Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

The recipe involves making strawberry milk by blending fresh or frozen strawberries, dairy-free milk, maple syrup, a touch of lemon juice, and a pinch of ground cinnamon.  The chia seeds are then stirred into the strawberry milk and left to soak overnight.  The seeds gel and thicken, creating strawberry-flavored chia pudding, making every bite flavorful.

The chia pudding is sweetened with maple syrup, a little lemon juice for a pop of brightness, and a pinch of ground cinnamon.  Top it with fresh strawberries, bananas, or coconut flakes for a healthy make-ahead breakfast or afternoon snack.

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

Recipe features

• Use frozen or fresh strawberries!
• Vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free!
• Great for meal prep breakfast, snack, or a light dessert!
• Easy to make!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

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

Chia seeds - Black, white, 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 more vegan chia puddings, try lemon blueberry chia pudding or chia pineapple 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, and the third brand wasn’t thick until the following morning.  Please keep potential variances with seeds in mind when making your chia pudding.

Strawberries - Fresh or frozen strawberries can be used.  If you use frozen berries, there’s no need to thaw them.  Either type will be blended with the milk to make strawberry milk for the chia seeds.  For more recipes with strawberries, try vegan strawberry overnight oats, flax seed pudding, strawberry toast, 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 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 two 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 strawberry chia pudding. 

How to make chia pudding with strawberries

Add the strawberries, milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, and ground cinnamon to a blender.  Then blend until smooth.

Add the strawberry 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 waiting 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, 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 strawberry 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.

Serving suggestions

Enjoy the strawberry 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 granola, coconut flakes, slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, or pecan pieces.

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

How to make the chia pudding for meal prep

The strawberry chia seed pudding recipe is for one serving but multiple servings can be made at one time.

Method 1 - Make as many servings as you want and that will fit into your blender at one time.  Pour the strawberry milk into a large enough container to hold all the servings.  Then add in the chia seeds for each serving you made. 

Store all of the servings in one airtight container until you’re ready to serve the pudding.  For this version, let it sit and gel for 10 minutes as per the recipe card below, store it covered in the refrigerator, and stir it again after another 30 minutes.  Let the chia pudding set overnight.  I’ve tried this for a batch of 3 servings and it worked, but I can’t say for sure it will work for larger quantities.

Method 2 - For multiple single-serving portions, blend one serving of the strawberry milk at a time.  So, the liquid-to-chia seed ratio is good.  Pour the milk into an airtight container, stir in chia seeds, and continue following the recipe.  Then, while the blender is dirty, blend another serving and repeat for each individual serving.

Storage

Store in a jar with a lid or in 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

• Chia pudding with oat milk
• Overnight oats with frozen berries
• Mixed berry cheesecake overnight oats
• Pineapple chia pudding with lime juice
• Blueberry cheesecake overnight oats

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