This easy creamy Strawberry Chia Pudding recipe is going to become a close friend. This recipe takes just minutes to put together and makes a delicious, creamy, strawberry dessert that’s also good for you.
Recipe Features
This is such a simple pudding to make. The recipe combines a chia pudding made with coconut milk and layers it with a strawberry compote. The strawberry compote or strawberry fruit sauce, if you prefer, concentrates the wonderful flavours of sweet strawberries. The combination of the chia pudding with the fruit compote makes a delicious strawberry treat.
The compote recipe is versatile as you can use fresh seasonal fruit or frozen. Sometimes frozen fruit works out more economically than their fresh counterparts. So, it’s worth checking that out.
Although making a fruit compote is a little more effort than just chopping up strawberries or liquidising them, it creates a gorgeous sauce. Strawberries contain a lot of juice which can be quite watery so take those few minutes to make a fruit compote and enjoy a rich strawberry fruit sauce, with a more concentrated, more delicious flavour. Plus, if the fruit is not wonderfully sweet you can adjust this with a little maple syrup. (Using maple syrup keeps the recipe refined-sugar-free.)
What are Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds are tiny little nutritional powerhouses. They are;
- high in fibre, protein, calcium, B vitamins (B1 and B3), iron phosphorus, zinc and magnesium.
- a good source of Omega 3s. (Check these details out here on Healthline)
- the high fibre content of chia helps to keep you full for longer.
- the seeds absorb any liquid that they are mixed with, taking up to 10 times their weight. As a result, they thicken any recipe they are used in. In a creamy dessert recipe like this one, it means you don’t need to use cornflour, flour, cream or eggs.
- chia seeds are neutral tasting which makes them brilliant for combining and mixing with other flavours. That means you could enjoy a different flavour every day of the week.
- they’re pretty easy to find at the supermarket and they come as either black or white seeds. There is little nutritional difference between them. (I tend to use the white seeds in photographs on the blog but generally use the black ones for home.)
What is the chia seed to liquid ratio?
This recipe makes 4 generous servings of Strawberry Chia Pudding. This is quite a thick pudding once the chia seeds have had a chance to soak up the coconut milk. The chia seed to liquid ratio, of coconut milk in this recipe, is 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to 1/2 cup (125 MLS) of liquid.
If you want your pudding to be thinner then just add a little more coconut milk, until you are happy with the consistency. Adding another tablespoon of seeds will make it thicker.
Ingredients in the Strawberry Chia Pudding Recipe
- Chia seeds – fairly easily available. They come in white or black varieties but they behave exactly the same and both taste the same. They just look different.
- coconut milk – the recipe recommends using reduced-fat coconut milk (The tinned kind that you might use to make curries). It’s this that gives the pudding its rich creamy flavour.
- maple syrup – to sweeten the pudding. Using maple syrup keeps the pudding refined sugar-free.
- vanilla extract – vanilla is a great flavour enhancer in a creamy pudding like this one.
- strawberries – one of the most popular berries and available for most of the year although the flavour tends to be best when they’re fresh and in season.
Note: Chia Pudding works with dairy or non-dairy milk so if you don’t like coconut milk then it is simple to substitute another type. Our favourites are almond milk and oat milk, both of these kinds of milk make delicious puddings. Use low, reduced-fat versions and low-sugar, no-sugar versions to keep your puddings low in calories and low in fat. If you’re in search of a low-calorie, low-sugar chia pudding then this is an easy way to achieve that.
How to make Chia Pudding & the fruit Compote
There are 3 simple steps to creating a Strawberry chia seed pudding.
- Add the milk to a suitable container. (Any milk (dairy or non-dairy) works in this recipe for Strawberry Chia Pudding. I’m using coconut milk for a really creamy dessert.) Add the chia seeds, vanilla extract, maple syrup and stir.
- Leave to stand on the counter for about 5 minutes and then stir again. Chia seeds love to clump up so a really good stir will distribute them evenly throughout the milk. Put the container into the fridge for an hour or two or leave overnight for a really thick pudding.
- Make the strawberry compote. If you’re using fresh fruit, clean the strawberries and remove any leaves or stalks. Add the fruit (fresh or frozen) to a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water and cook on low to medium heat. Stir the fruit as it cooks and use the back of a spoon to break down the fruit a little. You don’t want it to be super smooth, some texture is nice.
- This will take about 5 to 8 minutes. Test a little of the puree on a spoon to see if it’s sweet enough for your tastes. (Allow it to cool a little so that you don’t scald yourself.)
- Allow to cool and place in the fridge with the chia pudding.
When it’s time to eat the pudding, layer the chia pudding with the fruit compote.
For more on fruit compotes see this post which also explains how to use other fruits to make a delicious fruit sauce.
