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This creamy yogurt chia seed pudding combines nutritious chia seeds with a mix of dairy-free milk, tangy dairy-free yogurt, maple syrup for sweetness, and the aromatic, warming spice of ground cinnamon, making it a healthy breakfast option.
The recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients, making it 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 berries and sliced bananas, or add your favorite toppings.
For more dairy-free chia pudding recipes, try blueberry chia pudding with lemon, cherry chia pudding, strawberry chia pudding, or pineapple chia pudding.
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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 chia pudding with yogurt recipe uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for the full list and exact measurements.
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. I prefer a thicker chia, yogurt, and milk ratio compared to some recipes I've tested. If you do not, 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. For another chia pudding with yogurt, try mango chia pudding.
Maple syrup - Pure maple syrup is used to sweeten the chia pudding, but agave syrup can also be used. This recipe calls for more maple syrup than I normally add to my chia pudding recipes to counter the tanginess of the yogurt. Always adjust the amount of sweetener to suit your preference.
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 lemon 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.
Ground cinnamon - This can be left out if you prefer, but it adds a nice aromatic, sweet flavor to the chia pudding.
Tips
- 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 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
- Cooked or stewed fruit
- Stir in raisins for pops of sweetness
How to make yogurt and chia seed pudding
1. Mix the dairy-free milk, dairy-free yogurt, and maple syrup.
2. Then add the chia seeds and ground cinnamon and stir to combine.
3. Let it sit for 10 minutes to start to gel and stir again to break up any clumps.
4. Then cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. 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
I didn't test with ground chia seeds, so I can't say for sure whether they would work well.
I tested with three different brands, and not all of them gelled well. 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 it depends on your chia seeds.
Be sure to use whole chia seeds, not ground, and stir after letting the pudding set for 10 minutes.
If the chia seeds are still clumping, you may need to let them set for at least 30 minutes to an hour and then stir again. If the seeds form clumps, they won't soak up the liquid as well, so stir to break up the clumps.
If you've stirred the pudding a couple of times to remove clumps and the following morning it's still too thin, try adding more whole chia seeds and letting them gel for a couple more hours to thicken.
Add a splash of milk to thin out.
Related recipes
I hope you enjoyed the recipe! If you did, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.
Recipe
Yogurt Chia Seed Pudding
- Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This creamy yogurt chia seed pudding combines nutritious chia seeds with a mix of dairy-free milk, tangy dairy-free yogurt, maple syrup for sweetness, and the aromatic, warming spice of ground cinnamon, making it a healthy breakfast option.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons (30 grams) whole chia seeds
- Dash of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix the dairy-free milk, dairy-free yogurt, and maple syrup.
- Then add the chia seeds and ground cinnamon and stir to combine.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes to start to gel and stir again to break up any clumps.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- 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.
Notes
Letting the chia pudding sit before stirring and storing helps to prevent the chia seeds from clumping.
If the chia pudding is too thick for your preference, add a splash of milk or a spoonful of yogurt to thin it out.
Add maple syrup to taste.
Use whole chia seeds, not ground chia seeds.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- soak time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: breakfast
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: american
Sara says
The recipe turned out great for breakfast this week. I topped mine with fresh berries in the morning.
Allie says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for leaving a comment!