Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

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This Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding is a nutritious way to eat chocolate for breakfast! Whip it up the night before and add your favorite toppings in the morning for a quick and easy way to start your day!

A bowl of chocolate chia pudding drizzled with peanut butter and cream yogurt.

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Why you will love this recipe
Ingredients
Variations
How to Make Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Chia Seed Recipes
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Why you will love this recipe

Quick & Easy: All you need are five basic ingredients and just a few minutes to make this delicious chia pudding.
Vegan & Gluten-Free: This chocolate chia pudding recipe uses non-dairy milk and is also naturally gluten-free, making it perfect for all types of eaters.
Perfect for Meal Prep: Make up a batch of this chia seed pudding and store it in the fridge for a few days until you’re ready to enjoy. We love making double the recipe so we can both grab breakfast on the go on busy weekdays.

Want more make-ahead breakfast ideas? Check out my Chocolate Cinnamon Overnight Oats, Cookie Dough Overnight Oats, and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats next.

Ingredients

Here's a look at the simple ingredients you need to make this chocolate chia pudding. Be sure to check the recipe card for the full list and quantities you will need for each item.

Oat Milk: While I prefer oat milk for both its flavor and creaminess, feel free to use any non-dairy milk you like best such as coconut, soy, cashew, or almond. Be sure to use unsweetened milk to keep this recipe naturally sweetened and free of refined sugars.
Maple Syrup: This unrefined sweetener is one of my favorites! It adds just the right amount of sweetness to this chia seed chocolate pudding and a touch of maple flavor. Feel free to use another natural sweetener such as agave if you prefer.
Vanilla: Just a bit helps to enhance the flavor of the chocolate and the sweetness of the maple syrup.
Cocoa Powder: Adds the perfect amount of chocolate flavor. Just be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder to keep this recipe refined sugar-free. You can also swap the cocoa powder for cacao powder, which is less processed and has more of a dark chocolate flavor.
Chia Seeds: High in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber, these little seeds pack in some serious nutrition. You can use white or black chia seeds in this chia chocolate pudding.

⭐️ Pro Tip for Using Chia Seeds: If you’re buying a bag of chia seeds just for this recipe, there are lots of other ways to use them including in overnight oats, adding to smoothies, making chia jam, or as a vegan egg replacer in baking.

Variations

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding: Mix in 2 tablespoons of unsweetened, creamy peanut butter for a delicious twist on this recipe. Not a fan of peanut butter? Feel free to use a different nut butter instead.
Chocolate Protein Chia Pudding: Add a scoop of your favorite vegan protein powder to give this chia pudding an extra boost of protein.
Toppings: There are so many ways to top this chia pudding! We love it with fresh fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or sliced bananas. It’s also great with a drizzle of your favorite nut or seed butter, a dollop of dairy-free yogurt, or some coconut whipped cream. You can also sprinkle on some cacao nibs, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or cinnamon. Feel free to get creative!

How to Make Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Liquid ingredients in a bowl to make chocolate chia pudding.

Step 1: Add the oat milk, maple syrup, and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Chia seeds and cocoa powder are added to the bowl.

Step 2: Add the chia seeds and cocoa powder to the bowl.

Step 3: Whisk vigorously until everything is well incorporated.

Chocolate chia pudding when it's fully mixed in a bowl.

Step 4: Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 3 hours. Stir before serving and add your favorite toppings.

⭐️ Pro Tip: I recommend removing the chia pudding from the fridge after about an hour and giving it another whisk to get rid of any clumps that may have formed.

Expert Tips

Add toppings in the morning: Avoid adding toppings until you’re ready to eat your chia pudding so that they don’t become soggy.
Adjust the measurements: Use a little less milk for a thicker chia pudding and a little more milk for a thinner version.
Try homemade milk: This chia pudding is great with my homemade cashew milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or almond milk.
Storing: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can also separate the chia pudding into individual servings for an easy grab-and-go breakfast. I like to store mine in small mason jars.

Recipe FAQs

Why isn’t my chia pudding thickening?

Be sure to check the expiration date on your bag of chia seeds as expired seeds won’t expand or absorb liquid as efficiently as fresh ones. Once opened, be sure to store your bag of chia seeds in the refrigerator to retain freshness. Another possible reason is that your ratio of chia seeds to liquid if off and you have too much liquid, if you're seeds are not expired try adding a little bit more seeds to the mixture.

How should chia seeds soak before eating?

It takes about 3-4 hours for chia pudding to set, but I find that refrigerating it overnight gives it the best flavor and texture. I do recommend giving it a quick whisk after about 1 hour though if possible because it will help to break up and clumps that may be forming as the chia seeds expand and absorb the liquid.

What happens when you soak chia seeds in milk?

When you soak chia seeds in milk, the chia seeds absorb the liquid and expand creating a pudding like texture.

How long does chia pudding last in the fridge?

Chia seed pudding lasts about 3 days when stored in a sealed container in the fridge.