer to layer it than it did for my children to eat it- they loved it that much! Thanks for the great recipe!
I just made the chocolate version but half the cocoa powder as someone suggested that they would do next time.. i find it very tasty even yummy lol..its also a great way to get in your omega-3′s
What brand cocoa powder do you use? Would the raw cacao work here? Can’t wait to tr it.
Raw cacao would work great for this recipe. Wilderness Family Naturals has a nice cacao powder:http://www.amazon.com/Certified-Organic-Cacao-Powder-From/dp/B000KNCZKU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1359994156&sr=8-3&keywords=cacao
When I don’t have cacao powder on hand, I usually use Rapunzel Pure Organic Cocoa Powder:http://www.amazon.com/Rapunzel-Pure-Organic-Cocoa-Powder/dp/B0046HEPQS/ref=sr_1_7?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1359994195&sr=1-7&keywords=organic+cocoa+powder
I’m assuming that the berries listed in each of the ingredient sections are for sprinkling on top of the pudding just before serving and are not to be incorporated into the pudding itself?
Yes, the are for sprinkling on top.
Perfect! Thank you!Now my preschooler and kindergartener won’t have to feel left out at school when the other kids are being served disgusting pudding cups and junky ice cream at Valentine’s Day parties. The teachers now advise me in advance of days or parties where they are serving processed garbage and I am so thankful for healthy alternatives. My kids are always happy with them and politely refuse junky stuff. If they complain we just look at the ingredient list and when none of it sounds like food, they are completely fine. I even reduced the maple syrup in this, because the berries will sweeten it enough and my kids don’t have a major sweet tooth. ( in fact, the little guy just refused frosting on his birthday cupcake. Too sweet.)
This pudding is absolutely amazing! I made the raw cacao version (with 1/2 the cacao per one of the comments above), and it was super scrumptious!
I add chia seeds to everything, but this just became a new favorite. Thank you so much!
I’m thinking of making this with almond milk and using cardamom spices as a sweetener…but should I still add the honey? Maybe omit the vanilla? Or the other way around?
Almond milk is very thin so the pudding might not get as thick as originally intended. If you’re using almond milk that is just made from almonds and water then I would still add the honey and vanilla.
I made this. Left it out for two hours and it was still a liquid, soupy mixture. Why didn’t it form a pudding texture?
Hmmm…I’m not really sure. Did you make any substitutions?
Not really. I used unsweetned almond milk. I put it in the fridge and it got a little more solid. It’s pretty good. I guess I might be thinking it will form a shape of regular pudding. Still good.
I’ve never tested this recipe with almond milk. My first thought is that the consistency of the almond milk would be too thin to produce a thick pudding. If you use thick coconut milk (not coconut beverage) it will turn into a thick pudding.
Thanks, I will give it a try again.
Hey, just wondering if you can really clarify the milk situation. The original recipe calls for coconut milk, which is very thick. However, some people are talking about successfully using almond milk which, from what I know, is much thinner. Is there another thicker version of almond milk that I don’t know about? Or are people using the thin almond milk with good results? Do the ratios change if using almond/coconut milk beverage rather than coconut milk in a can? Thanks!
P.S. I have the chocolate version setting as I type, using coconut milk from a can
I haven’t tested it with almond milk, but I’m assuming it depends on what kind of almond milk is used. Almond milk in the stores usually has preservatives and additives that would probably interfere with how the pudding sets. A homemade almond milk would probably do best since it’s a bit more thick and doesn’t contain any additives.
My 3 year old just helped me make this. She loved the stirring process. So excited for our healthy chocolate pudding
I hope you enjoy it!
Could you use agave as the sweetener to keep the glycemic load low?
You can, but I don’t recommend agave. It’s a highly processed sweetener that is about 70% fructose. To keep the glycemic index on the low side, I would use raw honey (GI of 35) or stevia. Here’s a great article that discusses the truth about agave: http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/agave-nectar-worse-than-we-thought
Hi. Thank you for sharing , these wonderful chia recipes. After reading this I was inspired to have a pudding for my afternoon snack. Yummy, Eating it as i type. It’s a fantastic healthy fill-you-upper snack or breakfast .
Have you heard of the best of the best Chia? Please look into Mila. There have been a TON of comparisons on the regular chia purchased from local stores and the results are amazing-no comparison to eating 1 scoop of mila a day. People who ate regular store bought (don’t know where’s its grown-hard to clean so don’t know what your consuming) didn’t feel any different just knew they were eating something beneficial. But Mila?? Oh my goodness the results are life changing. I have waaay more energy , more mental clarity (as MILA has the highest omega 3 in any whole raw food).
Just do your own comparison and try
a bag they will last a month… I promise you’ll never go back to the ordinary kind!
Please check it out- Http://Lifemax.net/mcabell
Do you think this would work with 2% milk?
I would try 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream in place of the coconut milk.
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