How long does it take to make Chia Pudding?
I know I’ve already touched on this in the paragraph above but it seemed worth just saying a little more about it. If you’re new to making chia pudding it can be a bit confusing to decide how long it takes to make and how long to leave it before eating it.
With this recipe, I suggest that the pudding needs about an hour to soak. The ratio of chia seeds to liquid is quite high so within an hour this pudding should be thick and creamy. The seeds will also be soft at this time.
Leave the pudding for longer (up to 4 days) in a suitable covered container in the fridge and it will become even thicker. If that means it’s too thick for your tastes then you can change it by adding a little more milk to thin it down.
How to Serve Strawberry Chia Pudding
You can eat this Chia pudding for breakfast or as a dessert or snack.
There are lots of ways of serving chia puddings. I like to layer this recipe with a little of the strawberry compote on the bottom of a glass dish, top it with the chia pudding and finish it off with a few fresh strawberries.
If you don’t have time for that, then just add the chia pudding to a bowl and decorate it with the strawberry compote. It will taste amazing.
Other toppings for your Chia Pudding
If you feel like going to town with toppings on your luscious strawberry dessert, then how about adding a spoon or two of natural Greek yoghurt or some toasted almonds for a little bit of crunch? Add a little grating of your favourite chocolate or some cacao nibs for a treat.
You can also vary the fruit you add to the top, maybe a few blueberries or a slice or two of banana.
F.A.Q’s
If you don’t like coconut milk then use your preferred type of milk. This recipe works well with almond milk, oat milk and soy milk as well as dairy milk.
Yes, you can. Add the fruit to a microwaveable bowl with a half tablespoon of water. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, remove the fruit and stir to break it down a little. Place it back in the microwave and microwave again for about another 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir again. If the fruit has formed a nice fruity sauce then let it cool and it’s ready to use. The benefit of using a saucepan is that it helps to concentrate the liquid/juice which makes a thicker compote.
Chia Seed Pudding will be quite happy in the fridge for about 4 days. (This also depends on the expiry dates of the milk you have used.) Store it in a covered container.
It will probably thicken up a little more after a day or so. If this is too thick for your tastes then thin it slightly with a little more milk before combining it with the strawberry compote.
This Chia pudding is vegan. Just ensure that any additions you make such as adding in Greek yoghurt are also vegan-friendly. Check the ingredients listed on the label to be sure.
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If you like this recipe why not take a look at our other chia pudding recipes
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Strawberry Chia Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- 1 bowl
- 1 small saucepan
- measuring spoons
- 1 spoon for stirring
- 1 small whisk optional – for stirring the chia seeds into the milk –
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut milk reduced fat from a tin
- 8 tablespoons chia seeds white or black seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Strawberry Compote
- 3 cups strawberries fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional – used to adjust the sweetness of the strawberries if the fruit needs it
Instructions
- Measure the milk into a suitable container. Add the chia seeds, vanilla extract, and maple syrup and give everything a good stir.
- Leave this to stand for a few minutes (5 minutes works well) and then give it another good stir with a small whisk or spoon. Break up any clumps of chia seeds that may have formed. (They love to clump up.)
- Once everything is thoroughly combined place the bowl in the fridge. The pudding will thicken up after an hour when it will be ready to eat. Leave it for longer and even overnight for a thicker pudding.
Making the Strawberry Compote
- If you're using fresh strawberries, clean them and remove any stalks and hulls from the fruit and place in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water. If you're using frozen strawberries just add them to the saucepan with a tablespoon of water.
- Cook them over a low to medium heat until the berries begin to breakdown. Press them with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to break them up a little.
- Cook them like this for about 8 minutes. the fruit should then have been reduced to a pulpy sauce. Try a little of the sauce and decide if it is sweet enough as it is. (Be careful as this will be quite warm) If it needs a little more sweetness then add a little maple syrup, begin with a teaspoon and taste again. Continue like this until it suits your personal taste but strawberries are usually sweet enough without the addition of any extra sweetness.
- Allow the compote to cool and then pour into a bowl which you can then store in the fridge until needed.
Notes
Storing your Chia Pudding
Chia Seed Pudding is milk-based so it will be quite happy in the fridge for up to 4 days. (If you’re using different milk from tinned coconut milk, then bear in mind the expiry dates on the milk you have used.) Store it in a covered container. Chia Pudding will probably thicken up a little more after a day or so. If this is too thick for you then thin it slightly with a little more milk before combining with the strawberry compote. Strawberry Compote – once this has cooled store it in a suitable container in the fridge for up to 3 days.Nutrition
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Hi – I’m really pleased that you said hello 🙂 Chia Puddings really are awesome and good for you too. Thank you for the encouragement.