The real hack to making chia pudding? Making a big batch ahead of time so breakfasts practically make themselves during the week.
After years of creating easy, approachable vegan recipes for busy families, I can confidently say that chia pudding is one of the most reliable staples in our home.
I’ve made it more times than I can count—for breakfast meal prep, quick snacks, and even late-night treats—and it’s always a win.
Not only is chia pudding endlessly customizable (my kids love turning theirs into “dessert” with fun toppings), but it’s also nutrient-packed, naturally vegan, and incredibly simple to make.
It’s the kind of recipe that makes plant-based eating feel effortless.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Chia Pudding
- Easy – This recipe takes just a 5 minutes to toss together and then it’s just waiting on it to thicken. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
- Meal Prep – These are good in the fridge for up to 5 days, making it a great meal prep option
- Versatile – Switch up the milks, flavorings, and toppings for deliciousness every day without getting bored.
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Chia Pudding Ingredients
Gather your ingredients!
- Chia Seeds
- Chia seeds are tiny, edible seeds from a plant in the mint family. They are amazing for improving gut health, adding omega 3s, protein, and fiber.
- When you add a liquid and allow it to soak, they expand in size and become softer.
- Substitute: Because chia seeds are the main ingredient in this recipe, there is not a substitute for it.
- Plant Based Milk
- Any plant-based milk will work for this recipe.
- Oranges
- For the creamsicle, you’ll want to use oranges.
- Note: Naval oranges will give a lighter color, while cara cara oranges or blood oranges will give a more creamsicle color.
- Maple Syrup
- A little sweetener gives flavor to this otherwise pretty flavorless dish. We love using maple syrup over other liquid sugars because it adds a unique and bold sweetness.
- Substitute: You can use any liquid sweetener like date syrup, agave, or brown rice syrup.
- Salt
- Salt is an optional ingredient, but one that we always add. The pinch of salt allows the flavors to really pop.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Other Vegan Chia Seed Pudding Recipes to Try:
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Orange Creamsicle Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
Chia Seed Pudding Layer
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup vanilla Greek plant-based yogurt
- 5 tablespoons chia seeds
For the Orange Creamsicle layer
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 1 minute, drained
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice (naval will be more yellow in color while cara cara or blood orange will be more yellow)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- zest of 1 orange
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric, optional for color
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Toppings of choice: fresh berries or other fruit, granola, nuts, nut butter, etc
Instructions
- In the large bowl or container, stir together non-dairy milk, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and chia seeds. Combine well. Let sit for 5 minutes, then, stir again to break up any clumps of chia seeds, cover and put the mixture in the fridge to “set" for 1-2 hours or overnight. The chia pudding should be nice and thick, not liquidy. If it's not thick enough, continue to let sit until thickened or if you need it sooner, add another tablespoon of chia seeds, stir and refrigerate for another 30 minutes or so.
- While that's setting, in a blender, add cashews, non-dairy. milk, orange juice, maple syrup, zest of the orange, turmeric, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth. Set in fridge to finish thickening.
- Layer creamsicle and chia pudding layers as desired.
- Chia pudding can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, add additional toppings as desired.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
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Chia Pudding Recipe FAQs
As long as you swap the coconut milk with a safe for you non-dairy milk, there are no other Top 9 Allergens.
Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge until ready to eat. It is good for 5 days when stored properly.
Yes! Once thickened completely, you can freeze your chia seed pudding in a freeze safe jar or container with a lid. Consume within 3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight and allow to thaw entirely. Do not add toppings when freezing, but rather wait until thawed and ready to eat.
Chia seeds have a wide range of benefits including being a great source of protein, omega-3s, fiber, calcium, magnesium. They are widely known to help with heart and bone health, helped with digestion and blood sugar.
Chia pudding will need 4 to 6 hours to set. If you like a thinner chia pudding, you can eat after four hours. To completely thicken, you’ll want to let it sit for 6 hours.
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