Chia pudding is a versatile and easy-to-make dish that's perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert. If you're following a ketogenic diet and tired of the usual bacon and eggs, this keto chia pudding recipe with heavy cream is an excellent alternative. It's quick to prepare, requires minimal ingredients, and can be customized to suit your taste preferences.
What is Chia Pudding?
Chia seeds are small but mighty seeds that expand and create a gel-like consistency when soaked in liquid. This unique property makes them ideal for creating thick puddings and even using them as a thickener in smoothies. Chia seeds are also incredibly nutritious, packed with fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, minerals, and antioxidants.
Why Keto Chia Pudding?
For those following a keto diet, chia pudding is a fantastic option because it's naturally low in carbs and high in fiber. Fiber aids in weight loss by promoting a feeling of fullness, as it takes longer to digest than simple sugars. This recipe uses unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk and sugar-free sweeteners to keep the carb count low.
Basic Keto Chia Pudding Recipe
This very basic chia seed pudding recipe contains just 2 ingredients: chia seeds and milk. It is incredibly simple to make sugar-free chia pudding.
Ingredients:
- Chia Seeds
- Almond Milk (unsweetened) or Coconut Milk
Instructions:
- Put the chia seeds, almond milk or coconut milk, vanilla and optional low-carb sweetener into a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Or, use a large mason jar.
- Let the chia mixture sit for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the yogurt. I recommend you make the recipe in a large bowl. Then, fill the mix into the individual containers once the chia has expanded and is ready to eat.
Strawberries and Cream Keto Chia Pudding Recipe
This recipe flavors the chia pudding with fresh strawberries, creating a delightful strawberries and cream flavor.
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Ingredients:
- Chia seeds
- Heavy cream or nut milk (coconut milk, almond milk, or macadamia nut milk)
- Water
- Strawberries
- Sweetener (Lakanto or Swerve)
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- Salt
Instructions:
- To a blender, add heavy cream or nut milk, water, strawberries, chia seeds, sweetener, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt.
- Blend until smooth.
- Divide into small mason jars for an easy meal prep option.
- For overnight chia pudding, add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix and refrigerate overnight.
Quick Keto Chia Pudding Method
If you're short on time, use a blender to speed up the process:
- Add all ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
If you don't have a blender, a food processor can also be used. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a bowl and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. Blending this low carb chia pudding is also a great idea if you like the taste and fiber of chia pudding, but don’t like seeds in your teeth.
Overnight Keto Chia Pudding
For a convenient grab-and-go breakfast, prepare the chia pudding the night before:
- Add all ingredients to a small mason jar.
- Mix well.
- Refrigerate overnight.
If you’re having trouble getting it to thicken, add a bit more chia seeds, then allow them time to set.
Customizing Your Keto Chia Pudding
One of the best things about chia pudding is its versatility. Here are some ideas to customize your keto chia pudding:
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- Chocolate Chia Pudding: Add 1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the base and an extra splash of almond milk to bring it back to the right consistency. You can use chocolate flavored protein powder as well.
- Peanut Butter or Almond Butter: Add peanut butter or almond butter into the chia seed pudding for extra fat and flavor. You can also top it with almond butter instead of mixing it in if you prefer.
- Vanilla Extract: Add a touch of vanilla extract to intensify the vanilla flavor.
- Fruit: Add berries for a fruity twist.
- Nuts: Top with crushed walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, or almonds.
- Spices: Experiment with cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger for added warmth and flavor.
- Sweeteners: Adjust the amount of sweetener to your preference.
In the recipe card at the bottom of the post, I am describing in detail how I make keto chocolate chia pudding, berry chia pudding and almond butter chia pudding.
Choosing the Right Ingredients
- Chia Seeds: Both white and black chia seeds work in this recipe and taste the same.
- Milk: Almond milk is a popular choice due to its low carb content. Other options include coconut milk, macadamia milk, or hazelnut milk. When using coconut milk, opt for carton coconut milk for a similar consistency to almond milk. Canned coconut milk can also be used, but use less (3 Tbsp) and add water to reach the desired consistency.
- Yogurt: You can use coconut yogurt, plain natural yogurt, or Greek yogurt.
- Sweetener: Use a sugar-free syrup, allulose, erythritol (such as Swerve), or liquid stevia. Depending on the sweetener you use you may need to add a little more or a little less to get the right sweetness ratios.
Storage and Meal Prep
Chia pudding is an excellent meal prep option. It can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for several days. For longer storage, chia pudding can be frozen. Simply fill the mixture into popsicle molds and enjoy. We find it keeps best when portioned out into individual jars with an airtight lid.
Troubleshooting
- Chia Seeds Didn't Set: Older chia seeds may not set well. Stir the chia pudding and wait about 30 minutes.
- Texture Issues: If you don't like the texture of chia seeds, blend the pudding for a smoother consistency.
Health Benefits of Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are packed with nutrients and offer several health benefits:
- High in Fiber: Chia seeds contain 40% fiber, promoting digestive health and aiding in weight loss.
- Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Chia seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health.
- Good Source of Protein: Chia seeds provide a good amount of high-quality protein.
- Essential Minerals and Antioxidants: Chia seeds are rich in essential minerals and antioxidants, which protect the body against damage from free radicals.
Common Questions
- How many carbs are in chia seeds? One tablespoon of chia seeds has 6 g total carbohydrates and 1 g net carbs.
- Can chia seeds cause bloating? Yes, especially if you eat too many of them. It's best to start with a small amount and increase from there as you can tolerate them.
- How long do chia seeds need to be soaked? For every 1 1/2 tablespoons of chia seeds, they will take about 2 hours to form a thick pudding if placed in 1 cup of liquid.
- Does chia pudding expand? Chia seeds have a high soluble fibre content. They can absorb around 10 to 12 times their weight in liquid, taking on a gel-like consistency. So, the pudding does not expand as such. It's that the liquid you use in the recipe moves from the outside to the inside of the seeds.
- How do I make smooth chia pudding? Grind your seeds BEFORE adding them to the milk! Blend the seeds in a food processor or with the attachment of a stick blender. It's less messy to do this than blending AFTER the chia pudding has expanded. And there are more uses for ground chia seeds: I always have a jar of finely ground chia in my larder, because chia happens to be BRILLIANT at thickening sauces and jams (check out my sugar free strawberry jam!).
- What container is best for this chia pudding recipe? If you make my recipe including one of the toppings, you'll fill 4x 200 ml/7 oz vessels - be it glasses or bowls - to the rim.If you plan to store the individual pudding portions in the fridge for a few days or if you want to transport them, use 250 ml / 1 cup containers.
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