I have to admit that I haven’t always been so sure about chia pudding. I have seen recipes for it floating around the internet for years but never took the plunge until recently.
It happened on the last day of a vacation in Vegas, following a few days of eating too many burgers and slices of pizza. I was craving something a little lighter – and after perusing the brunch menu at Giada’s restaurant, the chia pudding parfait seemed like the perfect fit. Out came a beautifully layered parfait of chia pudding, raspberry sauce, and Greek yogurt, topped with fresh raspberries and Marcona almonds. That was the day I became a chia pudding convert and never looked back.
Once arriving home, it was vacation food re-creation time. Luckily, Giada’s recipe was published online, providing the perfect starting point. After a few trials and tweaks, I finally settled on this version as my favorite.
One of the tastiest changes I made was switching out the vanilla almond milk for this vanilla almond COCONUT milk.
It gives the chia pudding just a subtle coconut flavor without being overwhelming, still providing the perfect canvas to highlight your favorite fruits and toppings.
If you’re feeling fancy, you can make a quick fruit compote and go the over-the-top parfait route. For a more casual version, I love it as pictured, with berries and toasted almonds. It’s also really delicious with a ripe, juicy peach. And when I have a batch of Honey Almond Granola in the cupboard, you better believe it’s making an appearance.
The recipe that follows makes six servings, perfect for portioning into individual serving containers for a week of quick breakfasts. Add these ingredients to your weekend shopping list and make up a batch of this chia pudding Sunday night – your weekday mornings will thank you!
Coconut Chia Pudding
Prep Time: 5 mins- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 6
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Light, healthy, creamy chia pudding with a touch of coconut flavor. Naturally sweetened and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 2 cups 2% plain Greek yogurt (I love Fage)
- 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Coconut milk
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Mix the chia pudding. In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt and milk. Add the chia seeds and maple syrup and whisk until completely combined.
- Refrigerate. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. To make breakfast you can take to go, portion into smaller containers prior to refrigerating.
- Top. The next morning, add toppings and enjoy!
Notes
The pudding seems to gel even better if I stir it a bit in the morning and let it rest in the fridge while I prepare the toppings.
For more coconut flavor, try swapping out some of the plain Greek yogurt for coconut flavored. You may want to decrease the maple syrup to account for the added sugar in the coconut yogurt.
