Chia Pudding with Oat Milk

For the pudding recipe, chia seeds will be soaked in creamy oat milk to create a gel-like texture.  I have below several options to flavor the oat milk chia pudding if you need inspiration, or check out the section for toppings.

The healthy breakfast is dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free.  For this recipe, you only need three ingredients: chia seeds, oat milk, and maple syrup.  There’s optional ground cinnamon and vanilla extract to flavor the chia pudding and all sorts of ways to top it.  My favorite method is topping the slightly sweet creamy oat milk chia pudding with diced mango and sliced banana like in this recipe for a breakfast chia bowl.

For more breakfast recipes try dairy-free overnight oats, flaxseed pudding with banana, or apple steel-cut oats.

Recipe features

• Vegan, oil-free, gluten-free!
• Great for meal prep!
• Enjoy it for breakfast, snack, or dessert!
• Easy to make!
• You only need 3 ingredients plus your favorite toppings!

What is oat milk chia pudding?

Chia pudding is soaking chia seeds for a few hours until they create a gel-like texture that thickens the oat milk.  When mixed with milk it resembles tapioca pudding with pops of little chewy seeds.  

Ingredient notes

Only a few ingredients are needed to make chia seed pudding with oat milk, but please see the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Tips

• The base recipe is for one serving, but the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
• I use a ratio of 1 tablespoon of whole chia seeds to ¼ cup oat milk.  For breakfast, I prefer 3 tablespoons and ¾ cup of oat milk.  If this is too thin for you, then you may need to adjust the ratio to your preference. 
• For a snack size, decrease the chia seeds to 2 tablespoons and use ½ cup of dairy-free milk.
• After mixing the chia seeds and oat milk, let the seeds soak for 10 minutes and stir again.  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 them 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 and stir again.

How to make chia pudding with oat milk

The chia pudding is easy to make for meal prep.  The recipe is for one serving, but multiple can be made at one time.  For multiple servings prep individual jars with individual servings.   

Whisk everything together in a container that has a lid.

Wait 10 minutes and give the pudding a good stir.  Stir until there are no clumps. Cover and refrigerate to thicken for at least 3 hours, but overnight is best.

The consistency shouldn’t be too runny or too thick, it should be able to drip off a spoon but not be soupy.  If you’ve tried overnight oats, the texture of chia pudding is softer than overnight oats.

Once it has thickened, stir again, and add your favorite toppings.

Storage

Without added fruit, the oat milk chia pudding will keep for about 5 days.  With fruit, how long it lasts depends on the fruit you’re adding.  Mangoes and berries should be fine for 2-3 days but wait on adding bananas. 

If you’re using fresh fruit, I would just add it before consuming it. If the chia seed pudding becomes too thick, add a splash of milk to thin out.

Flavor options

Oat milk chia seed pudding works well as a base and can be flavored with all sorts of different options.  Here are a few ways to enjoy your chia pudding.

Ground cinnamon - Add ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon while making the chia pudding.  For more cinnamon-inspired recipes, try cinnamon overnight oats with raisins.

Mango and shredded coconut - The mango can be added after waiting for 10 minutes to stir.  Then add shredded coconut when you’re ready to enjoy it.

Cocoa powder and cacao nibs - Start with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to balance the bitterness of cocoa powder.  

Vanilla extract - Add a ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract while making the chia pudding.

Fruit preserve - Mix the chia pudding and let it sit to gel for 15 minutes.  Layer the bottom of the jar with any flavor of fruit preserves.  Then top it with the chia pudding.  You may want to adjust the sweetener in the recipe if you’re using fruit preserves.  

Mash ripe banana and top with berries - While making the pudding, mix in ½ of a ripe mashed banana.  This will make a thinner pudding, so you can reduce the milk.  Then top with fresh berries.

Cinnamon banana - Mix in ½ of a ripe mashed banana into the pudding with ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Then top with chopped walnuts before enjoying.  For more banana-flavored breakfast options try banana cinnamon overnight oats or banana steel-cut oats.

Cooked diced apples - Stir in ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Then add cooked apples as a topping before enjoying.

Peaches - Stir in ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract while preparing the pudding.  Stir in fresh diced peaches while prepping or before consuming.  Then top with granola.

Lemon and raspberry - While preparing the pudding, mix in the zest of half a lemon, then top with fresh raspberries.  For more raspberry-inspired breakfast options, try raspberry overnight oats.

Coconut - Use coconut milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract while preparing the pudding.  Then top with coconut flakes and fresh raspberries or banana slices.

Cranberry - Add dried cranberries while making the pudding.  Then top with shelled pumpkin seeds before enjoying.

Strawberry - Add a spoonful of strawberry preserves to the bottom of the jar.  Make the pudding with ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, let it gel for 15 minutes, then top the preserves with it.  As a topping, dice up fresh strawberries.  If you enjoy strawberry-flavored breakfast, you also might enjoy vegan strawberry overnight oats that blend strawberries into the milk.

Toppings

Enjoy the oat milk chia pudding without the flavor options and simply top it with your favorite toppings.

Oil-free granola - Add plant-based granola as a topping before enjoying for a crunch.

Fresh berries - Fresh berries are a great way to add flavor and naturally sweeten the oat milk chia pudding.  Try raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries.

Fresh fruit - Another way to naturally sweeten the chia pudding is by adding other fresh fruit.  Try mangoes, bananas, kiwis, apples, dragon fruit, or peaches.

Nut butter - This can be added while you make the pudding or as a topping.  It will make the pudding thinner.

Dried fruit - Sprinkle raisins or dried cranberries on top.

Coconut cream - Make it into a dessert with coconut cream and chocolate chips or fresh berries on top.

Chocolate chips - Sprinkle vegan chocolate chips on top.

Nuts or seeds- Add a crunch with chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds.  Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds can also be added.

Frequently asked questions

Related recipes

• Basic overnight oats recipe with flax seeds
• Easy overnight oats with frozen fruit
• Banana steel-cut oats
• Mixed berry vegan baked oatmeal
• Chia seed breakfast bowl

I hope you enjoy the chia pudding recipe and the flavor options.  If you did, please feel free to rate it and leave a comment.