A refreshing lemon vanilla chia pudding is maybe just what you're craving. And if so... you're in luck because it's so simple to make. 5 ingredients and just 5 minutes are really all you need.
Quick and simple to make
Full of refreshing lemon flavour
Perfect for meal prep
And thriftier when made at home!
What Is Chia Pudding
Chia pudding is typically made by combining chia seeds with milk (plant milk for a dairy-free version). When the chia seeds are introduced to a liquid they swell in size and form a gelatinous coating. That gelatinous coating thickens the chia and plant milk mixture into a pudding-like texture.
You can get creative with this quick pudding option and flavour chia pudding however you'd like. You can sweeten it very simply as I do for my super simple chia pudding recipe. For that version I love to add a fruit sauce and/or chopped fresh fruit to the top. If you're a peanut butter lover then my peanut butter chia pudding is for you.
I even blend up the chia seeds for my chocolate chia pudding to make a more nutritious version of a chocolate pudding cup.
Ingredients For Lemon Vanilla Chia Pudding
If chia seeds are a new ingredient for you then take a quick look at this Harvard Health article on Chia Seed Benefits. They have been a staple in our pantry for years and we incorporate them into our oatmeals, snacks, pancakes and more!
For this lemon vanilla chia pudding I use:
- Chia seeds
- Plant milk (you can use water but the pudding will be less creamy and flavourful)
- Lemon (juice and zest)
- Vanilla extract
- Maple syrup (alternatively, use chopped dates or another liquid sweetener)
- And optionally... toasted coconut flakes make a delicious addition
How To Make Lemon Vanilla Chia Pudding
Chia pudding is incredibly simple to make and no fancy equipment is needed.
Simply whisk the chia seeds and plant milk together. The seeds will want to clump together as soon as a liquid is introduced so make sure to stir right away. I find a whisk or a fork to be better at dispersing the seeds than a spoon.
Zest your lemon and reserve that zest. Squeeze the lemon juice into the chia pudding and stir. Feel free to start with just half the lemon if you suspect it might be too tart for you. I like to reserve some of the zest to garnish the puddings but you can stir it into the pudding if you'd like.
Finally, stir in the vanilla extract, maple syrup, and the toasted coconut if using.
Refrigerate the pudding for 10 - 15 minutes to allow it to thicken even more. Give it a stir to make sure none of the seeds have clumped and then portion into individual servings if desired. I like to make 4 portions using 4 oz jam jars and these puddings keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Cost
Lemons are a pricier ingredient for us in Canada costing us about $1 Canadian per lemon. If you live in a location where lemons are grown locally then this could certainly be a thriftier recipe for you!
This lemon vanilla chia pudding recipe costs us approximately $3.30 Canadian using chia seeds purchased from our wholesale store. I find the best price for chia seeds at my wholesale store but looking for sales at your local grocery store OR your bulk store can bring down your cost.
Chia seeds last for quite awhile and a handy tip is to store them in the fridge for an even longer shelf life!
Adding the toasted coconut adds about 20 cents to my cost and making this recipe with chia seeds from my local grocery store brings my cost just over $4. This recipe does make 3-4 portions though and just one portion of a chia pudding from a cafe would cost me more than this whole homemade batch!
Let me know in the comments if you try this lemon vanilla chia pudding and what your favourite flavour combinations are!
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Lemon & Vanilla Chia Pudding (Dairy-Free)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 600 g 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A refreshing lemon vanilla chia pudding recipe! Just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes is really all you need to make this delicious snack!
Ingredients
- ½ cup chia seeds (80 g)
- 1 ¾ cups plant milk
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced*
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 - 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup (alternatively, chopped dates or another liquid sweetener of choice)
- 3 tbsp toasted coconut flakes, optional
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
*You can use water in place of the plant milk. The pudding just won’t have as much flavour and won’t have a creamy texture.
- Add the chia seeds to a medium sized bowl and pour in the plant milk. Quickly use a whisk or fork to disperse the seeds right away. The seeds will want to clump immediately so make sure to not let them sit in the milk without stirring.
- Zest your lemon, reserve the zest, and squeeze the lemon juice into the chia pudding, stirring right away to incorporate it. *Feel free to start with half the lemon juice if you suspect it might be too tart for your liking. I like to reserve some zest for garnishing individual portions but you can add half or all of it into the pudding if desired.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and any sweetener you desire to balance out the tang from the lemon juice. A liquid sweetener makes for a very quick preparation but feel free to chop up 2-3 pitted dates and disperse them through the pudding for little morsels of sweetness. *If your plant milk is already sweetened you may find that you don’t need much (or any) sweetener.
- Finally, stir in the toasted coconut if using (reserving a little bit to garnish).
- Allow the pudding to sit and thicken in the fridge for 10 - 15 minutes. Give it another stir to disperse any chia seeds that may have clumped. Enjoy right away or portion into individual servings and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Garnish individual portions with any reserved lemon zest, toasted coconut, or even toasted almonds.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $3.30 Canadian using chia seeds from my wholesale store. $4.10 using chia seeds from my local grocery store. Adding the optional toasted coconut adds 20 cents to my cost and lemons are a little pricey for me at about $1 each. I portion this recipe into four 150 gram servings. Just one chia pudding cup from a cafe would cost me between $4.99-$6.99 so making this at home is still really cost effective.
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Debbi
this is a 5 star plus recipe ! a keeper recipe for us because it was so tasty and beautiful enough to serve for guests .. we put raspberries on it with the lemon and coconut. I made all of the recipes but this one was our favorite one. Thank You !
Kathryn Alexandre
Raspberries are such a great addition to this one! I'm thrilled you loved it! Thank you so much for trying it and for letting us know it was your favourite flavour!
Rose
This is my favorite recipe! I was wondering if using whole milk would be ok too. Will the lemon make it curdle? Thank you for sharing.
Kathryn Alexandre
This is so great to hear! I'm glad you love it! I actually tried this recipe with soy milk because soy tends to curdle really easily and I didn't find that it curdled for me. Hopefully the whole milk would be ok too. I think adding the lemon in last might help to limit the curdling. If the milk already has the chia seeds and some sweetener added to it, then stirring the lemon juice through slowly at the end will hopefully prevent it from curdling. I'm sorry I can't be sure but if you feel brave and give it a try, let me know how it works out for you!