This easy low carb vanilla chia seed pudding takes just a few minutes to prepare and only needs 10 minutes to set. Just 4 basic ingredients!
Keto Chia Seed Pudding
Here's a dairy free sugar free creamy chia pudding snack that has 14 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein! Not bad right?
It's perfect when you have a milk intolerance, lactose intolerance or dairy allergy and can't do regular milk puddings!
And who doesn't want more fiber and protein when it comes to snacking? Yes please! You can enjoy this chia pudding on a low-carb diet and keto diet with just 3 g net carbs.
Easy to make when you are in meal prep mode so you have a snack at the ready during a busy week.
And who doesn't want more fiber and protein when it comes to snacking? Yes please!
What are Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds are a little healthy seed that have a gel-like consistency and actually gel up nicely when mixed with a little bit of liquid.
These tiny little seeds are great substitutes for eggs in recipes as well. They keep things nice and moist in baked keto goods and are perfect for a quick snack like this regular pudding.
Carbs in Chia Seeds
According to the app, Cronometer, in just 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, there are 8.4 grams of carbs, 3.3 grams of protein, 6.1 grams of fat, and 6.9 grams of dietary fiber.
As a Nutritional Therapy practitioner, I learned all about a nutrient dense diet. There are so many health benefits of chia seeds because of all the wonderful vitamins and minerals they have.
Again, looking at Cronometer for just 2 tablespoons, chia seeds are a great source of fiber and very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, very high in Vitamin K, high amount of iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium, which helps support a healthy thyroid.
Chia seeds can be enjoyed on a ketogenic diet as long as you are cautious of the amount used per serving.
Most people who follow a keto diet only have about 20-30 total carbs a day, so considering that amount, this chia seed pudding can be enjoyed occasionally if you're doing total carbs per day.
If you're following net carbs and not total carbs in which you subtract the dietary fiber, this recipe has 3 grams of net carbs. But either way, following total carbs or net carbs, this tiny seeds include healthy fats so this recipe will be satiating and won't spike your blood sugar.
The recipe card below has all the nutritional information and is also a printable recipe.
Low Carb Chia Seed Pudding
I've made this delicious chia seed pudding recipe a few times and each time I changed the amount of chia and how much liquid because I wanted a thick consistency and I wanted it to set up quickly.
I didn't want a recipe for a snack that needed a couple of hours to set up in the fridge or overnight. I mean when you are wanting a snack, who wants to wait that long right?
I've linked my chocolate almond chia pudding below and that's a great recipe but not as thick as this one. I will be adapting it soon but it sure is chocolatey if that's what your looking for.
You're type of milk doesn't matter too much. If you don't want to use unsweetened almond milk as I did, you could use coconut milk, or cashew milk, to keep it dairy free.
You can use whatever non-dairy milk or dairy milk you like but the nutrition info is based on the unsweetened almond milk I used in this recipe. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk would also be delicious in this recipe.
Other Keto-Friendly Sweeteners
In many of my recipes the sweetener you prefer can be interchanged with the stevia. I prefer stevia and love the flavor of the vanilla liquid in this recipe.
You can use any sweetener of choice for this creamy pudding recipe or you may decide the natural sweetness in the milk you use is enough and no added sugar substitute is needed.
Once you combine the ingredients and give it a good stir, taste the creamy texture before you let it set in the fridge and decide if you want any sweetener at all.
If you're not a fan of using vanilla stevia as I used in this recipe, some other natural low carb sweeteners would be Allulose in liquid form, Monk Fruit liquid.
I would not recommend using a granulated low carb sweetener in this no bake chia pudding because it will cause it to be gritty and grainy in texture.
Can I use Maple Syrup?
Of course you can really use any sweetener you like but if you use maple syrup, you will increase the carbs in this recipe and you may spike your blood sugar causing cravings.
Use a very small amount, perhaps just one tablespoon in the entire recipe, taste and adjust as needed.
Keto Favorite Toppings
If you're enjoying this easy keto chia pudding recipe as an easy breakfast, you can add some fresh fruit, like raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.
You could enjoy this keto pudding like a dessert topped with sugar free whipped cream or keep it dairy free using this dairy free sugar free whipped cream using coconut milk.
Sugar free chocolate chips would be another great option if you are having this as a healthy snack to curb your sweet tooth.
More Chia Seed Pudding Recipes:
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership.
Low Carb Dairy Free Sugar Free Vanilla Chia Pudding
Dairy Free Sugar Free Vanilla Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ⅓ cup chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia*
- Optional: Dairy Free Whipped Cream
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together.
- Pour into serving glasses.
- Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.
