Cherry Chia Pudding

The recipe combines frozen cherries, maple syrup, and a touch of almond extract to make a cherry-flavored milk used to soak whole chia seeds.  The seeds gel and thicken, resulting in a delicious cherry-flavored chia seed pudding.

Top the chia pudding with fresh or thawed frozen cherries, bananas, or granola for a healthy make-ahead breakfast or afternoon snack.

For more dairy-free chia pudding recipes, try pineapple chia pudding, strawberry chia pudding, blueberry lemon chia pudding, chia pudding with yogurt, or a mango chia bowls.  For more meal prep breakfast ideas, try dairy-free overnight oats.

Recipe features

• Easy prep by using frozen cherries!
• Vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free!
• Great for meal prep, breakfast, snacks, or a light dessert!
• Easy and quick to make using simple ingredients!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The cherry chia seed pudding recipe uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for the full list and exact measurements

Frozen cherries -I use frozen cherries because they're already pitted and can be found year-round.  They will be blended with milk, and I prefer to save fresh cherries for snacking. For more recipes with frozen cherries, try cherry overnight oats or cherry mango smoothie.  My frozen cherries are sweet, not sour.  I didn't test with sour cherries, so I don't know how well the recipe would turn out.

Dairy-free milk - Choose your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk. If you opt for a sweetened variety, you may want to adjust the amount of maple syrup. I prefer my chia pudding thicker; if you don't, consider changing the milk ratio. 

We all have different preferences, so alter the milk and sweetener to suit your needs.  If your brand of chia seeds starts to gel almost instantly, you may want to add a little more liquid.  You can always wait until morning to see if it's too thick. 

Maple syrup - Pure maple syrup is used to sweeten the chia pudding, but agave syrup or date syrup can also be used.  The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons, but adjust the amount to suit your preference for sweetness and how sweet your milk is.

Almond extract - A little almond extract goes a long way, so I would measure it to ensure you don't add too much.  Personal preference here, too much will ruin a dish, but just the right amount adds a delightful flavor.  It can be substituted with vanilla extract, but it can be upped to ¼ teaspoon.  My cherry banana nice cream recipe also pairs almond extract with cherries.

Whole chia seeds - Black, white, and or a mix of whole chia seeds will work.  Be sure to use whole chia seeds, not ground.  Old chia seeds may not plump as well as fresh ones.  

I tested with three different brands of whole chia seeds using the same recipe, and they all thickened the pudding at different rates.  One brand thickened almost immediately, another one didn't thicken until after 3 hours of being in the refrigerator, while another brand didn't thicken until the following morning.  So please keep that in mind when making your chia pudding.

Some brands also thicken more so than others, with one brand, ½ cup of milk was a little too thin for my liking, but with another brand, ½ cup of milk was perfect.  You may need to reduce the milk to ⅓ cup if your brand of chia seeds doesn't gel as much to have a thicker pudding.

Tips

• A small personal blender (like a Nutribullet) works best for a small single-serving portion.
• I tested different brands of frozen cherries, and some brands created a more vibrant color while others were more gray. I also tested using lemon juice to help retain the color; it did slightly, but it overpowered the almond flavor.
• The recipe is for one serving, but the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
• If you're making multiple batches to be stored in individual serving containers, I would blend each serving separately to make sure the liquid-to-chia seed ratio is correct.  
• Use whole chia seeds, not ground chia seeds.
• If the cherry chia pudding is too thick for your liking, add a splash of dairy-free milk to thin it out.
• Add maple syrup to taste.
• After mixing the chia seed pudding, let the seeds soak for 10 minutes then give them a good stir.  Chia seeds start to gel once they are mixed with liquid and can start to form clumps.  Letting them soak up the liquid and then whisking again will help separate some of these clumps.  Give it a really good stir to break the clumps up. This usually works for me, but if you stirred them well and you still have clumps, next time let them gel for 10 minutes and stir, then give them another 30 minutes or an hour and stir again.
• Chia seed pudding is called "pudding," but it won't have the same consistency as pudding.

Serving suggestions

You can enjoy the cherry chia seed pudding on its own or add toppings. Wait to add the toppings until you're ready to eat.

Fresh fruit - Top it with fresh sliced cherries, strawberries, blueberries, or banana slices.

Something crunchy - Try topping it with oil-free granola, shredded coconut, or slivered almonds.

Creamy - Add dairy-free yogurt or coconut whipped topping.

How to make cherry chia pudding

1. To a small blender, add the frozen cherries, milk, maple syrup, and almond extract.  A small personal blender works best for small single-serving portions. Then, blend until smooth. Don't measure the almond extract over the liquid; you may accidentally add too much. Too much will overpower the chia pudding.

2. Add the cherry milk to a jar or container, then stir in the whole chia seeds.

3. Let the chia pudding sit for about 10 minutes, then stir again to separate any clumps.

4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. I suggest overnight because some brands I tested with didn't thicken until the next morning.  If your brand gelled quickly, then you may only need to give the pudding a few hours to set.

5. Before enjoying, stir the chia pudding, then add any toppings.

Storage

Store in a jar with a lid or another airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days. If the pudding becomes too thick, add a splash of milk to thin it out. Wait to add toppings until you're ready to eat.

Frequently asked questions

Relate recipes

• Cherry overnight oats
• Basic chia pudding with oat milk
• Cherry nice cream
• Yogurt chia seed pudding

I hope you enjoy the recipe!  I you did feel free to rate and leave a comment.