Lemon Blueberry Chia Pudding

The recipe blends fresh or frozen blueberries with milk, making berry milk that’s used to soak the chia seeds.  The seeds gel and thicken creating blueberry-flavored chia seed pudding, making every bite consistently flavorful.

It’s cool, refreshing, and packed with blueberries.  The berry chia pudding is sweetened with maple syrup, a little lemon juice for a pop of brightness, lemon zest for more lemon goodness, and vanilla extract for a richer deeper flavor.  Top it with fresh berries, bananas, or granola for a healthy make-ahead breakfast or afternoon snack.

For more chia pudding recipes try strawberry chia pudding, chia pudding with oat milk, or chia breakfast bowl.  For more meal prep breakfast ideas try dairy-free overnight oats.

Recipe features

• A classic combination of blueberries and lemon juice!
• Use frozen or fresh blueberries!
• Vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free!
• Great for meal prep breakfast, snack, or a light dessert!
• Easy to make!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The blueberry lemon chia pudding recipe uses simple ingredients but please see the recipe card below for the full list and exact measurements.

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. For another recipe for dairy-free chia pudding try a pineapple chia pudding. 

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 wasn’t thick until the following morning.  So please keep that in mind when making your chia pudding.

Blueberries - Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used.  If you use frozen berries, there’s no need to thaw.  Either type will be blended with the milk to make blueberry milk for the chia seeds.  For more recipes with blueberries try blueberry cheesecake overnight oats or frozen fruit overnight oats.

Dairy-free milk - Use your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk.  You may want to adjust the maple syrup if you use a sweetened milk.  I prefer my chia pudding on the thicker side, if you don’t you may want to adjust the ratio of milk. 

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 can also be used.  The recipe calls for 1-2 teaspoons, but adjust the amount to suit your preference for sweetness and how sweet your milk is.

Lemon - The recipe uses a teaspoon of lemon juice to add a nice brightness to the blueberry chia pudding.  For a stronger lemon flavor, add a loosely packed ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest. 

Vanilla extract - Add for a richer flavor.

How to make blueberry lemon chia pudding

To a blender add the blueberries, milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.  Then, blend until smooth. The lemon zest gives the chia pudding a stronger lemon flavor.  Use a packed ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor, and use less than ¼ teaspoon for a milder lemon flavor.

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

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

Cover and refrigerate overnight. I suggest overnight because some of the 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.  

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

Tips

• 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 blueberry chia pudding is too thick for your liking, add a splash of dairy-free milk to thin 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.
• The lemon zest gives the chia pudding a stronger lemon flavor.  Use a packed ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor, and use less than ¼ teaspoon for a milder lemon flavor.
• The color of the blueberry lemon chia pudding will vary from different brands of frozen blueberries and even different types of fresh blueberries.

Serving suggestions

Enjoy the blueberry lemon 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 berries and banana slices.

Something crunchy - Try topping it with oil-free granola, coconut flakes, slivered almonds, or chopped walnuts or pecans.

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 any toppings until you’re ready to eat.

Frequently asked questions

More breakfast recipes

• Overnight oats with frozen berries
• Mixed berry cheesecake overnight oats
• Strawberry chia pudding
• Pineapple chia pudding

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