- Top with some whipped cream if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Claire Amber
Thank you for these ideas! I've tried the frozen fruit method and honestly, I was not terribly keen on the flavor or consistency. Another thing that I wanted to propose is making ice cubes out of blended fruit. When you're ready to use them, you can quickly defrosting them in a bit of hot water (in a metal bowl, to prevent glass breakage), before mixing that with chia seeds, and whatever else you're going to use. I found this trick when I was looking for a way to make a leftover coconut milk last longer. I'm going to try blending up some just ripe bananas, tomorrow, and making ice cubes out of those, as well. I imagine that one banana cube would add enough sweetness, without overpowering the other flavors. The ice cube thing could be done with any blended fruit, really.
Steph
I dont care for almonds..Can I sustitute coconut milk in place of the almond?
Amy
This looks great! Do you know if ground chia will thicken up also? I have some of that I might try with...
Brenda
I'm sure it would.
Renee
any idea how much honey to sub for the stevia? I prefer to use raw honey to sweeten for my kids.
Brenda
You could just add a tablespoon then taste and adjust.
Kim Hurley
This was my first time trying anything with chai seeds and I really enjoyed it. I loved the texture, but the one thing I noticed was a slight alcohol taste from vanilla extract. Maybe I'm using too cheap a brand, but in the future I might try to cover that up with another layer of flavor, maybe add some fruit. Overall, it is a good recipe. I will definitely make it again.
Terri
Thank you Brenda for this recipe! This was so good! it is a nice healthy when I want something sweet!
Kay
This was so good and did the trick!! Thanks of much!!!
Brenda
I'm so happy you loved it!
Brenda
When I make this I blend it up in my magic bullet or blender to get it smoother. I can't stand it with the seeds whole and that tapioca feel. Just thought I would share that idea for those who might be like me. After blending it is yum.
Heather
This looks delish! However, I don't have vanilla stevia...will this work with stevia extract? Thanks so much!
Brenda
Sure, just use plain stevia and add some extra vanilla extract.
Ashley
This looks great! My husband is lactose intolerant and we have a new love for chia seeds. This looks great! 🙂
Ricki
I love me a good chia pudding! I recently tried it with coconut milk, and it's just divine. 🙂 So nice to see your name pop up on Wellness Weekend again--thanks so much for linking up this week! 😀
Heather @Gluten-Free Cat
Chia puddings are so delicious and healthy. Love them! I've never made a vanilla one. Would you like to share this at Raw Foods Thursdays?
http://www.glutenfreecat.com/2013/06/raw-foods-thursdays-62013/
We'd love to have you!!
Heather
Carole
Lovely work! Would you be happy to link it in to the current Food on Friday which is collecting snacks and treats? This is the link . I do hope to see you there. There are already quite a lot of links for you to check out. Cheers
NKunze
Can you tell me why my chia seeds might not gel like tapioca...they don't seem to swell enough to lose the crunch.
Brenda
I'm sorry I'm not sure, maybe it was the brand of chia seeds you purchased.
NKunze
Thanks...I'll check into that...what kind do you buy?
Nancy
I love using chia seeds...this pudding recipe is great. I do have a question, tho'...in the photo your seeds seem almost to swell to the point of looking like tapioca. Mine don't. They even stay kinda crunchy.. even after waiting a generous amount of time for the pudding to gel. Any ideas about this? I love tapioca pudding and hoped this would have that same consistency.
Brenda
There still will be some bite to them like raspberries but overall a smooth texture. I'm not sure but wondering if the brand of chia seeds makes a difference.
So There. by Amy
This looks great, I have been wanting to try chia seeds!
So, after they set and gel up, are the seeds still a bit crunchy, like a raspberry seed? Or do they soften quite a bit?
Thanks!
Brenda
Not crunchy, but smoother, more like tapioca I guess.
Kaitlyn Regts
Thank you for this!! My daughter and I are very excited to try this, as we are now on a dairy free diet!
Brenda
Thank you I hope you both like it!
Becki
Hi 🙂 I am very snackish right now (at 11pm yes) and I am waiting for this recipe to set in the fridge!! I didn't have vanilla extract or stevia..so I just threw in some vanilla flavoring (sad, I know) and vanilla almond milk.. it smells wonderful! Can't wait to try, thanks so much for the recipe!
Carolyn
I really haven't put chia seed to much use yet. I have a great grain-free breakfast cereal I like to make, but I really need to try this!
Brenda
It's really perfect for someone who has dairy allergies and I love it because it's quick and easy and full of fiber!
Barbara Ventura
Love Chia thank you for all your healthy recipes!
Brenda
Thanks Barbara!
Trish Ras
Hi
I am on the Atkins Diet and this pudding once you subtract the fiber grans leaves you zero carbs. I am hoping this taste as could as it looks. Thank you...