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Enjoy this delicious vegan, pumpkin pie chia pudding year-round as a delicious breakfast or dessert!
About This Recipe
Preparing chia seed pudding is as simple as mixing your liquid of choice with chia seeds. When chia seeds are soaked in a liquid they take on a gel-like quality, transforming the liquid into a 'pudding' like a treat.
Most chia puddings contain 2 tablespoons of chia seeds per 1/2 cup of liquid or milk of choice. This equates to a gelatinous pudding similar to a thick smoothie.
Ultimately, the consistency of your chia seed pudding is up to you! If you enjoy a thicker pudding add 1/2 tablespoon more chia seeds until you have reached a consistency that you like.
This process takes a couple of hours in the refrigerator for the chia seeds and liquid to become gelatinous, which is often why preparing chia seed puddings the night before is a great way to meal prep for breakfast or have a nutrient-dense snack on hand.
In terms of preparing a simple chia seed pudding recipe you can follow this basic formula for 1 serving of chia pudding:
- 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
- 1/2 cup Base Liquid: This can be coconut milk, almond milk, dairy-based milk, hemp milk, flax milk, or your favorite milk alternative
We spiced up this recipe by mixing in pumpkin spice mix to bump up the flavor and also added an optional coconut whip topping. You can purchase pumpkin spice seasoning already blended or make your own by mixing together:
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon allspice
What are the Health Benefits of Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds come from a species of flowing plant in the mint family called Salvia Hispanica, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.
Historically coveted as an important crop for both the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures, chia seeds are now grown commercially around the world from places like Australia, Bolivia, and Peru, to the United States. They are often considered a superfood or functional food as these tiny seeds are nutrient-dense and consumed by health-conscious people for their various benefits.
Nutritionally, chia seeds are prized for having a high concentration of plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, specifically alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
Increasing your intake of healthy dietary fats such as omega-3 fatty acids can help provide you with long-lasting energy to fuel your body, while also aiding in the absorption of important fat-soluble nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, and K).
In reality, there isn't such a thing as "unhealthy food" or fat because no single food can make or break your health, as your health is an accumulation of all of your food and lifestyle choices. But choosing to include more "good" fats may help reduce your risk of chronic disease while eating too many other fats like trans fats could increase your risk (1).
A 1 oz (28.35g, about 2 tablespoons) serving of chia seeds contains about (2,3):
- 138 calories
- 5 grams of protein
- 9 grams of fat
- 1 gram of net carbs
- 10 grams of dietary fiber
- Calcium: 18% Daily Value
- Magnesium: 23% Daily Value
- Manganese: 33% Daily Value
Two tablespoons of chia seeds is also a good source of selenium, thiamin (B1), zinc, and niacin (B3) (2).
Are Chia Seeds Friendly To all Diet Styles?
Chia seeds are acceptable in pretty much every type of diet style out there. So whether you're:
Whatever you choose to call your diet you can enjoy this gluten-free and nutritious superfood. Chia seeds are also considered a "pseudo-grain" because they are seeds that come from a broad-leaf plant that is not a member of the grass family like wheat and corn.
Not sure what diet style may be best for you? Try out this meal plan quiz to help you identify what nutritional approach you may need based on your health goals:
"Superfood" or "functional food" are unregulated terms popularly used to refer to foods that may provide benefits beyond their nutritional value, like improving gut health or lowering blood pressure.
For a keto-frienly version of this recipe skip the sugar or added your favorite sugar substitute and this becomes a keto-friendly dessert - with only 4g of net carbs per serving.
How to Prepare Your Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding Recipe
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 0 min
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups unsweetened cashew milk
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp of chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons honey
For Toppings:
- 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh blueberries or strawberries
- Coconut Whip Cream (optional recipe)
Kitchen Tools
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Meal prep containers or bowls
- Small whisk or spoon
- Blender
Step 1: Measure Ingredients and Prepare Containers
Gather all of the ingredients needed for your chia seed pudding including any extra toppings or ingredients.
If you're preparing the coconut whip cream, refrigerate 1 can of coconut milk for at least 30 minutes; then using a spoon scoop the solidified milk from the top 2 inches of the container and whisk with 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of any milk you'd like for a delicious coconut whip cream.
Although this recipe is pumping spice flavored, you can prepare any flavor of chia seed pudding you'd like!
Typical mix-ins include:
- Fruit: You can blend in mixed berries, and bananas, or use fruit purees in the base of your chia seed pudding to add nutrition and flavor.
- Dried Herbs and Spices: lavender, chamomile, and rose to make wonderful additions to chia seed pudding. You can also explore using dried mint, cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg, and turmeric as well!
- Functional Food Powders: These include dried powders from foods like acai berries, spirulina, reishi, or Chaga mushrooms.
- Protein Powders: Bump up the protein in your chia seed pudding and also help thicken the pudding without using too many chia seeds. Start off with blending 1/2 scoop of any flavor protein powder you like into your base liquid.
- Additional Nuts and Seeds: Nut butters such as peanut butter or almond butter, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or pecans.
Step 2: Combine Chia Seeds with Liquid and Flavorings
In your mason jars or meal prep containers measure out 1.5 tablespoons chia seed for each portion of pudding, then divide the rest of the ingredients between the two containers.
Once you have combined your chia seeds with your base liquid, cover and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours until thickened or 8 hours overnight. Be sure to stir your pudding occasionally during this process as the chia seeds tend to settle to the bottom of your base liquid isn't very thick. This also prevents clumps of seeds from forming at the bottom or sides of the container!
Then top with your favorite toppings like fresh fruit, granola, or coconut flakes and your chia seed pudding is ready to eat! You don’t have to add toppings, but it can add a ton of extra flavor, just be careful not to overdo it because a lot of extra toppings will alter the nutritional content.
Serving and Storing Chia Seed Pudding
You can make a large batch of chia seed pudding in a larger container but will have to stir it occasionally during the thickening process to ensure the chia seeds are distributed evenly.
Alternatively, you'll want to combine your chia seeds with your base liquid in whatever container you plan on eating your chia seed putting out of. This could be meal prep containers, glass jars, mason jars, or whatever container you have on hand.
Chia seed pudding has a long shelf life and will typically stay fresh for up to a week in the fridge.
Chia Seed Pudding Variations
There really is no limit to the creative flavors you can combine when preparing a chia seed pudding recipe, here are some of our favorites with measurements for 1 basic recipe of pudding using 2 tablespoons of chia seeds and 1/2 cup liquid.
- Chocolate Chia Pudding: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon maple, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Banana Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding: 1/2 banana, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- Blueberry Lavander: 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 teaspoon lavender, 1 teaspoon honey
Meal Prep Resources
Build a comprehensive meal plan utilizing all of the resources below. If you've just started or plan on starting to meal prep, remember to include your snacks and any drinks as well.
- How to Start Meal Prepping
- Meal Prep for Weight Loss
- Meal Prep for Muscle Gain
- Chicken Meal Prep Recipes
- Beef Meal Prep Recipes
Need help sticking to a plant-based diet?
Whether you are struggling with meal prepping your food or need help avoiding eating the same foods all the time, we provide delicious meals to take all the frustration out of dieting so you can focus on yourself!
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