Meal Prep Chia Pudding
146 Comments
Updated Dec 11, 2020
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Ready to meal prep some chia pudding? Chia pudding is great for breakfast (or any meal of the day) and it’s even better when you can make a large batch, freeze it for several weeks and then just thaw as needed. Yes, you can freeze chia pudding!
This recipe is based on my basic Chia Pudding recipe and also includes my Chocolate Chia Pudding. With those two bases and a variety of toppings, you have endless flavor combinations.
You know I love chia pudding. But want to know what I love even more? Meal prepping chia pudding for an easy, healthy breakfast, lunch, snack or even dessert.
Months ago I made an extra large batch of chia pudding but knew I’d never be able to eat it all within 5 days. Nor did I want to eat the same thing 5 days in a row. So I decided to test if chia pudding could be frozen, then thawed and still retain it’s texture and flavor. The result? It sure can!
From that point on, my approach to making chia pudding was completely transformed. Because instead of making a single batch as needed, I started making 5-10 individual servings of chia pudding and freezing them. I now had up to 10 healthy meals that would last for weeks in the freezer. All I had to do was thaw and enjoy. Talk about delicious meal prep.
How to Meal Prep Chia Pudding
I’ve included the amount for an individual serving of chia pudding in the recipe card below. But you can adapt it to any quantity. Want to make 4 servings? Just multiply it times 4 (hint: that’s 1/2 cup of chia seeds and 2 cups of milk). You get the idea.
- Add: the chia seeds and milk to a container. Depending on the type of milk you used, you can add a sweetener or leave it off.
- Mix: all of the ingredients together until well blended.
- Wait: 15 minutes or until the chia seeds have started to gel. Then stir again.
- Add: your favorite toppings (I’ve listed some ideas below).
- Secure: with a lid and place in the fridge or freezer.
It’s that easy! If you’ve frozen the chia pudding, just remove the individual container of chia pudding from the freezer and place it in the fridge the night before you’d like to enjoy. It will thaw overnight. Sometimes, if your fridge is really cold it may not thaw completely. If that happens, just leave it on the counter for 5-10 minutes. Give it a stir and enjoy!
Now here’s the even more delicious part. You can do this same thing with my Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe. So instead of meal prepping breakfast, you can meal prep dessert. It’s perfect for when you get a chocolate craving but don’t want to overindulge. Sort of like whipping up my individual Chocolate Mug Cake.
Watch My Meal Prep Chia Pudding Video
While it’s easy to make this recipe, it always helps to watch a step-by-step video tutorial. Give it a watch!
Using Fresh Fruit Versus Frozen Fruit
If you’ve grabbed some fresh fruit from the market, by all means use fresh fruit. But you can certainly use frozen fruit as well. My favorite is a bag of mixed berries. All you have to do is open the bag and pour on top of the chia pudding. And you don’t have to worry about the berries being frozen because it’s going straight back into the fridge or freezer.
Using frozen berries is a great way to save money on organic fruit as well. I love both the organic mixed berries and organic tropical fruit blend from Whole Foods.
What Topping are Best?
This recipe is extremely versatile with an endless amount of flavor options. I love using fresh fruit, but you could also use fruit purées, nut butters (like my homemade almond butter), dried fruit and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom are great).
Just refrain from adding nuts and seeds before storing as they’ll go soggy. Add nuts and seeds after the chia pudding has thawed and right before serving.
The topping combinations I show in the video above are:
- Strawberries + blueberries + raspberries
- Mango + shredded coconut
- Nectarines + candied ginger
- Pineapple + mango + kiwi
- Blueberry puree + almond butter + blackberries
- Raspberries + shredded coconut (on the chocolate chia pudding)
How Long Will The Meal Prepped Chia Pudding Last?
It will last for up to 5 days in the fridge or for several weeks in the freezer. I also recommend using containers that aren’t too big, so you have less air. The 1/4 liter Weck Jars are my absolutely favorite storage containers for this. There’s enough room for the chia pudding plus a good amount of fresh fruit toppings. They stack beautifully as well!
Which Milk Should You Use?
You can use any milk you’d like, dairy or dairy-free. My favorite is my homemade cashew milk, but you could use almond milk, banana milk, coconut milk, hemp milk or any other milk you prefer.
Because I add sweetener and vanilla extract to my homemade cashew milk, I don’t add any additional sweetener to the chia pudding recipe. But if you buy an unsweetened milk, it’s up to you. Sweetener is certainly not needed when you’re adding all that delicious fruit.
More Chia Seed Recipes You’ll Love
Chia seeds are loaded with health benefits and I love making recipes with them. Here’s a few of my favorites:
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding
- Chia Seed Jam
- Coconut Chia Mango Popsicles
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Eggnog Chia Pudding
I’ve also got a bonus for you! If you’re on my email list you’ll get a fancy PDF of this recipe that you can stick to your fridge or keep in your kitchen.
If you’re not yet on my email list, make sure to sign up here. You’ll also receive downloadable PDF guides of my entire meal series, including my original meal prep ideas, meal prep for spring, meal prep for summer and meal prep for winter. Meal prep for fall is coming this year!
Meal Prep Chia Pudding
Description
Ingredients
Basic Chia Pudding
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp (optional) maple syrup or other sweetener
- 1/2 tsp (optional) vanilla extract
Chocolate Chia Pudding
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Toppings
- Berries
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Apricots
- Kiwi
- Cherries
- Oranges
- Fruit Purées
- Nut Butters
- Dried Fruit
- Cacao Nibs
- Spices
- Shredded Coconut
- Candied Ginger
- Nuts and Seeds
Instructions
- Add the chia seeds and milk to a small glass jar and stir together.
