chia seed recipes
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22 Fun Chia Seed Recipes To Get This Superfood Into Your Diet

Chia seeds are tiny edible seeds that are rich in antioxidants, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. They have a crunchy, dry texture that becomes soft — kind of like tapioca pearls — in their gelatinous form. Chia seeds offer a range of health benefits and can be especially helpful for improving digestion and heart health.

Want to get more of these tiny specks of nutrition into your diet? Here’s a list of 22 of the best chia seed recipes to help you whip up some unique, healthy, and delicious dishes.

1. Amaretto Peaches & Cream Chia Pudding Trifle

This boozy treat has layers upon layers of deliciousness — creamy chia pudding topped with sweet amaretto-marinated peaches, followed by light and fluffy honey-flavored whipped cream, with a garnish of crunchy crushed amaretti cookies and a drizzle of rich caramel sauce. Yum! It gives an elegant makeover to the humble chia pudding and can even be made alcohol-free.

2. Apple Pie Chia Pudding

This breakfast pudding is perfect for busy weekdays! It’s filled to the brim with essential nutrients and needs just 10 minutes to come together. You can make this fall-themed recipe with gelatinous chia seeds, apple sauce, non-dairy milk, and apple pie spice, and sweeten it with maple syrup to please your taste buds.

3. Banana and Chia Seed Muffins

These muffins are made with nutritious chia seeds, sweet raisins, and delicious bananas. The recipe also swaps butter in favor of olive oil for better health benefits. The mixture is thick, so stir it well to combine, then use an ice-cream scoop to transfer the batter into the pan, and bake. And there you have it — your perfect breakfast muffin!

4. Chai Latte Chia Pudding

This recipe combines chai with chia pudding to create an altogether new dish — one that will have you craving more! This fall-flavored dish features aromatic, warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg combined with cashews, chia seeds, and maple syrup. The result is a thick, delicious pudding that’s healthy and filling enough for breakfast yet light enough for a quick snack or dessert.

5. Chia Pudding with Granola and Berries

Tired of eating avocado toast for breakfast? Switch it up with creamy chia pudding spruced up with crunchy granola and juicy berries. Just combine chia seeds with coconut milk and agave, and let it rest until the right consistency is achieved. You can then top it with granola and berries of your choice or any of your favorite toppings to put a hearty, healthy dish on the table.

6. Coconut Chia Berry Granola Parfait

Colorful and delicious, this healthy parfait is an easy breakfast or snack recipe that you can make the previous night and have a tasty treat awaiting in the morning. It has creamy chia pudding, crunchy spiced granola, and a delicious berry smoothie. You can serve it drizzled with honey and topped with dry coconut flakes for extra crunch.

7. Cucumber Lime and Chia Fresca

Make this light and refreshing Fresca with fresh cucumbers, freshly-squeezed lime juice, and chia seeds. It’s perfect for hydration and bursting with unique flavors. You can also mix in some syrup or honey for sweetness. Swap your lemonade for this healthy beverage to cool yourself down on hot summer days.

8. Easy 4-Ingredient Chia Pudding

You really can’t have too many pudding recipes, and this one uses just four ingredients — chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. It’s delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with your favorite toppings. It will keep you satiated and get you through long office hours without hunger pangs. It’s also meal-prep friendly, perfect for make-ahead meals for hectic weeknights.

9. Easy Overnight Chia Seed Breakfast Bowl

This overnight breakfast bowl is anything but basic. It has gelatinous superfood chia seed pudding served with muddled berries (or your favorite fruits) to infuse every mouthful with an extra layer of flavor. The addition of hemp hearts and dried shredded coconuts also gives it a nice crunch. It’s a protein-rich meal that keeps well in the fridge for several days and is easy to eat on the go.

10. Fruity Chia Seed Smoothie

Start your day with this thick and frosty superfood smoothie, and you’ll have enough energy to power you through the day. It uses chia seeds, plant milk, and bananas, along with an assortment of frozen fruits, to produce an appetizing treat. The tropical smoothie is adaptable, so you can easily customize it to complement your taste and dietary requirements.

