When it comes to breakfast meal prep, I go through phases. For a while it was my peanut butter overnight oats (recipe in my ebook), then it switched to hard-boiled eggs with fresh fruit. But now I’m entering into a new season of breakfast that I honestly never saw coming: chia seed pudding.

At first, I was highly skeptical of chia seed puddings because of the texture. In my mind, I couldn’t understand how such a small amount of seeds could soak up that much liquid and make a pudding-like consistency—in 20 minutes, no less. But I did like the idea of prepping overnight chia seed puddings similar to my overnight oats and enjoying a low-carb breakfast. The convenience of it won over my skepticism, so I gave it a try.

Was the texture odd? Honestly, no. It obviously tastes different than overnight oats, but the texture is far from off-putting. It tasted light and balanced well with the sharpness from the strawberries.

Doctor it up with toppings!

The other thing to know about chia seed puddings is how plain they are. While the texture is light and enjoyable, the taste by itself is bland. You’ll definitely want to doctor it up with something.

While I don’t have it pictured, I like to add one tablespoon of peanut butter to my puddings, along with a cup of fresh berries.

But that doesn’t mean that has to be the only way, you doctor up your chia pudding. After quickly searching other chia seed pudding recipes online, here are a few other topping ideas you can add to yours:

Chia seed pudding toppings

• Jam/jelly
• Sliced almonds
• Chopped peanuts
• Chocolate sauce
• Almond butter
• Peanut butter
• Crushed peanuts
• Dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins, mango slices)
• Toasted coconut (or fresh!)
• Fresh fruit (blueberries, bananas, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, mango, apples)
• Chocolate chips
• Cinnamon
• Candied pecans
• Cocoa powder
• Maple syrup
• Honey

I’m giddy thinking about all the possible overnight chia seed puddings I could make with this list, and I’m excited to get them in my meal prep rotation.

What combinations are you going to try? Share in the comments below—I want to try them, too!

Print Recipe

Chia Seed Pudding

Prep a few of these chia seed pudding cups for the week ahead! Doctor it up with fresh berries and other toppings of your choice.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time0 mins

Resting Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: breakfast, chia pudding, chia seed pudding, chia seeds, meal prep

Servings: 1 serving

Equipment

• Small mason jar

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 1/2 cup almond milk unsweetened
• 1 tsp. maple syrup
• Fresh berries optional

Instructions

• Add the chia seeds into a small mason jar.
• Pour in the almond milk, then the maple syrup. Mix until fully combined.
• Close the mason jar with the lid and place it in the fridge overnight. Don't have enough time? Let the pudding sit for 20 minutes.
• After letting it sit, give the pudding another stir before adding any toppings.

Notes

You may find that the chia seeds didn’t fully soak up the liquid overnight—this is okay! Stir it again, and it will fix itself by the time you’re ready to eat it.

Top with your chia seed pudding with whatever you’re craving. Some great toppings include nut butters, fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts/seeds, coconut, and chocolate chips.

Prep with 8 oz. mason jars

Just a quick note: I like to prep my chia seed puddings in these smaller 8 oz. mason jars! You can get a 12-pack of them for pretty cheap.

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