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This high protein chia seed pudding recipe has rich chocolate flavor with 20 grams of protein, less than 300 calories, and 10 grams of fiber per serving. It’s easy to make and perfect for meal prepped breakfasts or snacks; get the kiddos involved and let them whip it up!
I have a friend who buys pre-made chia pudding for weekday breakfasts. She says they taste good, but they’re ridiculously overpriced at about $10 per 4-ounce jar (and that’s without organic ingredients or special dietary considerations). And she says it bums her out that she’s always hungry mid-morning after eating breakfast. There’s an easy fix, lol! I want to show her (and anyone else who’s interested) how to save money and easily make multiple high-protein servings of chia seed pudding (without having to add protein powder).
This is as great back-to-school or dorm room recipe. It’s a convenient breakfast, after-school snack, and healthy dessert to have stashed in the fridge, and it’s easy to make and a good recipe let the kids get involved in making. Also, unlike when you buy pre-made chia pudding, you can customize this to suit your taste preferences without having to pay a premium. And I’d wager that the homemade version is healthier (with less sugar, more fiber, and more protein) and tastes better than the store-bought stuff. It’s a win all around! Let’s do this.
What I Love About This Recipe
- Low maintenance. This recipe is no-cook and only takes 10 minutes to whip up. You’ll have breakfast for multiple days made and stashed in your fridge in no time!
- Budget-friendly. It bears noting that prices vary by location, but according to my rough estimate, each serving of this homemade chia pudding (made with the brands specified) costs around $2.13. And the servings are a decent size; I’m satisfied for 4 to 5 hours after eating one. That’s a whole lot more economical than paying $10 for a pre-made 4-ounce portion!
- Customizable. You can make this to suit your preferences in every way. For example, use keto sweeteners if you like, and add more or less sweetener to taste. Use vegan dairy substitutes. Swap out the cottage cheese for ricotta or Greek yogurt. If peanut butter isn’t your thing, use any seed or nut butter, or go for whole nuts instead. And you don’t have to make it chocolate flavored (I give instructions for a non-chocolate version in the Notes in the recipe card below).
- Special-diet friendly. As written, it’s gluten free and pretty low in carbs with 9 grams of net carbs per serving. It’s also easy to make vegan with a couple simple swaps (see the Notes in the recipe card below).
High Protein Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Good Culture 2% cottage cheese – You can use any brand you like, but this is the brand I used to get the macros listed. Cottage cheese is where a good portion of the protein in this recipe comes from. And another thing I love about the Good Culture brand is that it contains live and active cultures (not sponsored, I just really like it!).
- Fairlife fat free milk – Just like the cottage cheese, any brand of milk will work but I’ve found that Fairlife is typically higher in protein than many other brands. Alternatively, you can use plant-based milk (such as almond milk or soy milk) if you prefer.
- Chia seeds – To thicken the pudding and add fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Cocoa powder adds rich chocolate flavor without adding any sweetener, which allows us to customize not only the sweetness level, but also the type of sweetener we use. And cocoa powder is naturally rich in antioxidants (read more in the article “Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease” by David L. Katz, Kim Doughty, and Ather Ali on National Library of Medicine).
- Keto granulated sweetener – Or regular granulated white sugar.
- Keto maple syrup – Or pure real maple syrup.
- Vanilla extract – For depth of flavor.
- Instant espresso powder – Dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon hot water. This is optional; it adds underlying notes of coffee to enhance the flavor notes in chocolate, but this amount isn’t enough to be able to pull out the flavor of coffee. You can use decaf if you like.
- Sea salt – To pull out the flavor of everything else.
- Unsweetened natural peanut butter – Or any seed or nut butter you like.
- Cacao nibs – Or chopped dark chocolate.
How to Make High-Protein Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Puree. Add the cottage cheese and milk to a blender (a high-speed blender works best if you want it completely smooth) and puree until creamy.
- Mix and chill. Add the cottage cheese mixture, chia seeds, cocoa powder, granulated sweetener, maple syrup, dissolved espresso powder, and salt to a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or overnight so it can fully thicken. (TIP: There’s no need to stir it; just pop it into the fridge and let it do its thing.)
