Creamy, chocolatey, and perfectly sweet, this easy 5-ingredient Chia Seed Pudding with Coconut Milk makes the perfect healthy dessert, breakfast, or energizing mid-day snack.
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make Chia Pudding with Coconut Milk
- Recipe Tips
- How to Serve
- How to Store Chia Pudding with Coconut Milk
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite Healthy Dessert Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Recipe
This recipe is…
No doubt you’ve seen cute little glass jars layered with creamy pudding and colorful fruit popping up all over your social media feeds. We’re officially living in the era of the chia seed pudding craze, and it’s no wonder why. Not only do these super quick, easy, and nourishing vegan puddings taste delicious, but they take just minutes to whip up, are packed with fiber and satiating fats, and satisfy hunger and sweets cravings without making you feel like you’ve overindulged.
Our Chocolate Chia Puddings are perfect to eat any time of day for a healthy breakfast, mid-day snack, or dessert, and they keep really well in the fridge for nearly a week — making this a great recipe for meal prep.
Make a batch of the puddings (or our Tiramisu Overnight Oats, Easy Baked Oatmeal Cups, or Mint Chocolate Chip Green Smoothie Packs) on a Sunday to set yourself up with healthy breakfast and snack options for the busy week ahead.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy vegan dessert recipe comes together in just 10 minutes
- Creamy, chocolatey, perfectly-sweet flavor
- Healthy: chia seeds are packed with fiber, anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, and coconut milk offers satiating healthy fats
- A great recipe for meal prep
- Can be eaten as a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert
- Versatile: recipe can be made with a wide range of dairy-free milks and fruit
Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe Ingredients
This chia seed pudding recipe only requires 5 ingredients. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Chia seeds – the chia seeds are the base of this pudding. While traditional pudding is thickened using eggs to make a cooked custard, chia seeds allow you to skip all that work! When mixed with liquid, chia seeds swell and become gelatinous on the outside, doing the work of thickening for you. Chia seeds also have a number of health benefits: they’re high in fiber, anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.
- Coconut milk – since we wanted this chia pudding to really feel like dessert, we chose full-fat coconut milk as our milk of choice to ensure that the pudding was rich and creamy.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Non-dairy milk – if coconut isn’t your thing, cashew milk is the best substitute since it has a similar richness. Feel free to experiment with other non-dairy milks, but keep in mind that you may need to add additional chia seeds with options like almond or soy milks, which are typically thinner.
- Sweetener – if you’re following a low-carb plan, stevia is a great swap for maple syrup.
- Fruit – garnish the puddings with any other fruit if you don’t have fresh berries on hand.
How to Make Chia Pudding with Coconut Milk
Making this vegan chia pudding recipe could not be simpler — it’s nearly impossible to mess up! You’ll just follow these few easy steps:
Step 1: Place the coconut milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder, collagen peptides, and vanilla extract in a blender and blend until fully incorporated.
Step 2: Transfer the coconut milk mixture to a bowl and whisk in the chia seeds.
Step 3: Pour the chia seed mixture evenly into (8) 4-ounce mason jars or similar-sized containers, seal the lids, and shake the containers. Refrigerate for 1 hour. After 1 hour, shake the jars again to make sure the chia seeds don’t sink to the bottom, then place in the refrigerator and let set overnight, or for at least 3 hours.
Step 4: Top the chia pudding with berries and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- If you don’t have Mason jars, use ramekins, dessert bowls, or other small cups or bowls covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- There are two types of chia seeds: both white or black chia seeds will work here.
How to Serve
Just grab a jar, pop the top, and enjoy!
How to Store Chia Pudding with Coconut Milk
Store the single-serving portions in jars for up to six days.
If you want to top the puddings with fresh berries or other fruit, store them separately until you’re ready to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our chia seed pudding with coconut milk recipe has just under 300 calories per serving.
Yes! Chia pudding is a great healthy dessert, snack or breakfast option. Chia seeds are a great source of fiber and contain anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as antioxidants. Meanwhile, the cocoa powder adds additional antioxidants to this recipe while coconut milk serves as a source of healthy, satiating fats.
In this recipe, the chia seeds get a total of five hours hanging out in the fridge to work their magic, thickening the coconut milk mixture naturally. You can also leave the jars to sit in the fridge overnight.
This recipe calls for a combination of chia seeds and coconut milk that should produce a perfectly thick pudding. But if your pudding mixture is too thin, it either means that it wasn’t made with enough chia seeds, or that it hasn’t had enough time in the fridge to firm up. Be sure you’ve given the mixture the full five hours to firm up. If you have, stir in an extra tablespoon of chia seeds to thicken the mixture, then let it sit for an hour. Repeat this process until the desired consistency is achieved.
Since chia pudding is made with non-dairy milk, it’ll last longer than its dairy and egg-filled counterparts. You can eat these puddings for up to six days after making them, making them perfect for meal prep!
More Favorite Healthy Dessert Recipes
If you tried thisChocolate Chia Seed Pudding, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Vegan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- 2, 13.5-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk
- 2 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, depending on desired sweetness
- ⅓ cup collagen peptides, optional
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup chia seeds
- Fresh berries, for topping, if desired
Instructions
- Place the coconut milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder, collagen peptides, and vanilla extract in a blender and blend until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the coconut milk mixture to a bowl and whisk in the chia seeds.
- Pour the chia seed mixture evenly into 8 4-ounce mason jars or similar-sized containers, seal the lids, and shake the containers. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, shake the jars again to make sure the chia seeds don’t sink to the bottom, then place in the refrigerator and let set overnight, or for at least 3 hours.
- Top the chia pudding with berries and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute cashew milk for coconut milk, if desired
- This recipe will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
I have made chia puddings with things like almond milk, and without chocolate, and this one is soo much better! the coconut milk hardens to almost like a mousse consistency. I feel good about giving it to my kids or even eating it for breakfast!
Thank you! I have made a few times and the collagen seems to curdle. Is there a way to avoid that? Yum!
Hi Cate! We haven’t ever experienced the collagen curdling. Are you using powdered collagen? Did you blend it all together?
WOW. These were absolutely amazing. I used date paste instead of maple syrup. SO GOOD!
Yeah!!! So glad you loved them, Jessica! Thank you for sharing this with us!
This is DELICIOUS! Yes the texture is unique bc of the chia seeds but gosh dang does it hit the spot when I need something sweet. I love to be in control of the sweetness, and added some cinnamon on my second batch. Only wish I didn’t have to wait so long to eat it after preparation!!! Thanks for this awesome recipe.
In the instructions you mention collagen peptides, but it’s not listed in the ingredients. Just wondering about quantity if I choose to add it! And in the notes section, should it be that cashew milk can be substituted for coconut milk? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to make this!
It’s 1/3 cup! And yes, you can substitute cashew milk for the coconut milk.
How much collagen? I don’t see the measurement listed. Thanks!
1/3 cup!
If I were to use stevia instead of maple syrup, how much stevia would you recommend?
I’d recommend 1/2 teaspoon of liquid stevia!