This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure.
Made with a handful of simple ingredients in just 10 minutes, this strawberry chia seed pudding recipe is deliciously creamy, fruity, and nutritious.
One morning not long ago, I woke up to a flat of fresh strawberries on my porch. To quote Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire, “it was a drive-by fruiting”! (Side Note: Who else remembers that quote as “drive-by fruiting”, not “run-by fruiting”? Apparently, it’s chalked up to the Mandela Effect.) Anyway, a sweet friend had dropped off the berries, and because it was an entire flat, I immediately knew I wanted to puree some so I could freeze the puree and use it in recipes later.
And of course, fresh strawberry puree is perfect for making into a lovely chia pudding parfait! In this recipe, we soak chia seeds in strawberry puree and coconut milk for a creamy pudding. Serve it with a handful of nuts on top along with a couple hard-boiled eggs for a satisfying breakfast, give it to the kiddos as nutritious after-school snack, or enjoy it as a light, refreshing dessert.
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.
Strawberry Puree Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries – Washed, hulled, and halved if very large.
- Granulated white sugar – Or granulated sweetener of choice (I used Pyure stevia packets; each packet is as sweet as 2 teaspoons of sugar).
Strawberry Coconut Chia Seed Pudding Ingredients
- Strawberry puree – In this pudding recipe, we’re using fresh strawberry puree and coconut milk as our liquid to hydrate the chia seeds. We use 1 cup of puree for the pudding, and the remaining amount (about 2/3 cup) to make the parfaits.
- Coconut milk – Use unsweetened canned full-fat coconut milk here.
- Chia seeds – The star of the show! The chia seeds thicken into a pudding-like texture as they absorb liquid.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor and aroma.
- Granulated white sugar – Or granulated sweetener of choice (I used Pyure stevia packets; each packet is as sweet as 2 teaspoons of sugar).
- Salt – Just a little bit of salt enhances the flavor of everything else.
Other Ingredients
- Strawberry puree – After using some of the puree to make the chia pudding, we use the rest of the puree to make parfaits with layers of chia pudding and strawberry puree.
- Unsweetened coconut flakes – This is an optional garnish that helps show the flavors going on in the pudding.
- Fresh strawberries – Another optional garnish.
How to Make Chia Pudding With Fresh Strawberries
- Make the strawberry puree. Add the prepared berries and sweetener of choice to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
- Make the chia pudding. Add the strawberry puree, coconut milk, chia seeds, vanilla extract, sweetener, and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and chill until thickened, at least 2 hours, but up to 8 hours (you can stir it periodically, but you don’t have to). (TIP: Keep the remaining strawberry puree (about 2/3 cup) in a separate bowl and store it covered in the fridge so we can layer it with the chia pudding once the pudding is thickened.)
- Assemble the parfaits. Add a slightly scant 1 tablespoon of strawberry puree to the bottom of 4 individual glasses. Add a generous dollop of chia pudding, then a slightly scant 1 tablespoon of strawberry puree, followed by another generous dollop of chia pudding, and lastly drizzle the remaining strawberry puree on top.
- Garnish and serve (or store). If desired, garnish each with a fresh strawberry and 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes. Serve, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Storage
Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. This is a great meal prep snack, dessert, or addition to a healthy breakfast!
Variations
- Strawberries – Instead of strawberries, you can use mango, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, or pineapple. (TIP: For the most intense fruity flavor and perfect texture that easily blends into puree, make sure whatever fruit you’re using is ripe!)
- Nuts – You can layer in chopped nuts (walnuts are my favorite paired with strawberries, but pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc. would all be delicious), or sprinkle them on top as a garnish.
- Chocolate – If you like the strawberry + chocolate favor pairing, add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, or finely chopped chocolate on top right before serving.
