Mango Chia Pudding with Yogurt

The recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients, and it's perfect for a make-ahead breakfast. It's dairy-free, plant-based, vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free! Enjoy this wholesome and healthy breakfast with fresh diced mango, berries, sliced bananas, or add your favorite toppings.

This mango chia seed pudding recipe is based on my yogurt chia pudding recipe.  For more dairy-free chia pudding recipes, try cherry chia pudding, strawberry chia pudding, or pineapple chia pudding.

Recipe features

• Creamy, tangy, sweet, and great for meal prep!
• Any easy 5-minute recipe for a healthy make-ahead breakfast!
• Dairy-free, vegan, plant-based, oil-free, and gluten-free!
• Simple ingredients for a simple breakfast!
• Customize with your favorite toppings!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

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

Mango - Fresh ripe juicy mango gives the chia pudding the best mango flavor, but when they're not available, frozen mango can be used.  Using frozen mango does give the chia pudding a mild mango flavor compared to fresh ripe mango.  The ripeness of mangoes varies, so you may want to adjust the sweetener depending on how sweet your mango is.

Unsweetened dairy-free milk - Try the chia pudding with unsweetened almond, cashew, soy, or oat milk.  For more recipes with oat milk, try chia pudding with oat milk or chocolate oat milk pudding.  If the chia seed pudding is too thick for your preference, you may want to add more dairy-free milk or yogurt to have a thinner consistency.

Keep in mind how thick your milk is; for example, some oat milks come in "extra creamy," which might make your chia pudding even thicker.

Unsweetened dairy-free yogurt - I only tested with Silk, Forager, and Trader Joe's dairy-free yogurt.  I can't say for sure how well the recipe would work with other types of yogurt, like Greek yogurt or other brands.

Maple syrup - Pure maple syrup is used to sweeten the chia pudding, but agave syrup can also be used.   Always adjust the amount of sweetener to suit your preference.  For a very sweet ripe fresh mango, you may want to start with 1 teaspoon of maple syrup.

Whole chia seeds - Black, white, or a mix of both will work.  Be sure to use whole chia seeds, not ground.  Old chia seeds may not plump as well as fresh ones. For more vegan chia puddings, try blueberry chia pudding or a chia bowl with mango.

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, and the third brand didn't thicken until the following morning.  Please keep potential variances with seeds in mind when making your chia pudding.

Tips

• If you use a very ripe, fresh, juicy mango, you may want to reduce the maple syrup.
• The chia yogurt pudding recipe is for one serving, but the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
• Use whole chia seeds, not ground chia seeds.
• If the 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 before refrigerating overnight.  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 method usually works for me, but if you stirred them well and you still have clumps (the following morning), next time let them gel for 10 minutes and stir, then wait another 30 minutes or an hour and stir again.  Then continue to refrigerate overnight.
• Chia seed pudding is called "pudding," but it won't have the same consistency as pudding.

Topping ideas

Wait to add the toppings until you're ready to enjoy the dairy-free chia pudding. A variety of toppings can be used, but here are a few suggestions.

• Fresh berries: try strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
• Fresh diced mango or thawed frozen mango (the mango can be added to the chia pudding the night before).
• Sliced banana
• Store-bought or oil-free granola
• Shredded coconut
• Hemp seeds

How to make mango chia pudding

1. Add the mango, dairy-free milk, dairy-free yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a small blender and blend until smooth. A small personal blender is ideal for preparing small single-serving portions.

2. Transfer the mango mixture to a container with a lid and stir in the chia seeds.

3. Let it sit for 10 minutes to start to gel and stir again to break up any clumps.

4. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. If you prefer a thinner chia pudding, add a splash of milk or a spoonful of yogurt to thin it out. Before enjoying, add your favorite toppings.

Storage

Refrigerator: 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

Related recipes

• Cherry chia pudding
• Pineapple chia pudding
• Oat milk chia pudding

I hope you enjoy the recipe! If you did, feel free to rate the recipe and leave a comment. For more simple vegan breakfasts, check out all my easy vegan breakfast recipes.