6 Single Serve Chia Pudding Recipes

If you love overnight oats or quinoa, you’re going to love chia pudding! It’s ridiculously simple to make with ENDLESS flavor combinations. You really can’t go wrong!

Health Benefits for Babies and Toddlers

Chia seeds may be tiny but they sure do pack a nutritional punch! They contain many nutrients that help support young children’s rapid brain development and strengthen immune systems: omega-3s, iron, complete protein (contain all 9 essential amino acids), calcium, and soluble fiber to name a few. If battling constipation, these chia puddings may provide relief! They truly helped my son when he was a baby. You can simply sprinkle chia seeds on yogurt, oatmeal with eggs, toast, add to baked goods (baby and toddler muffins) or go a step further and make these chia puddings As you know, offering a variety of foods in the early years is so important for food acceptance, helping shape their food preferences, and much more. Chia seed pudding is an excellent vehicle for helping you to achieve that goal, thanks to its versatility. The sky is the limit when it comes to flavorings and toppings. Sharing some of our favorites below. When chia seeds combine with liquid, they form a gel-like consistency, making it a fun and unique texture to expose your baby to. The seeds “pop” inside the mouth. It’s a great dairy-free, egg-free breakfast option if your child has allergies If your child is underweight, this is a great way to make every bite count.

Ingredients for the basic recipe

Chia seeds Milk of choice. You can use breastmilk, dairy (whole fat recommended), or a plant-based alternative (here’s a blog post on the best milk for toddlers). Canned full-fat coconut milk is one of my favorites because it really makes the pudding extra thick and rich, and I love the flavor. Feel free to experiment! Optional add-ins: 1-2 teaspoons sweetener of choice: maple syrup, honey (do NOT serve if your child is under 12 months as it may cause botulism) 2-3 tablespoons mashed fruit: banana, berries, mango, unsweetened applesauce, etc. 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon spices (e.g. cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice) Toppings (See below) – to be added right before eating

How to Make Chia Pudding

Combine the chia seeds, liquid of choice, and optional add-ins in a small container. I like to use these mason jars. Stir well and let it sit for 5 minutes or so. Give it another stir, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. You shouldn’t see any clumps so STIR STIR! You’ll see that the chia seeds will “ch-ch-ch-chia” expand and absorb the liquid, resulting in a pudding-like consistency, hence the name. Troubleshooting: If you want the pudding to be thicker, add a bit more chia (a teaspoon at a time). Refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes or until it becomes thick. If it’s too thick, you can add more milk. When ready to eat, give its good stir to break up any lumps Now top with whatever your heart desires!

How to Modify for Babies

If you don’t like the texture of chia pudding, blend the chia seeds and milk before refrigerating. You’ll end up with a smoother and creamier pudding rather than one that’s tapioca-like. It will also set faster so you don’t have to wait as long to enjoy. While pre-soaked whole chia seeds can safely be offered to babies 6 months and up, if your child has difficulty swallowing, then follow the blended version of chia pudding. I purposefully developed these recipes so that they’re not too sweet (but plenty sweet for the baby). You can always top with more fruit before serving or add more to the base recipe, if you wish. When adding fruits as toppings for young babies (6-9 months), be sure to mash, flatten, or finely chop. As for nuts, finely grind or chop.

Toppings

Anything you add to overnight atmeal or yogurt will work here too!

fruits nuts seeds shredded coconut nut butters Granola – (try this homemade no added sugar granola) yogurt lemon, lime, orange zest

How to Meal Prep

Purchase some small containers or mason jars and double or triple any of these recipes. Then pour into the single-serving containers/jars. You can also make more than one variation to rotate through since they keep in the fridge for several days. If you’re blending, just give the blender a rinse before proceeding with other flavors. You can have several different flavored jars of chia pudding ready to go in under 15 minutes. Fun! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

6 Fun Flavors

Peanut butter Banana Chia pudding

Raspberry Tahini Chia Pudidng

To the basic recipe (canned full-fat coconut milk HIGHLY recommended!), add 1 tablespoon tahini + 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract + 2 tablespoons mashed raspberries. Top with chopped nuts, cereal, more raspberries.

Blueberry Lemon Chia Pudding

To the basic recipe, add 1 tablespoons mashed blueberries + 1 tablespoon mashed banana + 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest. Top with yogurt, more zest, blueberries, walnuts

Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding

To the basic recipe, add pumpkin puree and some warm pumpkin pie spices!

Carrot Cake Chia Pudding

To the basic recipe (canned full-fat coconut milk), add 1/4 cup finely grated carrots + 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon cardamom. Top with yogurt, walnuts, unsweetened shredded coconut, optional: maple syrup or finely chopped raisins