- Let the chia seeds sit for 15 minutes (they should start to thicken and gel), then stir again.
- Add your favorite fruit and toppings, then secure with a lid.
- Place the chia pudding in the refrigerator or freezer.
Lisa's Tips
- If your chia seeds don't gel and thicken after 15 minutes, it's likely you've got dud chia seeds. Chia seeds can go bad if they've been sitting in your pantry too long or not stored in an air-tight container. Just buy new chia seeds and try again!
Nutrition
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Hi Lisa, I’ve been following you for a long time & love your recipes. I’m not very familiar with chia seeds, what do I look for, does organic matter, how to store them?
Thank you
Hi Peggy – any store-bought chia seeds are fine. And yes, I usually do buy organic.
Hi Lisa, I have been watching your channel for a few years now, congrats on your success :)
Quick question on the chia seed pudding, would I be able to put frozen berries on the chia seeds puddings instead of fresh and leave in the fridge for the week? I have heard that frozen berries are actually better for you. This also save me in buying fresh berries and leave in the fridge that may rot easily as I am only one person.
Thanks in advance,
Jane
Yes! I always use frozen berries as that’s what I tend to have on hand for smoothies.
New to chia pudding… normally I can only do ground chia seeds due to diverticulitis. Would ground seeds work? If not, do the whole seeds soften?
I believe ground chia seeds can work to make pudding!
I love this recipe. I will change up my toppings so that it’s not repetitive. Some of my favorites are dates and walnuts, banana and almond butter, raspberries and a few small chocolate chips, etc. I love how creative I can get!
Best way to get creative for breakfast or a healthy snack!
Absolutely wonderful! You should have seen how fast my toddler was putting it away. Thank you for such a tasty and healthy dish!
You’re more than welcome, Maria! I’m happy your little one loves the recipe as well. :)
Love this recipe. Just had one with some sugar free blackberry jam and the hazelnut spread from Choc Zero. Trying do do less carbs. Let me tell you it was amazing! I could literally eat this every day for breakfast. So good.
I’ve just started a new trend in my life… I decided I need to eat healthier, paying more attention to what I eat, so I need to be more organized. I discovered downshiftology and I love it, it’s really helpful and inspiring!
Happy you’re enjoying my recipes Daniela!
Please add me to your email list.
Thank you.
Tania
Hi Tania! You can subscribe right on our homepage :)
This was an excellent video !
Glad the video was helpful Rose!
Lisa
I am a first-time viewer, a first time to make chai pudding – i only had a recipe and was searching for visual instructions, lots of questions, then I discover you. WOW !! Before I watched I had no idea I could be time efficient and freeze this pudding and what to buy for containers. thank you My physician and I have come to the decision to switch my nutrition. to plant-based protein with added fish. now I can confidently now I will enjoy the taste and texture of my breakfast/desserts thank you.
Welcome to the Downshiftology community Christine! I’m glad you learned something new here and hope you enjoy all my recipes :)
Love your recipes.thank you
Hi can I sweet it with special sugar for diabetic?
Sure, no problem!
I love this recipe and usually make individual portions. But my husband and I are going away next week and I don’t have enough small jars to get us thru the week. Have you ever tried making a large batch in one mixing bowl?
Yes! You can make this in one mixing bowl as well.
Hello! I’m a nursing mama and plan on prepping a lot of these for a healthier dessert option. How many ounces should go in to each serving ? Thank you!!
Hi Ali – you can always change the measurements to metric in the recipe card. You should be able to see a metric button :)
Thought I would share some of what I did with my servings: After I froze the Choc Chia Pudding in 1/2 cup servings, I tried a couple ways to use them. 1 I microwaved a serving and it was like a chocolate pudding pie! I set one out on counter for 2.5 hours and it still had slush but very refreshing. Other I added to a smoothie for a thicker creamer smoothie for breakfast.
Your Blog/videos are great.
Hi hi! Happy New Year!
Have you ever tried ti use protein powder in chia meal prep? If yes, do they last the same? Thanks!
Hi Valentina – yes, you can add protein powder if you’d like. :)
Hi! I haven’t tried the recipe yet but I was wondering if you can still eat it (And it’ll taste the same minus the texture) if the chia seeds have “gone bad”
No, if your chia seeds have gone bad they won’t gel up properly.
Love, Love, Love this chia pudding!! It is absolutely delicious!
Thanks for the great recipes. My question is, why glass jars? I do meal planning in Rubbermaid containers. Any reason why glass is the preferred container?
I prefer to use glass containers as they are durable, can withhold in the freezer, and these Weck Jars are 100% air-tight which is great for storage.
Thank you for sharing this. I meal prep them for breakfast and they came out delicious. LOVED IT!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this recipe Lucia :)
Thank you for the tip about dud chia seeds! You’ve solved many years’ failed recipe mysteries for me!
Glad this recipe came in handy :)
Hello! The recipe is so simple and delicious, the best thing is the diversity of different toppings. Thank you so much for sharing. I only have one question… the nutrition facts you share are for the entire amount made with all the listed ingredients? I was wondering that for all of your recipes.
Hi Olija – the nutritional information will always be per serving. In this recipe, it will be for one of the base recipes.
Super quick! I added this to this week’s meal prep! Thanks Lisa!
It really is a meal prep staple!
I can hardly wait to go and purchase the ingredients and try this out.