- Finishing touches. Divide the pudding between 3 individual glasses (or meal prep bowls) and top each with 1 tablespoon peanut butter and 1 teaspoon cacao nibs or chopped chocolate.
Storage
Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Variations
- Make vegan high protein chia pudding. Instead of cottage cheese, use 1 cup of your favorite plain, unsweetened plant-based Greek yogurt. In place of the milk, go with 3/4 cup of your favorite plant-based milk (almond milk or soy milk work well here).
- Swap out the peanut butter for any kind of nut or seed butter you like. Or go with chopped nuts for crunch instead!
- If chocolate isn’t your thing (or if you just want to switch things up), you can omit the cocoa powder. Add 1 more teaspoon of chia seeds, and decrease the granulated sweetener to 2 1/2 tablespoons. Without cocoa powder, this has more of a cheesecake-like flavor profile.
Tips For the Best High Protein Chia Seed Pudding
- If you want to get the same macros listed, use the same brands (especially for the ingredients that contain protein, such as dairy). Surprisingly, there is a lot of variation in nutritional information across brands, especially in items like cottage cheese and milk. This post is not sponsored by the brands mentioned, but using the same products will give you the macros listed if that’s important to you.
- Don’t skip pureeing the cottage cheese and milk. And to go one step further, use a high-speed blender so the mixture is completely smooth and creamy if you’re sensitive to the texture of cottage cheese.
- If you want completely smooth chia pudding with a texture similar to mousse, just add all ingredients (except the peanut butter and cacao nibs or chopped chocolate) to the blender. Let the chia pudding set as normal, divide into portions, and then add the toppings on each serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Simply omit the cottage cheese and use 1 cup of your favorite plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. As a bonus, there’s no need to use the blender!
Absolutely. Add 1 scoop of your favorite unflavored (or chocolate or vanilla-flavored) protein powder and increase the milk to 1 cup.
More High Protein Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes
- Freezer Friendly Meal Prep Breakfast Sandwiches
- Lower Calorie, Higher Protein Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Discard Protein Bagels With Greek Yogurt
- Almond Croissant Protein Baked Oats
- 5-Minute Cannoli High Protein Mug Cake
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
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High Protein Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Good Culture 2% cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup Fairlife fat free milk
- 5 tablespoons chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons keto granulated sweetener (or regular granulated white sugar)
- 1 tablespoon keto maple syrup (or pure real maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder (dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon hot water; optional)
- 1/16 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened natural creamy peanut butter (or any seed or nut butter you like)
- 1 tablespoon cacao nibs (or chopped dark chocolate)
Instructions
- Puree. Add the cottage cheese and milk to a blender (a high-speed blender works best if you want it completely smooth) and puree until creamy.
- Mix and chill. Add the cottage cheese mixture, chia seeds, cocoa powder, granulated sweetener, maple syrup, dissolved espresso powder, and salt to a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or overnight so it can fully thicken. (TIP: There’s no need to stir it; just pop it into the fridge and let it do its thing.)
- Finishing touches. Divide the pudding between 3 individual glasses (or meal prep bowls) and top each with 1 tablespoon peanut butter and 1 teaspoon cacao nibs or chopped chocolate.
Notes
- Storage: Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Vegan Version: Instead of cottage cheese, use 1 cup of your favorite plain, unsweetened plant-based Greek yogurt. In place of the milk, go with 3/4 cup of your favorite plant-based milk (almond milk or soy milk work well here).
- Non-Chocolate Version: If chocolate isn’t your thing (or if you just want to switch things up), you can omit the cocoa powder. Add 1 more teaspoon of chia seeds, and decrease the granulated sweetener to 2 1/2 tablespoons. Without cocoa powder, this has more of a cheesecake-like flavor profile.
- For Smooth Pudding (Similar to Mousse): Add all ingredients (except the peanut butter and cacao nibs or chopped chocolate) to the blender. Let the chia pudding set as normal, divide into portions, and then add the toppings on each serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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