Strawberry Chia Pudding

This super easy strawberry chia pudding is a delicious healthy breakfast, snack or dessert! With dreamy vanilla, maple syrup and sweet juicy strawberries, it’s vegan and gluten free!

A white bowl filled with Strawberry Chia Pudding and a cup of coffee to the side.

Today we talk a crazy versatile recipe. 

Because this delicious strawberries and cream-esq chia pudding? 

It’s perfect for oh so many occasions. 

  • Have it for breakfast topped with a good drizzle of nut butter and some crunchy, crispy granola.
  • Whip it out plain and enjoy as is for a healthy snack during that dreaded afternoon slump.
  • Or, sprinkle on some dark chocolate chips and savor as a light, healthier dessert.

Plenty of options and not a single way to go wrong.

Now, when testing this recipe I tried SO MANY times to blend the strawberries right into the pudding base. But it just never quite worked. 

The strawberry flavor faded into the background and, um, it turned this weird purple color over time. I don’t know. I wasn’t a fan. At all. 

But. When we go with a creamy vanilla base and top it off with some juicy berries for serving? NOW we’re talking. 

Dig in my friends. Berry chia pudding for all!  

Fresh strawberries in a glass bowl.

How To Make Strawberry Chia Pudding

So! This healthy chia pudding takes about 10 minutes to whip up. Here’s how it goes down:

Macerate the strawberries. In a medium bowl, we’ll mix together some sliced strawberries, maple syrup and lemon juice. And then let sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature before popping in the fridge to chill overnight.

Prepare the chia base. Meanwhile, we’ll whisk together some almond milk, chia seeds, vanilla and maple syrup in another medium bowl. 

Let the chia mixture sit for 10 minutes. And then give it another good whisk to smooth out the clumps. Don’t be tempted to skip this step – it helps to evenly distribute the chia seeds and make the pudding nice and smooth.

Chill in the fridge overnight. We’ll pop the chia pudding in the fridge and let it sit overnight to thicken up. 

In the morning, we’ll add some chia pudding to a bowl, top with some strawberries (along with any additional toppings) and chow down!

Almond milk and chia seeds in a glass mixing bowl.

Tips & Tricks For This Chia Strawberry Pudding

  1. You can use any milk of choice in place of the almond milk. My only suggestion is to stick with something that is unsweetened. Alternatively, if you do use something that is sweetened, I’d leave out the maple syrup in the pudding base.
  2. If you find your chia pudding is too thin after sitting overnight in the fridge – add in 1 tablespoon extra chia seeds, give it a good whisk and then pop back in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour to thicken up. You can repeat this process if it’s still too thin after the first go. 
  3. Conversely, if you find you need to thin out your chia pudding, drizzle in a little milk and mix until the pudding reaches your desired consistency. 
  4. If your chia pudding never thickens up, it’s likely that you had bad chia seeds. Yes, they do eventually go bad if they were sitting in your pantry / fridge for ages! Buy some new fresh seeds and try again.
  5. And finally, the strawberries. Macerating the berries really brings out their flavor and gives them an almost syrupy texture. It also will turn mediocre berries into complete deliciousness! However, you can of course just use chopped fresh strawberries instead (especially if they are in season and nice and sweet). 

A white bowl filled with Berry Chia Pudding and a sprinkle of granola.

How To Store

Store the chia pudding and macerated strawberries in separate airtight containers in the fridge. They’ll keep like this for about 4 to 5 days. 

{I do suggest keeping the strawberries in their own container due to all the accumulated juices, which will water down the pudding base.} 

If you want to prep this for an on the go breakfast, I suggest as follows: 

The night before, add some of the strawberries (using a slotted spoon to get rid of the excess juices) to a small airtight container. Layer on some of the chia pudding, then top with nut butter / chopped nuts / coconut flakes if using.

Keep in the fridge overnight, then enjoy in the morning.

A white bowl filled with Chia Strawberry Pudding with a spoon in the dish.

Additional Portable Breakfast Recipes You Might Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

This super easy strawberry chia pudding is a delicious healthy breakfast, snack or dessert! With dreamy vanilla, maple syrup and sweet juicy strawberries, it’s vegan and gluten free!

Strawberry Chia Pudding

Yield: about 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

This super easy strawberry chia pudding is a delicious healthy breakfast, snack or dessert! With dreamy vanilla, maple syrup and sweet juicy strawberries, it’s vegan and gluten free!

Ingredients

For the strawberries:

  • 16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • pinch of salt

For the pudding:

  • 2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk    
  • 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chia seeds

Serving ideas (optional):

  • drippy nut butter 
  • chopped nuts
  • your favorite granola
  • coconut flakes

Instructions

For the strawberries:

  1. Add the strawberries, maple syrup, lemon juice and salt to a medium bowl. Toss to combine, then let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  2. Toss again, then cover and transfer to the refrigerator to sit overnight.

For the pudding:

  1. Meanwhile, add the almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla and chia seeds to another medium bowl and whisk to combine. Let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes, then whisk again until the clumps have smoothed out. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. In the morning, give both the strawberry mixture and the chia pudding a good stir, then taste and adjust the maple syrup if needed in the pudding.
  3. To serve, layer some of the chia pudding and strawberries in a bowl (leaving behind any accumulated juices), then add on any additional toppings if using.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 210Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 11gSugar: 15gProtein: 5g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.