Chia Pudding + How I Came to Love it 9 Years Late

Gosh It’s Gooey & Delicious Chia Pudding
*makes 6 servings that are 1/3 of a cup

Chia Pudding had its day in 2016 — well — from what I remember. I was getting my certification in Integrative Health Coaching and not only were these power seeds talked about in my health education courses, but every where I looked on health blogs and the internet — there they were. Some folks were putting them in water and drinking them, with an aim to promote better digestion and weight loss — while other bloggers were turning them into a sweet treat like pudding.

Now, while chia seeds do have tremendous health benefits that we latched onto here in the U.S. — and made a trend of — Mayan and Aztec cultures had been consuming them for centuries. High in protein and fiber they are considered a powerful food to sustain energy and satiety with the ability to keep a person fuller longer and promote heart health (due to their high fiber content).

When chia seed chatter was on the rise I went out and bought many rounds of pudding that I did not enjoy. Gelatinous, liquidy, grainy and tasteless — covered with fruit, nuts and gobs of honey I could not see the point of continuing to try and eat it for “health” reasons. I purchased chia seeds to put on yogurt parfaits and to add into smoothies, but I couldn’t do it. I don’t like forcing myself to enjoy food I don’t truly enjoy.

Fast forward to this summer of 2025 where I experimented with making my FIRST EVER BATCH OF CHIA PUDDING — well — I can’t get enough. Homemade food really is better. It took me 9 YEARS to come around to buying chia seeds, again, and making the pudding myself. The problem in the past … the pudding was always too thin, almost just slimy, and tasted nothing like pudding to me. What I discovered in making it on my own is that adding MORE chia seeds would really up the ante on that thick, beautiful, soft and supple pudding like spooning into a big, deep, dessert dish.

For my first foray into this world I kept it simple, vowing to add fruit afterwards, but since, I’ve added cocoa powder, sea salt, lil baby chocolate chips and strawberries, blueberries, crushed walnuts and more — upon serving.

The lesson? Keep trying something even when you may not like it — you’ll likely eventually come around. And try making it yourself. Get in the kitchen and play with ingredients for your health and well being — not because it’s a trend or promises weight loss — but because you deserve time and to try doing new things even if they were popular 9 years ago. We’re all on our own journey and timeline. Enjoy the experimenting along the way.

Gosh It’s Gooey & Delicious Chia Pudding
*makes 6 servings that are 1/3 of a cup

Ingredients
2 cups of dairy milk or non-dairy milk alternative; I used Califia Farms Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk — so I cannot speak to how this puddin’ would come out with dairy milk
8 tablespoons of chia seeds
2 tablespoons of high quality vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons of honey, depending upon your sweet tooth

Instructions
—Pour milk into a medium sized glass bowl
—Add chia seeds, vanilla extract and honey
—Whisk until all ingredients are combined and the chia seeds are separated and not clumped together; as you’re mixing you may already notice that a pudding is forming because of the higher ratio of chia seeds
—Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour and then give it another mix with a spoon or spatula
—Allow the chia pudding to set for another 2 hours or, even, overnight
—Serve chilled and topped with fruit and nuts of choice