11. Homemade Chia Seed Whole Wheat Bread

How do you make bread healthy? With the addition of nutritious chia seeds! This fluffy, slightly sweet whole wheat bread is baked with nutritious ingredients like chia seeds, rolled oats, honey, and other regular bread ingredients to produce a rustic, soft bread with amazing nutritional content. Use it for breakfast sandwiches and serve with hot soups or stews!

12. Mango Chia Pudding

This creamy four-ingredient pudding calls for adding pureed mango to a bowl with chia seeds, coconut milk, and maple syrup and whisking until you achieve a smooth consistency. Next, fold in mango chunks, mix well, and place the pudding in the fridge to allow it to set. Top it off with fresher mango chunks, and dig in!

13. Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl

A vibrant smoothie bowl, this breakfast meal tastes as good as it looks. It uses chia seeds and a colorful mix of berries to produce a dish with complimentary flavors and textures — giving your taste buds the experience of a lifetime. You can serve it with a variety of your favorite toppings. We suggest adding some chopped nuts for a lovely crunch in each bite!

14. Overnight Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

This creamy, dreamy chia seed pudding is one dessert you won’t feel guilty about. It’s healthy, has the most amazing flavors and textures, and is made with just six ingredients. It’s also super versatile, so you can tweak it to complement your dietary requirements. The pudding also lasts for a few days in the fridge, making it meal-prep-friendly.

15. Pumpkin Seed + Coconut + Apricot Granola

This delicious granola is all you need to elevate your breakfast this fall! It is made with an assortment of our favorites — pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, dried apricots, dark chocolate, and oats. It makes the perfect go-to snack that you can take with you to the office or the gym for a quick and healthy energy boost.

16. Strawberry Chia and Quinoa Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which is why you need this recipe in your arsenal. It’s made with chia seeds, quinoa, fruits, non-dairy milk, and coconut sugar and is loaded with nutrients. It’s vegan and gluten-free and has the most amazing flavors and textures. Serve it with fresh strawberries and shredded coconut on top.

17. 10-Minute Chia Seed Jam

This 10-minute chia seed jam is quick and easy to make. All you need is your choice of juicy fruits like peaches, berries, cherries, or plums combined with chia seeds, lemon juice, and honey. Once cooked, you can eat it warm or freeze it for up to 3 months.

18. The Best Vegan Belgian Waffle

Light and fluffy on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside, these vegan waffles make the perfect breakfast dish. The chia seeds act as a binding agent for the batter while also delivering some incredible health benefits. Serve these waffles with a dusting of sugar and your favorite toppings to enjoy exquisite flavors in every bite.

19. Vanilla Chia Seed Protein Smoothie

This recipe calls for blending cacao butter, coconut milk, protein powder, coconut oil, vanilla extract, ginger, chia seeds, ice cubes, and monk fruit sweetener with almond milk. This protein-rich treat will give you all the energy you need to lift heavy at the gym. If your protein shake is too thick, add a splash of milk to alter its consistency.

20. Vegan Chia Seed Pancakes

Light, fluffy, and mouthwateringly delicious, these vegan chia seed pancakes with just a few basic ingredients. You can serve them hot with berry compote, chia seed jam, or sautéed apples, or go for the classic combination of butter, banana slices, and maple syrup — the possibilities are truly endless.

21. Vegan Strawberry Chia Seed Popsicles

Need to cool down on hot summer afternoons? This healthy popsicle recipe delivers vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free popsicles that don’t hold back on the flavor! The cool, refreshing treat is made with just three ingredients — strawberries, maple syrup, and chia seeds — in a blender. It also keeps well for 1-2 weeks in the fridge, so you can enjoy it for longer.

22. Walnut Chia Spelt Bread

This bread is the epitome of nutritious and will seamlessly integrate into your healthy diet. It’s made with chia seeds, spelt flour, and walnuts, along with regular bread-making ingredients like fresh yeast and molasses. Serve fresh off the oven with a dollop of butter, or use it to make your favorite sandwiches!

AboutRibana Hategan

Ribana is a certified pastry chef and passionate home cook who curates and develops recipes that are high on nutrition. She develops and tests cost effective, nutritious meals using quality ingredients to help people better their everyday eating experiences.