Protein Chia Pudding
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Published Apr 10, 2023, Updated Jan 30, 2025
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This protein chia pudding packs in about 20 grams of protein and has only 3 grams of sugar per serving. It’s so easy to whip up and is the perfect healthy breakfast or snack to meal prep for the week.
I’m always looking for easy ways to increase the amount of protein in my diet so one day I added vanilla protein powder to my chia seed pudding recipe and the end result was this protein chia pudding!
Just like all of my chia pudding recipes this one is super easy to whip up and perfect for meal prep, but it’s packed with about 20 grams of protein to keep you full and satisfied longer!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super easy to whip up and requires only 4 main ingredients.
- Packed with 19 grams of protein.
- Great for meal prep!
- Perfect for breakfast or a post-workout snack.
Ingredients Needed
- vanilla protein powder – I used Nuzest vanilla protein powder for this recipe. It’s a vegan protein powder that has simple ingredients and tastes great! Use code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order!
- almond milk – I like to use unsweetened almond milk, but feel free to use another non-dairy milk like oat milk, cashew milk or coconut milk for a creamier texture! You can also use dairy milk if that’s what you prefer.
- chia seeds – both black and white chia seeds work for this recipe. Make sure your chia seeds are fresh or they may not absorb the liquid as well and your chia pudding won’t turn out. My favorite brands of chia seeds are Navitas and Bob’s Red Mill.
- maple syrup – my personal favorite for this recipe, but you could also use honey, agave or any sugar substitutes like stevia or monk fruit for a low sugar option.
- Greek yogurt – for a creamy and delicious optional topping with an addition boost of protein. I prefer full fat whole milk Greek yogurt, but feel free to use your favorite variety of yogurt!
- toppings – feel free to get creative here, but my go-to toppings are fresh berries, granola and nut butter.
How to Make
In a bowl or mason jar, whisk together almond milk and protein powder until protein powder has dissolved. If you’re using a mason jar, you can put the lid on and shake the mixture to combine.
Add chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir or shake mixture until well combined. Once the chia pudding mixture is well combined, let it sit for 5 minutes, give it another stir/shake to break up any clumps of chia seeds.
Cover and put the mixture in the fridge to “set” for 1-2 hours or overnight. The chia pudding should be nice and thick, not liquidy.
When ready to serve, portion chia pudding into two glasses with layers of granola, if desired. Top with ¼ cup Greek yogurt each, fresh berries, additional granola and nut butter or toppings of choice.
Why Add Protein?
Chia seeds already contain a bit of protein, but adding protein powder takes chia pudding to the next level. Plus, there are so many delicious protein powder flavors out there (like strawberry, chocolate, cookies and cream, etc.) so you can turn your chia pudding into a flavorful treat.
And let’s not forget about the satisfaction factor. Protein can help to keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer, which means you won’t be reaching for the snacks by mid-morning.
Chia Pudding Topping Ideas
Once the chia pudding has set, you’re ready for the best part… the toppings! The base recipe definitely makes a difference, but the toppings are where it’s at. Here are my go-to toppings:
- Fresh berries: Add a pop of color and flavor to your chia pudding with a handful of fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.
- Other fruit: Don’t stop with berries! Add any other fruit you like to the top of your chia pudding. I love adding sliced bananas, peaches or mangos but any fruit works!
- Nut butter: Drizzle some creamy nut butter like almond butter, peanut butter or cashew butter on top of your chia pudding for a deliciously rich and satisfying taste. Use tahini or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
- Granola: I love topping this chia pudding with granola and also layering granola in between the pudding so I get some crunch with every bite! Try my hemp granola for something new and different.
- Other toppings: Shredded coconut, cacao powder, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, seeds and/or spices like cinnamon are all great options!
Chia Seed Troubleshooting Tips
If you’re having trouble getting your protein chia pudding to set or turn out correctly, there could be something going wrong. Here are a couple of tips that might help!
- Check your seeds – like I mentioned above, older chia seeds might not absorb liquid as well so make sure you have fresh seeds! You can also try switching brands… I’ve heard complaints from several people that Trader Joe’s chia seeds don’t absorb as much as other brands.
