The BEST Strawberry Chia Pudding

Get my secrets for making the BEST, creamiest strawberry chia pudding EVER! Layers of creamy chia pudding with strawberries and sweet strawberry compote are a super delicious breakfast or snack. (Gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free)

You can really make this super creamy, refreshing, and easy chia pudding any fruit or combination of fruits you like. It comes together really quickly, and I’ll share my secrets for making the creamiest chia pudding:

1. Hydrate the chia seeds in warm water. You can hydrate them directly in the creamy mixture and leave it overnight, but I prefer to hydrate them in water first. That way, I can mix them into the creamy base immediately and assemble the strawberry chia pudding right away, instead of waiting overnight and then adjusting the texture later.
2. Use a rich, creamy base such as thick non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy cream. You can also add extra protein by using a high-protein yogurt, blended tofu, or a mix of both to make the cream base. This will add a lot of extra protein to the chia pudding.
3. Build flavor with multiple ingredients. I like to add vanilla extract and lemon juice to the cream base and lemon zest to the compote. You can also add spices, like cinnamon, or use other extracts, such as almond, for extra flavor.
4. Use the fruits in multiple forms. For example, add fresh chopped strawberries to the chia pudding along with a strawberry compote made from cooked strawberries. The combination gives you the bright, fresh flavor of raw fruit and the rich, jammy flavor of the cooked fruit.

When assembling your strawberry chia pudding, layer the compote and chia pudding instead of mixing them all together. This way, each bite can have multiple textures and flavors: the creamy pudding with pockets of jammy strawberries. If you prefer, you can swirl the compote into the pudding for a marbled effect instead of layering.

You can also mix and match fruits when you make this strawberry chia pudding! Try combinations like mango and strawberry, or blueberry and strawberry. 

If you don’t like too much chia texture in your breakfast, you can substitute some of the chia seeds with oats. For every tablespoon of chia you remove, add about ¼ cup of oats to the mixture. Add the oats directly into the creamy base, so they can rehydrate overnight.

Top your chia pudding with toppings for texture and extra nutrition. Add crunch with seeds, chopped nuts, candied fruit, or dried fruit. Hemp seeds are a great topping because they add protein as well.

Why You’ll Love Strawberry Chia Pudding

• quick soak method means no waiting overnight for chia seeds to hydrate
• rich, creamy chia pudding base with fresh strawberries
• sweet, rich strawberry compote layer
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Ingredients

• chia seeds – This is the base for your strawberry chia pudding. If you want to reduce the amount of chia seeds, you can use 1/4 cup rolled oats for every tablespoon of chia seeds you remove.
• strawberries – We are putting fresh strawberries into the chia seed pudding base and then using more strawberries to make a compote for layering.
• lemon – Lemon zest adds a depth of flavor to the strawberry compote, and lemon juice adds tang to the chia pudding base.
• maple syrup – To sweeten the compote and the base.
• non-dairy yogurt – Use soy-free and/or nut-free, if needed. Or use non dairy cream such as cashew cream or coconut cream
• vanilla extract – Or vanilla powder, to add flavor to the pudding base.
• toppings – Top the strawberry chia seed pudding with nuts, seeds, and fruits of your choice. This adds more texture to the finished dish.

How to Make Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Warm up the water, add the chia seeds, and mix well. Let them sit and rehydrate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the strawberry compote. Add the 2 cups of strawberries plus the maple syrup and lemon zest to a skillet over medium heat. After a minute or so, mash some of the strawberries to help them release their juices and cook faster. You don’t need to add water.

The strawberries will release a lot of moisture as they cook. Continue pressing and cooking until the mixture becomes nicely jammy. Keep it chunky for texture or press and cook for longer for a smoother consistency. This all takes about 5 minutes, depending on how smooth you want the compote to be. Set aside to cool.

Add the rehydrated chia seeds to a bowl. (You can reserve a tablespoon for layering if you like.) Add the non-dairy yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and chopped strawberries, mixing well. Taste and adjust sweetness and flavor, as needed, and add a little water or non-dairy milk if it’s too thick. Set aside.

Once the compote is cool, layer it with the chia pudding into 4” jars. Start with some compote at the bottom, then a layer of chia pudding. Top with the reserved chia seeds, if using, then add more compote and finish with nuts or seeds for garnish. You can also swirl the compote into the pudding instead of layering for a more blended look. Serve straight from the fridge.