How To Make Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

This delicious vanilla chia seed pudding recipe is full of healthy fat and fiber. Find out how quick and easy it is to make a simple treat out of these healthy seeds that you can use for breakfast, grab and go snack cups, or dessert all week long.

Jump to:

• 📋 Ingredients
• 💭 Quick tips
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🍽️ Serving suggestions
• 🙋 FAQs
• 📚 Related recipes
• 📖 Recipe

This keto friendly pudding is a fantastic breakfast, snack, and even dessert option. It’s sugar-free with a net carb count of 4 grams, easy to meal prep for the week ahead, and totally versatile.

There are so many variations of the recipe out there, too.. Some use unsweetened cocoa powder like my chocolate version, others peanut butter or almond butter, and some call for berries or other stir in ingredients.

This is a super easy recipe that uses vanilla and coconut milk to make your chia seed pudding keto compliant while still having a rich and creamy flavor. The best part? Not only is it delicious, but you can literally make a big batch for the week in less than 10 minutes. 

Simply mix them with your favorite milk of choice (like the combination of full-fat coconut milk and heavy cream used here), sweetener of choice, and flavoring. That’s it!

📋 Ingredients

There's only five simple ingredients needed to make this chia pudding recipe. You'll find all the exact ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. Here you'll get some additional information about each one used.

Chia seeds

These tiny little seeds release a thickening gel when mixed into liquid which makes them the perfect ingredient for keto pudding! They are quite the super food and make a perfect addition to a low-carb diet because they are all fiber and good fat. White chia seeds look best in a vanilla pudding, but you can use the regular black ones too.

Milk base

It doesn't matter what type of milk you use. I recommend using full-fat coconut milk for dairy-free but unsweetened almond milk will work well too. For a richer pudding, I like to mix in heavy cream for part of the liquid.

Sweetener

The sweetener you use in your chia seed pudding is totally up to you. The first time I made it, I used a few packets of stevia but any of the many keto-friendly sweeteners will do and the amount should be adjusted to your own taste.

Venilla extract

I like to make a vanilla flavored pudding so I add in some extract. But you can definitely change up the flavor to whatever you are in the mood for. Try a different flavor extract or mix in some lemon zest to change the taste.

Salt

Adding salt isn't essential for the recipe but I find just a dash really ups the flavor.

Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.

💭 Quick tips

• Whip it up after it sets to incorporate some air. It turns into a pretty thick pudding after sitting a while in the refrigerator. Putting it in a mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer will fluff it up.
• Adjust seeds or liquid. The amount of chia seeds or liquid can be adjusted as needed to achieve the desired thickness. If it's too thin, add more seeds. If it's too thick, stir in a little more milk.

🔪 Instructions

This pudding is simple to prepare and super filling. Plus, you’re getting a healthy does of omega-3 healthy fats which helps get the right balance of fatty acids into your body.

So how simple is it, exactly?

Combine

All you do is add your low-carb milk alternative, the chia seeds, your preferred sweetener, and any added flavoring to a large mixing bowl and give it a good stir. Then let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes before stirring it a second time.

Chill

After the ingredients have been well combined, you'll need to chill the mixture. You can divide it into single serve mason jars for easy grab and go snacks. Or you can leave it in the mixing bowl as long as you cover it well.

Keep your chia blend in the fridge and it will have a pudding-like consistency after a couple of hours.

🍽️ Serving suggestions

If you’re looking for ways to jazz up your chia seed pudding so that you can make it for the week and still enjoy something different each day, the possibilities are almost endless.

You can sprinkle on unsweetened coconut, crushed almonds, and sugar-free chocolate chips for an almond joy inspired pudding.

Add some raspberries or blueberries (or both!) if fresh fruit is in season.

A strawberry sauce or keto granola would also be delightful toppings!

You could also sprinkle it with some pumpkin pie or apple pie spices to give it just a hint of autumn. 

Stir in a spoonful of sugar-free dehydrated peanut butter and maybe add some ChocZero chocolate for a chocolate peanut butter treat (one of my favorite combos – check out this keto chocolate peanut butter shake)!

This healthy pudding is fabulous all on its own, but it’s also a great base to make up for meal prep for the week and touch up for a treat when you’re craving one.

🙋 FAQs

Before getting to the full recipe, here's some answers to questions people often have about the recipe.

📚 Related recipes

Interested in other keto friendly desserts made with chia to get more omega-3s into your diet? You'll find more chia pudding recipes listed below:

• Strawberry Almond Milk Pudding is perfect for breakfast too!
• Matcha Green Tea Pudding is a great way to change things up.
• Healthy Pumpkin Pudding can be enjoyed all year long.
• Chocolate Chia Pudding can be a nice afternoon treat.

And if you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend making some low carb jam with the seeds. It's super simple and tastes great with my keto bagel recipe.

What’s your favorite way to use these healthy low carb seeds?

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📖 Recipe

First published on April 28, 2011. Last updated on September 12, 2019, with new images and additional recipe information.