- Stir before letting sit – Before you place your chia pudding in the refrigerator to set up, make sure you give it a good stir! I like to stir initially and then a second time about 5-10 minutes in. This breaks up any clumps of seeds or protein powder and makes sure all of the seeds aren’t resting on the bottom with the liquid on top!
- Add more seeds – If your chia pudding isn’t thick enough, you can add more chia seeds and let it sit a bit longer!
- Add more milk – Some brands of chia seeds absorb more liquid than others so depending on the brand you use you might need to add a bit more liquid to your pudding if it’s too thick.
- Try different milk – If you want a thicker chia pudding, try thicker milk! Full-fat canned coconut milk results in an ultra thick and creamy pudding.
- Don’t like the texture? Try blending it in a high-powered blender! Once blended the mixture will be smooth and creamy like traditional pudding. I do this with my chocolate chia mousse and it’s amazing!
How to Store
Chia pudding is an awesome meal-prep option because it can be stored for up to 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to make and store chia pudding in 16-ounce wide-mouth mason jars. Make a batch on Sunday to have in the fridge for a quick breakfast, healthy snack or even dessert throughout the week.
What’s the Best Container for Chia Pudding?
I make my chia pudding in Ball 16-ounce mason jars because they are just the right size for two servings, and the wide mouth opening makes it easy to mix and eat right out of the jar. Plus, mason jars can be used for everything! I use them for storing homemade salad dressings, pickling onions, and so much more. You can get a 12-pack for around $15. For smaller portions, I also like Weck jars, but they are more expensive, with a cost of about $30 for six.
Everything You Need to Make Protein Chia Pudding
Wide Mouth Pint 16-Ounce Glass Mason Jar with Lids
Buy Now →
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Navitas Organics Chia Seeds (8oz)
Buy Now →More Chia Pudding Recipes
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More Protein Packed Recipes
Be sure to check out all the chia pudding recipes as well 30+ high protein snack ideas!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Protein Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 scoop (25 grams) vanilla protein powder
- 1 ¼-½ cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk, plus more as needed
- 4 Tablespoons chia seeds
- ½ Tablespoon maple syrup, honey or sweetener of choice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt)
- Granola, for topping
- Toppings: fresh berries, granola and nut butter.
Instructions
- In a bowl or mason jar, whisk together almond milk and protein powder until protein powder has dissolved. If you’re using a mason jar, you can put the lid on and shake the mixture to combine.
- Add chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir or shake mixture until well combined. Once the chia pudding mixture is well combined, let it sit for 5 minutes, give it another stir/shake to break up any clumps of chia seeds.
- Cover and put the mixture in the fridge to “set” for 1-2 hours or overnight. The chia pudding should be nice and thick, not liquidy.
- When ready to serve, portion chia pudding into two glasses with layers of granola, if desired. Top with ¼ cup Greek yogurt each, fresh berries, additional granola and nut butter or toppings of choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment
- Mason Jar (My favorite for storing chia seed pudding)
Does the calorie content include the Greek yogurt or is that considered a topping? Love this recipe btw.
Hey Debs! The calorie count does include the Greek yogurt. So glad you’re loving this one.
This has turned out so liquidy for me twice now. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Oh no, so sorry to hear that! What type of protein powder did you use? Was it whey protein powder? This recipe was developed with plant-based protein powder and whey protein soaks up way less liquid than plant-based protein powders which would result in a more liquidy chia pudding because you’d need to use less liquid. Let me know!
Comes out liquidy – too
Much almond milk to chia seed ratio
Oh no, so sorry to hear that! What type of protein powder did you use? Was it whey protein powder? This recipe was developed with plant-based protein powder and whey protein soaks up way less liquid than plant-based protein powders which would result in a more liquidy chia pudding because you’d need to use less liquid. Let me know!
Yes actually I did use whey protein. Should I add more? Or more chia?
Hi Lexi – That’s definitely the issue your pudding wasn’t thick. I haven’t tested this with whey protein, so I’m not exactly sure, but you would definitely need less milk since the whey protein powder doesn’t soak up as much liquid as plant-based protein powder.