Chia seed pudding is a wonderful dessert that’s rich in omega-3s. This recipe is a healthy alternative to high sugar processed desserts. It uses pure maple syrup (or stevia) as a natural sweetener instead of sugar.

I discovered chia seeds several years ago when I first started getting into health and nutrition. Now I see them all over the place in health food stores. You can buy chia kombucha and chia desserts at most health food stores and even Costco. These little seeds are packed with nutrients and minerals and are a dream come true for anyone following a whole foods diet.

There are a variety of chia seed pudding flavors and I plan on sharing them with you in the future. For today, I’m going to start with my favorite basic chia seed pudding recipe. It’s easy to make and you can customize it to suit your dietary needs.

How To Make Chia Seed Pudding

To get started you’ll need to gather your ingredients.

Coconut Milk: I used homemade coconut milk, which is lighter than full fat canned coconut milk. Store bought coconut milk beverage (in the carton) will work great in this recipe. Canned full fat coconut milk can be used in this recipe. Just be aware that the pudding will be much thicker.

Chia Seeds: You can use black or white chia seeds in this recipe. I like to use white chia seeds since they’re almost translucent. My kids don’t ask about the black things in their pudding when I use white chia seeds!

Sweetener: I used pure maple syrup but if you’re watching your sugar you can substitute stevia, monk fruit or your favorite sweetener of choice. Add a small amount of sweetener at a time and adjust according to your taste.

Time: You need to let the chia seeds soak the coconut milk mixture for at least 1 hour. I usually make this in the evening and let them soak overnight. Just cover the bowl with a lid or beeswax paper to prevent the top of the pudding from drying out.