This 4-ingredient Vanilla Coconut Milk Chia Pudding is an easy breakfast, snack or dessert! You…
Warm Chia Pudding
Warm Chia Pudding is a bowl of healthy, cozy comfort. Think of it like oatmeal without the oats!
Chia seeds are combined with other seeds and ingredients to create a creamy pudding that’s great served warm or hot.
Plus there are so many ways you can customize it by mixing in or topping it with all sorts of good stuff. It’s great for meal prep, too!
And it’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan and Paleo.
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I’ll automatically receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
Warm Chia Pudding
Chia seeds are usually soaked in some kind of liquid like water or milk. After at least an hour, they’ll swell up to create a thick, pudding-like texture.
And while it’s normally enjoyed cold, you can also heat it up!
To do this, the seeds are still soaked overnight. But I also add flax seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for more flavor and texture. Plus I throw in chopped dried apricots to get their plump, chewy sweetness.
The mixture will get quite thick, so in the morning you add almond milk (or any milk you like) and unsweetened shredded coconut (this adds to the oatmeal-like texture) and simmer it for about 10 minutes.
Then you can add any of your favorite mix-ins, like maple syrup, cinnamon, cocoa powder and more.
And once you serve it into bowls, you can top it with fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chips and more.
See more ideas for mix-ins and toppings below.
And then you serve this chia pudding warm or hot.
There are a lot of ways to you could describe this:
- Chia seed porridge
- No oats oatmeal
- Paleo overnight oatmeal
But no matter how you think of warm chia seed pudding, you’ll find it’s so easy to make!
Plus it reheats and freezes well too. I like to double the recipe and freeze half for later. See below for details.
What you need
Ingredients:
- 1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (cream and water well-blended)
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup chia seeds (black or white)
- 1/4 cup flax seeds (black or golden)
- 2 tablespoons shelled sunflower seeds (raw or roasted & salted)
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (a.k.a. pepitas)
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (preferably unsulphured)
- 1.5 cups unsweetened plain almond milk (or any milk you prefer)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment:
- a large mixing bowl
- a whisk
- a container for chilling in the fridge
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- a measuring glass
- a cutting board
- a chef’s knife
- a wooden or heat-proof spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- a medium saucepan
How to make Warm Chia Pudding
In a large bowl, whisk the coconut milk, water and chia seeds.
Stir in the flax seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
Then stir in the dried apricots.
Store this mixture in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Add the mixture to a medium saucepan (it will be thick and the coconut cream might have risen to the top).
Add the almond milk and place over medium high heat. When it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and stir everything together.
Add the shredded coconut, maple syrup (if using) and salt.
Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure the seeds don’t stick to the bottom of the pan (if they do, just use the spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to release them).
Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and any other mix-ins (see ideas below) and scoop into bowls.
Add your favorite toppings and dig in!
FAQs
Can I make substitutions?
- You can use any kind of milk in place of the coconut and almond milk. But different types of milk could give the pudding a different texture, making it thicker or runnier.
- You can use other dried fruit in place of the apricots, such as cranberries, cherries or mango. I’ve tried this with raisins and wouldn’t recommend it. They kind of disappeared and didn’t add much flavor or texture.
- You can use honey or date paste in place of the maple syrup.
- If you don’t have sunflower seeds you can double the amount of pumpkin seeds (and vice versa).
What can I mix into warm chia pudding?
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder or cacao powder
- you could then also add 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder for a mocha-style pudding
- lemon or orange zest
- For a warm masala chai pudding, add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (don’t skip the pepper if using turmeric)
- For warm pumpkin chia pudding, stir 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree into the mixture with the maple syrup, shredded coconut and salt. Then add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger, plus a pinch of ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
What can I add on top of the warm chia pudding?
- Chopped nuts
- More seeds, such as sunflower or pumpkin
- Cacao nibs
- Fresh fruit, such as berries, cherries, chopped peaches or apples, or sliced bananas
- Any kind of nut butter
- Melted chocolate (dairy-free if necessary, such as brands like Enjoy Life! or Hu)
Can I make warm chia pudding ahead of time?
Yep! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a small or medium saucepan over lower heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
Can I freeze warm chia pudding?
Yep! Let cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container or baggie in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a small or medium saucepan over lower heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
Can you cook chia seeds?
Yep! After they’ve soaked in liquid, cooking the chia seed mixture will create a warm, creamy, pudding-like texture.
If the cooked chia pudding is too thick, add more liquid. If it’s too runny, simmer the pudding until it’s reduced and thickened to your liking.
Other recipes you might like:
- Vanilla Coconut Chia Pudding
- Matcha Chia Pudding
- Sweet Potato Smoothie Bowl
- Banana Berry Protein Smoothie
Warm Chia Pudding
This easy Warm Chia Pudding is a bowl of healthy, cozy comfort. Soaking the chia seeds makes them swell and create a thick, pudding-like texture. Heating it up makes this like a bowl of oatmeal without the oats! Plus it's naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan and Paleo.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (cream and water well-blended)
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup chia seeds (black or white)
- ¼ cup flax seeds (black or golden)
- 2 tablespoons shelled sunflower seeds (raw or roasted & salted)
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (a.k.a. pepitas)
- ½ cup chopped dried apricots (preferably unsulphured)
- 1½ cups plain unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the coconut milk, water and chia seeds.
- Stir in the flax seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, then stir in the dried apricots. Store this mixture in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
- Add the mixture to a medium saucepan (it will be thick and the coconut cream might rise to the top).
- Stir in the almond milk and place over medium high heat. When it comes to a simmer, stir in the shredded coconut, maple syrup (if using) and salt.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure the seeds don't stick to the bottom of the pan (if they do, just use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to release them).
- Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and any other mix-ins (see ideas below) and scoop into bowls. Add your favorite toppings and dig in!
Notes
This recipe is adapted from Gregory Gourdet's recipe in Everyone's Table.
Substitutions
- You can use any kind of milk in place of the coconut and almond milk. But different types of milk could give the pudding a different texture, making it thicker or runnier.
- You can use other dried fruit in place of the apricots, such as cranberries, cherries or mango. I've tried this with raisins and wouldn't recommend it. They kind of disappeared and didn't add much flavor or texture.
- You can use honey or date paste in place of the maple syrup.
- If you don't have sunflower seeds you can double the amount of pumpkin seeds (and vice versa).
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder or cacao powder
- you could then also add 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder for a mocha-style pudding
- lemon or orange zest
- For a warm masala chai pudding, add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (don't skip the pepper if using turmeric)
- For warm pumpkin chia pudding, stir 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree into the mixture with the coconut, maple syrup and salt. Then add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger, plus a pinch of ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
- Chopped nuts
- More seeds, such as sunflower or pumpkin
- Cacao nibs
- Fresh fruit, such as berries, cherries, chopped peaches or apples, or sliced bananas
- Any kind of nut butter
- Melted chocolate (dairy-free if necessary, such as brands like Enjoy Life! or Hu)
