Starbucks Dupe: Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seed pudding is one of my favorite ways to break my fast so I was excited to see it in the refrigerator section of my local Starbucks pre-SIP. While I normally would take my lunch to work, sometimes in the craziness of getting two teens and myself out the door, I forget. Between meetings, I would run downstairs to Starbucks and quickly grab something to hold me over until dinner. And their pre-made chia seed pudding is perfect. Creamy, lightly sweet, with fresh coconut and strawberries. Yum. So I set out to make it at home.

Chia seeds are among the healthiest food in the world. Some of the important benefits include:

1. They deliver an unbelievable amount of nutrients with very few calories. Two tablespoons (one serving) provide 11g of fiber, 5g of protein, and one gram of digestible carbohydrate

2. They are high in antioxidants

3. All of the carbs are fiber, which make them perfect for anyone watching carbs

4. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, gram for gram, they contain more than salmon

Chia seeds are super easy to incorporate in your diet. They have no flavor and if you don’t care for their texture, you can grind or blend them before setting the liquid to sit. The recipe below keeps them whole, but you can pop the mixture into a blender before adding the coconut and strawberries and the end result will be much more like a flan than a tapioca.

I’ve been making this during the SIP at least once a week and am so glad to have figured it out. If you’re watching carbs for any reason (keto, FWTFL, diabetes), this is a great breakfast or lunch. If you don’t like unsweetened coconut milk, use almond or oat. No strawberries? Use whatever fruit you have on hand (blueberries, mango, banana, whatever). Make this the night before and you’ll have a delicious meal the next day!

And if you’re looking for additional chia seed recipes, see one of my favorite here.

Coconut Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 teaspoons of maple syrup (if needed - I omit this)

2 tablespoons of shaved, unsweetened coconut (can use shredded coconut instead, but I would use less)

Sliced strawberries

Instructions

1. Combine the coconut milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and chia seeds

2. Mix in the shaved coconut

3. Mix in the sliced strawberries

4. Place the mixture into a bowl or jar and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

5. Enjoy!