Oat Milk Chia Pudding

This overnight oat milk chia pudding is healthy yet delicious, only made with 4, and is the perfect option for meal prep. You can enjoy it on its own or with a variety of your favorite toppings!

This thick & creamy chia pudding is so quick and easy to make and only requires 1 bowl! It makes for the perfect make ahead easy breakfast, healthy snack or healthy dessert.

You'll find that this pudding is perfect as a base recipe that can be expanded on or used in a variety of different flavored chia pudding recipes. Don't worry, I've given you 20+ topping and add-in ideas below!

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. Also, if you're a big chia seed fan in general, be sure to check out this matcha chia pudding and this strawberry chia seed jam.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Equipment
• What are chia seeds?
• Ingredients
• Recipe Substitutions & Variations
• Instructions
• Topping & Add-In Ideas
• Expert Tips
• Storage Tips
• FAQ
• Other recipes you might like
• Did you make this recipe?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

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 big 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
• Airtight container or mason jar

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.

Ingredients

This recipe only calls for 3 (or an optional 4) simple ingredients and you likely have most, if not all, of them!

• Chia Seeds: The star of the show! I always use these 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 oat milk as I find it's thicker than almond milk and results in a creamier texture! If you don't want to use homemade oat milk, I recommend either the Elmhurst Oat Milk, Chobani Extra Creamy Oat Milk, Oatly Oat Milk, Planet Oat Original or Silk Extra Creamy Oat Milk.
• Maple Syrup: This acts our natural sweetener.
• Vanilla Extract: this is optional but highly recommended.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Recipe 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. Coconut milk will result in a thicker chia pudding. Use whatever milk that you love and use on a regular basis.
• Instead of maple syrup you could use a different sweetener of choice such as agave, date syrup, vegan honey, coconut sugar, stevia or cane sugar. Or, you can leave out sweetener entirely but I don't recommend it.
• 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 recipe is how easy it is to make. Grab a bowl and let's get to it!

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 chia seed pudding recipe on its own, but what's the fun in that? Here's some of my favorite toppings and add-ins to take this recipe to the next level:

Add-Ins

• Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin spice or ginger
• Protein powder
• Cocoa powder
• 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
• Fresh or frozen fruit
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Raspberries
  • Mango
  • Peaches
  • Banana
  • 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
  • Hemp 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.

Storage Tips

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 your toppings.

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

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