If you love pumpkin pie, this one is for you. This Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding tastes like pumpkin pie in a jar! It’s both vegan and gluten free and only requires 6 simple ingredients and just 5 minutes of prep time. Highly recommend topping with vegan coconut whip, additional pumpkin pie spice, and a cinnamon stick!
Growing up I didn’t usually go for the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. I was much more of an apple pie girl. But as I get older, I am starting to gain an understanding an appreciation for pumpkin pie and pumpkin spiced things in general!
Have you seen my Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte? Drinking them this time of year is something I truly look forward to!
The Idea Behind This Recipe
Originally when I started brainstorming my plans for this recipe I had intended for it to be a breakfast recipe. I really love overnight steel cut oats (recipes coming soon!) and thought why not incorporate a chia pudding breakfast series on the blog as well?!
Chia seeds are known for being a great superfood and source of Omega-3, which would make them perfect for a breakfast recipe! Read more about chia seeds in this article by Bon Appetit – Chia Seeds: Everything You Need to Know About This Powerhouse Superfood.
Now, I’m not going to tell you that you CAN’T eat this for breakfast because you absolutely can, but after recipe testing, it did end up tasting a lot like dessert. Like I said, this is pretty much pumpkin pie in a jar.
It’s honestly quite impressive how indulgent this tastes because I’ve never associated chia seeds with dessert! Don’t underestimate them like I did. Chia seeds are truly magic here.
Preparing Your Pudding
All you need is a few simple ingredients that I bet you already have!
- chia seeds
- canned coconut milk
- pumpkin puree
- maple syrup
- pumpkin pie spice
- vanilla
- salt
Mix all of these ingredients together well in your jar until fully incorporated! A 16 ounce jar works perfect here.
This is pretty hard to mess up, but just be sure all of the chia seeds are coated in the liquid mixture. This will help them absorb all of the delicious flavor and become gelatinous.
Expert Tips
- Chill your pudding for at least two hours. I prefer to chill this mixture overnight just like I do with my overnight oats but if you are short of time, allow this mixture to chill for at least 2 hours. This chia pudding will also last up to 5 days so if you prepare it and accidentally forget about it, no big deal! Meal prepping dessert, anyone?
- Blend your pudding to make it extra creamy! I like to do this for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I am a big texture person. This pudding is a lot more enjoyable to me when the chia seeds are ground and it has a true pudding texture. Secondly, eating ground chia seeds can help nutrient absorption!
If you like the texture of this pudding without blending, by all means, enjoy it unblended! There are still many health benefits to eating chia seeds in their original form.
Note: If you have a newer Vitamix with a wider base, you will need to make 2 servings of this pudding at a time or there will not be enough volume in the canister for the Vitamix to blend it properly. If you have the older Vitamix that is taller and thinner at the bottom, 1 serving of this pudding should be enough to blend!
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be! Chia seeds are very high in fiber so if you are not accustomed to eating large amounts of fiber on a daily basis, you may have a hard time digesting chia seeds in larger quantities. I do find personally that soaking them overnight in the pumpkin pie mixture and blending them does help aid in digestion!
Absolutely. As we discussed earlier in this article, chia seeds are great nutrition. A little goes a long way! They are very high in fiber though, so incorporating them into your diet slowly may make them easier to digest.
If your chia seeds don’t appear to be absorbing the liquid and becoming gelatinous (see my prep photos!) they may be old! Try again with a fresher bag of chia seeds.
Yes! If you cannot find canned pumpkin puree, you can use fresh roasted pumpkin puree. Just be sure to use the same amount and you don’t want it to be too watery.
No. Freezing this pudding would alter the texture negatively.
Yes! You can prep this recipe 5 days ahead of time! Just leave the cocowhip off until serving.
Now, don’t forget to serve this chia pudding with coconut whip and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice. These two things really make it dessert! Trust me.
I can’t wait for you guys to try this one! It’s really surprising how much this tastes like pie considering the ingredients! It would also be a perfect, gluten free pumpkin pie option for Thanksgiving this year!
Enjoy.
Additional Holiday Desserts to Try
- Sticky Vegan Apple Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Filling
- Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (dairy free, gluten free)
Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
Pudding
- ¾ cup full fat coconut milk - do not recommend the Thai Kitchen brand
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice -
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For topping
- coconut whipped cream
- pumpkin pie spice
- cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- In a 16 ounce jar, mix together all of the pumpkin chia pudding ingredients until well incorporated. Make sure all of the chia seeds are covered in liquid so they can absorb liquid and become gelatinous.
- Transfer to fridge and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Optional: After refrigerating overnight, transfer mixture to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Top with cocowhip, pumpkin pie spice and a cinnamon stick.Enjoy.
- Storing: Store this pudding in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not freeze.
Notes
- Not all coconut milk brands are made the same! I have made this with the Chaokoh brand, Whole Foods brand and Trader Joe's brand and had great results. Thai Kitchen brand gives this pudding a strange after taste and is not recommended. Any coconut milks that seem too watery will also not be great.
- If you like the texture of chia pudding without blending, you absolutely can skip step 3.
- If you do decide to blend it and own a newer wider base Vitamix, you will need to make a minimum of 2 servings of this chia pudding at a time or there will not be enough liquid in the canister to blend. If you have the older Vitamix model that is thinner or are using a single serving blending cup, 1 serving should blend just fine!
- Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned? Yes! If you cannot find canned pumpkin puree, you can use fresh roasted pumpkin puree. Just be sure to use the same amount and you don't want it to be too watery.
- I used these jars for this recipe. The price fluctuates a ton on Amazon so if you like them, just watch them for a good price!
General note about salt
Please pay attention to the type of salt called for in the recipe (if applicable). Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1 for 1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
OMGOSH This and the chia banana pudding sound SOOOO Good, I cant wait to try them! Banana pudding and pumpkin pie are my fav flavor along with coconut!
Thank you!
YAY! I hope you love them. They’re some of my favorites, too!!
This recipe tasts just like pumpkin pie filling! It is crazy how good it is! Our whole family loved it even our pickiest eater who is extremely hard to please! This is definitely a fall favorite! Delicious!! 😋