This easy overnight oat milk chia pudding is a great breakfast or snack that's made with only 4 ingredients & packed with nutrients! Make a big batch of this delicious pudding and enjoy throughout the week with a variety of your favorite toppings!
This thick & creamy chia pudding is the perfect breakfast option, and frankly one of the easiests and quickest breakfasts out there. You only need one bowl and a handful of ingredients to feel satisfied. Plus, it's even more delicious when topped with fresh fruit, crunchy nuts or seeds, and a drizzle of nut butter. It also makes for a great healthy snack or healthy dessert!
Although this is my favorite way to enjoy chia seeds, you'll find that this pudding is perfect as a base recipe that can easily be customized into different flavored chia pudding recipes - this matcha chia pudding is a great example of that!
It's vegan, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, nut-free, and gluten-free! If you love overnight oats, you're going to love this recipe.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's quick & easy to make as you only need 1 bowl, 4 ingredients, and 5 minutes of your time.
- Great option for meal prep. Because this recipe only takes a few minutes prep but does have to set for at least a couple of hours, it's the perfect make-ahead easy healthy breakfast, snack or dessert. You can make a large batch that's ready the next morning and will last you throughout the week or could be frozen so you always have it on hand.
- It's incredibly customizable! This recipe is great as is but can be easily customized with one of the 20+ add-in and topping ideas listed below.
- It's healthy & packed with nutrients such as omega-3s, fiber, plant-based protein and healthy fats.
Equipment
The equipment you'll need is incredibly basic:
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Mason jars or sealable containers
I strongly recommend using a whisk instead of a spoon, as a whisk will ensure that the chia seeds are evenly distributed and there are no clumps.
What are chia seeds?
Chia seeds are tiny seeds that are black or white and come from the salvia hispanica plant, which is native to Central America. They were a staple in the ancient Aztec and Maya diets because of their health benefits.
Chia seeds can be eaten raw, sprinkled on salads, mixed into smoothies, vegan yogurt or milk. When mixed with liquid, they plump up and give a gel-like consistency, aka a basic chia pudding that we all know and love. They can also be sprouted and enjoyed in salads or sandwiches.
They're incredibly nutritious as they're packed with fiber, protein, omega-3s fatty acids, antioxidants, and various micro-nutrients. You can find them easily at most grocery stores or you can order a bag off amazon!
Ingredients
This oat milk chia pudding recipe only calls for 3 simple ingredients and you likely have most, if not all, of them!
- Chia Seeds: The star of the show! I always use black chia seeds but you could use whichever you have on hand. Be sure to use whole seeds not milled.
- Oat Milk: This is our binder for the pudding. I used my homemade creamy oat milk as I find it's thicker than almond milk and results in a creamier texture! If you don't want to make your own, you can use any store-bought oat milk you prefer.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup will act as our natural sweetener!
- Vanilla Extract (optional): this is optional but a teaspoon of vanilla extract truly adds the perfect boost of flavor.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use a different type of milk! This recipe works great with unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, rice milk, or coconut milk. For extra creaminess, coconut milk will result in a creamier, thicker chia pudding. Use whatever non-dairy milk that you love and use on a regular basis.
- Instead of maple syrup, use a different sweetener of choice such as agave, date syrup, vegan honey, coconut sugar, brown sugar, stevia or cane sugar. Or, you can leave out sweetener entirely.
- Feel free to use white chia seeds instead of black chia seeds, it makes no difference in taste or texture.
- For a thicker pudding, add another tablespoon or two of chia seeds. For a thinner pudding, use fewer chia seeds or add a bit more milk.
- If you don't love the texture of chia seeds, blend them up! Blending the chia seeds will give it the consistency of a regular, creamy pudding.
- Make a chia pudding parfait by alternating chia pudding and vegan greek yogurt in a mason jar.
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Instructions
Aside from how delicious it is, the best thing about this chia seed pudding recipe is how easy it is to make. Grab a bowl and let's get to it!
Step 1: Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes then whisk once more to ensure the chia seeds don't clump up or sink to the bottom of the pudding.
Step 2: Cover the bowl with a dish towel and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, to allow it to set. You should have a pudding-like consistency - it shouldn't be too runny or too thick, it should be able to drip off a spoon but not be soupy.
Once set, you can scoop it into an airtight container, mason jar, or bowl and add your preferred toppings!
Topping & Add-In Ideas
You can eat this easy chia pudding recipe on its own, but what's the fun in that? Here's some of my favorite toppings and add-ins that are a great way to take this recipe to the next level:
Add-Ins
- Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin spice or ginger
- Protein powder
- Cocoa powder (for chocolate chia pudding)
- Matcha powder (or refer to this matcha chia pudding recipe)
📌 Note: If adding protein powder, cocoa powder or matcha powder, mix the powder in with the chia seeds, prior to adding the liquid ingredients.
Toppings
- Vegan yogurt or whipped coconut cream
- Your favorite fruit (frozen or fresh fruit will work)
- Fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)
- Mango
- Peaches
- Banana slices
- Apples
- Cherries
- Granola
- Nut butters
- Peanut Butter
- Almond Butter
- Sunflower Seed Butter
- Cashew Butter
- Biscoff Cookie Butter
- Jam, berry preserves, coulis or compote
- Nuts and seeds
- Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- Hemp seeds
- Flax seeds
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips
- Raisins
- Shredded coconut or coconut shavings
Expert Tips
- Whisk! Make sure you whisk all the ingredients well initially, and then again after 5 minutes before refrigerating the pudding. This will ensure that you don't get clumps of chia seeds and that they don't all sink to the bottom while the pudding is setting.
- For the best texture refrigerate the pudding overnight. This will let the chia seeds absorb as much milk as they possibly can and will give the best texture.
- Add more milk if the chia pudding is way too thick when you take it out the fridge. Add 1-2 tablespoons at a time until you reach a good consistency.
- Let thicken for at least 4 hours, if not overnight. The chia seeds need time to plump up and thicken! This amount of time will allow for that and the pudding will be fully set.
How to Store
Refrigerator: This vegan chia pudding can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days. When you're ready to eat, give it a good stir then add fresh berries, or whatever toppings you prefer, for a quick & easy breakfast.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing this without any toppings. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight and mix well before serving.
FAQ
4:1 - 4 parts liquid, 1 part chia seeds. For this oat milk chia seed pudding, I used 2 cups of milk and ½ cup of chia seeds. I find this ratio gives the perfect consistency for a pudding. For a thinner pudding, you can try a 6:1 (⅓ cup chia seeds, 2 cups milk). You can of course experiment with this ratio and adjust it to your liking!
Yes! Chia seeds are low in calorie yet packed with a ton of nutrients. To keep this recipe as healthy as possible, I would suggest using a plant-based milk with very clean/limited ingredients and reducing or changing the sweetener used.
You can buy them at your local grocery store, any health food store, or even through online retailers like Amazon.
Other recipes you might like
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📖 Recipe
Oat Milk Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- ½ cup (86 g) chia seeds
- 2 cups (480 mL) oat milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together oat milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the chia seeds and mix well. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then mix it well once more to ensure the chia seeds don't clump or sink to the bottom.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Remove from the fridge, scoop into a bowl or mason jar, top with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Lauren says
This is the best breakfast! So quick to throw together and then grab and go in the AM.