These 6 chia seed pudding recipes are sure to please the kiddos in your house.
Chia Seed Pudding has become one of my favorite go-to breakfasts. It takes minutes to prep and can stay in the fridge for 5 days.
If you’ve been wondering what the heck are chia seed puddings, let me give you the quick low-down.
Chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse. In fact, chia seeds have a higher antioxidant activity than blueberries.
When chia seeds are mixed with liquid, they take on a gelled property. Mix them with milk, and they make an excellent whole food alternative to processed grains like cereals.
Since you’ll be making chia seeds into a tasty, pudding like treat, you’re sure to get the “kid approved” stamp of approval.
The puddings are made in individual jars, so they are the perfect portable breakfast or snack when your family has trouble getting out the door.
I’ve definitely sent my kiddos to school with these. One day, my daughter had a friend approach her. He asked, “What are those? They look like they would be fun in my mouth.” 😂 (I love being the mom who sends her kids to school with “weird” food!)
Chia Seed Pudding Prep:
Prep of the puddings is quite easy. I recommend you mix the ingredients right in the jar.
I set my jars up in an assembly line then just add each ingredient down the line. Make sure you stir your puddings thoroughly or the chia seeds will get stuck in the bottom.
These recipes are designed to fit in a pint jar. If your kiddos are little, or just don’t have big breakfast appetites, you can divide each recipe between two Ball wide mouth half pint jars.
Dietary Swaps
These recipes are more of a guideline. You get to decide what milk you’ll use and what sweetener you’ll add (if any).
Milk: You get to decide what type of milk you’ll use. Coconut, almond, soy, raw, cow’s…your choice.
Sweetener: All of these can be made without any sweetener at all. Honey and maple syrup mix in well and are considered whole food choices, which is why I include them in my “kid-approved” recipes. Each recipe specifies 0-2 Tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. Use only what you need to get your kiddos to enjoy.
Personally, our house is now a sugar free house. Therefore, I either make them without sweetener (banana chocolate chip and peanut butter cup are so sweet on their own), or I use a bit of stevia to sweeten these.
Extracts: Extracts are what take some of these recipes from delicious to over-the-top AMAZING. If you don’t have one of the extracts on the list, and want to make the pudding right away, you could always substitute vanilla. However, on your next shopping trip, you’ll want to pick up these extracts to add to your baking cupboard. They really do up the taste sensation in these chia seed pudding recipes.
CHIA SEED PUDDING RECIPES
Banana Chocolate Chip Chia Seed Pudding
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon banana extract
Pinch of salt
0-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1/2 ripe banana, chopped or mashed
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
Add chia seeds, flaxseed, milk, extract, salt, and sweetener to jar. Stir well. Allow to sit 2 minutes. Stir again, scraping sides. Add bananas and chocolate chips and mix in lightly. Refrigerate overnight. Because this recipe contains bananas, you’ll want to consume within 2 days. Or, add the bananas right before serving.
Strawberry Lemonade Chia Seed Pudding
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
0-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
Add chia seeds, flaxseed, milk, extract, salt, and sweetener to jar. Stir well. Allow to sit 2 minutes. Stir again, scraping sides. Add bananas and chocolate chips and mix in lightly. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy within 5 days.
Peanut Butter Cup Chia Seed Pudding
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
0-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons 100% natural peanut butter
1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Add chia seeds, flaxseed, milk, extract, salt, and sweetener to jar. Stir well. Allow to sit 2 minutes. Stir again, scraping sides. Stir in peanut butter and cocoa powder. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy within 5 days.
Blueberry Delight Chia Seed Pudding
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
0-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
Add chia seeds, flaxseed, milk, extract, salt, and sweetener to jar. Stir well. Allow to sit 2 minutes. Stir again, scraping sides. Add blueberries and cream cheese and mix in lightly. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy within 5 days.
Raspberry Almond Chia Seed Pudding
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
0-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
Add chia seeds, flaxseed, milk, extract, salt, and sweetener to jar. Stir well. Allow to sit 2 minutes. Stir again, scraping sides. Add raspberries and almonds and mix in lightly. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy within 5 days.
Carrot Cake Chia Seed Pudding
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
0-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Add chia seeds, flaxseed, milk, extract, salt, and sweetener to jar. Stir well. Allow to sit 2 minutes. Stir again, scraping sides. Add carrot, cream cheese, raisins (if using), and cinnamon and mix in lightly. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy within 5 days.
Frequently Asked Chia Seed Pudding Questions:
Do I have to use ground flaxseed?
No. You can leave the flaxseeds out and it won’t change the recipe. That said, flaxseeds are so healthy, I’d encourage you to leave them in.
Can I use frozen berries?
Yes…but. I’ve used frozen berries in my chia puddings but haven’t been happy with the results. The berries end up flavorless. I have no idea why. It’s almost like the flavor leeches out into the milk leaving the berries tasteless. If you decide to use frozen berries, I suggest you eat your chia seed pudding the next day.
Hey! My kid won’t eat these. Didn’t you say they were kid approved?
Kids are weird. One day they will eat something. The next day they will completely reject the same food. But ya know what’s cool about these recipes? If your kid doesn’t like chia, you can substitute regular oats in all of these recipes and make overnight oats! Bada Bing, Bada Boom!
My puddings are too hard.
If you don’t like the texture of your puddings, let your puddings sit a bit, then try stirring in a bit more milk. I’d recommend adding one tablespoon at a time.
In case you need yet another chia seed pudding recipe, my personal adult approved favorite is my Almond Joy Chia Seed Pudding.
Amanda
Cam chia puddings be heated and eaten warm like an oatmeal?.
Andrea Green
Yes Amanda! They sure can. Andrea