- Make it even more dessert-worthy – To make it extra decadent, serve it with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
Tips For the Best Strawberry Chia Pudding
- The great thing about making chia pudding is that once you combine the liquid with the chia seeds, it makes itself! Just pop it into the fridge until it’s as thick as you like it. It will need at least 2 hours (that’s the point where I usually layer it into chia pudding parfaits), but it will continue thicken for up to 8 hours.
- You aren’t limited to coconut milk here. However, to make sure the pudding gels to the proper thickness, you should use milk that is about as thick as coconut milk, such as cashew milk or a thicker oat milk. If you want to use milk that’s not as thick (such as almond milk or whole milk), reduce the amount of milk by about 2 tablespoons.
Frequently Asked Questions
That depends on what you put in them! Chia seeds are high in fiber, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and several minerals, and a decent source of protein (you can read more about the nutritional benefits of chia seeds on Mayo Clinic Health System and Healthline). Chia seeds act as a thickener, and make a healthy base for pudding.
Here we add coconut milk and strawberries to bump up the nutrition even more. And if you use a keto sweetener instead of regular sugar, you can keep the carb content lower.
This recipe takes at least 2 hours to set, but will continue to thicken the longer you leave it. The reason it sets relatively quickly is because we don’t use regular milk as the liquid. Instead, we use thicker coconut milk and strawberry puree to hydrate the chia seeds.
Yes! Yogurt is a great way to bump up the nutrition of chia pudding. Feel free to add up to 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt to this recipe when you mix up the pudding (note that it might take a bit longer for the pudding to set). Another alternative is to add layers of yogurt when you assemble the parfaits.
Yes! If you want to increase the protein content of this recipe, protein powder is a good way to do it. To add protein powder, increase the coconut milk or strawberry puree by 1/4 cup and add 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder. Whisk the liquids and protein powder together first, and then whisk in the chia seeds and other ingredients.
More Recipes Celebrating Strawberry Season
- Strawberry Oat Bars
- Strawberry Coffee Cake
- 20-Minute Sugar Free Strawberry Jam
- Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding Recipe
Email This Recipe
Get this recipe link emailed straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
Strawberry Puree:
- 16 ounces fresh strawberries washed, hulled, and halved if very large
- 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar or sweetener of choice (I used a keto sugar alternative; see Notes)
Strawberry Coconut Chia Seed Pudding:
- 1 cup strawberry puree
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 6 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar or sweetener of choice (I used a keto sugar alternative; see Notes)
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
Other:
- 2/3 cup strawberry puree this is the rest of the puree after using 1 cup puree to make the pudding
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes optional (for topping)
- 4 fresh strawberries optional (for topping)
Instructions
- Make the strawberry puree. Add the prepared berries and sweetener of choice to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
- Make the chia pudding. Add the strawberry puree, coconut milk, chia seeds, vanilla extract, sweetener, and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and chill until thickened, at least 2 hours, but up to 8 hours (you can stir it periodically, but you don't have to). (TIP: Keep the remaining strawberry puree (about 2/3 cup) in a separate bowl and store it covered in the fridge so we can layer it with the chia pudding once the pudding is thickened.)
- Assemble the parfaits. Add a slightly scant 1 tablespoon of strawberry puree to the bottom of 4 individual glasses. Add a generous dollop of chia pudding, then a slightly scant 1 tablespoon of strawberry puree, followed by another generous dollop of chia pudding, and lastly drizzle the remaining strawberry puree on top.
- Garnish and serve (or store). If desired, garnish each with a fresh strawberry and 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes. Serve, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Sweetener: Instead of regular granulated white sugar, you can use a keto sugar alternative or any granulated sweetener you like (I used Pyure stevia packets; each packet is as sweet as 2 teaspoons of sugar).
- Storage: Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated using a keto sweetener. If you use regular sugar, it increases the calories to about 291 kcal per serving and it increases the total carbohydrates to about 27 grams per serving (with 18 grams net carbs per serving).
- Net carbs (using keto sweetener): 11 grams per serving (1/4 of recipe).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
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.
Free Bonus
