Strawberry Chia Pudding

This simple Strawberry Chia Pudding is perfect breakfast. It's creamy and delicious, pretty enough to be served as a dessert too. It's loaded with fresh fruity flavor, lightly sweet and totally addictive. A satisfying guilt-free treat that's made without refined sugars, healthy and packed with superfoods!

You can still find fresh strawberries in the local store, and I'm still all over them. Honestly, how can you even resist these bright and beautiful heart-shaped delights?! Lightly sweet, juicy and extra tasty, they can make your day instantly better. And that was precisely what happened to me the other day.

I woke up all moody and feeling like blah, you know. When I went to the fridge to make myself breakfast and saw fresh strawberries, the inspiration struck me then and there... like instantly! Strawberry Banana Smoothie was first on my mind. But then I remembered I haven't had chia pudding in a while. 

I made this Strawberry Chia Pudding and it turned out to be just what I needed. Bright red and bursting with flavor, fresh strawberries combined with mighty chia seeds did the amazing job turning moody morning into a perfect, super-charged day. This is one of the healthy breakfast that definitely has the power to brighten your day. 

Ingredients used

This is like the EASIEST, super healthy breakfast recipe you can imagine. No brainer really. And you'll only need a few simple ingredients:

• CHIA SEEDS: Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet and they are stapled in my pantry. Benefits of chia seeds are numerous. They are loaded with nutrients - fibers, healthy omega-3s, and many essential minerals and vitamins. Perfect for making a whole balanced breakfast.
• MILK: I used oat milk here, but you can use any non-dairy milk such as almond, or soy milk. Cow's and coconut milk wont work well here. It will interfere with other flavors. 
• PEANUT BUTTER: I used creamy, natural peanut butter. Peanut butter contributed greatly to the overall creamy texture but also paired so nicely with strawberries. Plus, added more nutrients, making this chia pudding more satisfying.
• SWEETENER: To sweeten this Strawberry Chia Pudding, I used raw honey. Raw honey is an unrefined sweetener with many health benefits. It gives subtle sweetness to chia pudding yet will not overload it with many sugary calories. For the vegan version, you can use maple or date syrup.

To spice things up a bit, I added a splash of vanilla, just to make this beauty taste even more irresistible, and dash of Ceylon cinnamon that paired so nicely with fresh strawberries and gave unbelievable scent.

Definitely, my favorite things in this whole chia pudding story are STRAWBERRIES. While mostly known for its amazing sweet taste, strawberries are also nutritional powerhouses with many health benefits. They are great source of fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. + They help to keep our heart-healthy and help to reduce inflammation too. Not to mention they are low-calorie fruit great for weight-loss.

Optional add-on

I'm obsessed with MACA POWDER. It's a superfood with many health benefits. If you have it your pantry but don't quite know how to use it, this chia pudding may be perfect solution. Maca powder has this deep earthy, root-like, flavor that goes so well with strawberry freshness. Also, maca is known energy/mood booster and thus great to have in the morning.

How to make strawberry chia pudding

To make this beauty, you will only need basic kitchen tools, and 15 minutes of your time. There are TWO ways you can make Strawberry Chia Pudding:

OPTION 1 (without using a blender):

1. Pure strawberries with the fork and put it in the jar.
2. Add milk and chia seeds + peanut butter, maca (if using), vanilla, cinnamon and the sweetener.
3. Close the jar with the lid and shake it.
4. Wait 15 minutes for chia pudding to form. 
5. Top it with some more fresh strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
6. You'll get smooth chia pudding with pieces of chewy strawberries inside.

OPTION 2 (using a blender):

1. Blend strawberries with the milk, peanut butter, maca (if using), vanilla, cinnamon and the sweetener in the blender.
2. Add chia seeds and pulse for second for chia seeds to combine.
3. Pour the mixture in a glass or jar.
4. Wait 15 minutes for chia pudding to form.
5. Top it with some more fresh strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
6. You'll get smooth chia pudding with nice fruity flavor.

Tips for storing

• Keep leftovers sealed for up to 2 days in the fridge.
• PREP THE NIGHT BEFORE: Make strawberry chia pudding and put it into a jar with a lid. In the morning, add toppings, serve and enjoy!

Substitutions

• You can substitute peanut butter with almond butter, or for NUT FREE version you can use any nut-free butter. 
• You can substitute raw honey with maple syrup (for VEGAN version). Alternatively, if using a blender, you can substitute liquid sweetener with few soaked dates. 
• Substitute oat milk with any non-diary milk you prefer and normally use. NOTE that coconut milk wont work here, taste wise. Nor cow's milk.
• Fresh strawberries are the best here, but frozen will work fine too. If you're using frozen strawberries, you might expect creamier and dense texture so you'll probably need to add extra liquid - milk.

What is the best chia pudding ratio

The chia pudding ratio I used here is 1/3 cup chia seeds per cup of liquid. This ratio gives denser texture. Alternatively, you can use 1/4 cup chia seeds per cup of liquid. This ratio gives more lighter texture.

Both ratios make 1 bowl that serves 1 person (meal sized chia pudding) or 2 people (dessert/snack sized chia pudding). 

This healthy strawberry chia seed pudding is absolutely perfect breakfast that is pretty and tasty enough to be a dessert too.

Lightly sweet, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, and heavenly creamy, this chia seed pudding is a really special treat. Satisfying, nutritious and very filling, it will keep you full and very happy for hours.

If you’re a fan of CHIA PUDDING, check these recipes too:

• Raspberry Chia Pudding
• Pineapple Coconut Chia Pudding
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding
• Peach Ginger Chia Seed Pudding
• Blueberry Coconut Chia Pudding
• Blueberry Chia Pudding

Enjoy!

More Chia Seed recipes

• Sour Cherry Chia Jam Cornbread
• Easy Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
• Blackberry Chia Seed Jam
• Blueberry Banana Chia Smoothie
• 30 Chia Seeds Recipes

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