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I try to pack all the pumpkin I can into the Fall season because it’s a fav ingredient of mine. This pumpkin chia pudding is no exception- it’s got all the best things about Fall and food packed into an adorable jar. It’s a super cute addition to your Fall Festival spread yet can also be easily tossed into a bag for a sweet treat while on the go. A healthy pumpkin pudding recipe? Yes, please…
How to Make Pumpkin Chia Pudding
You could call this recipe a 1-bowl creation, as you can mix everything together right in the jar you wanna use, then scoop half out into a 2nd jar for later. Here’s how to whip up your own healthy pumpkin pudding:
- Combine almond milk, chia seeds, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, sea salt and spices together. Divide the mixture between 2 jars. I like using a pint sized jar so I’ve got room for toppings, yet you can do a smaller container too.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until ready to eat. Make pumpkin chia pudding up to a week in advance (shout out to the meal planners/preppers out there!).
- Stir before serving and top with pecans + pears.
I told you this was an easy recipe! I added spices separately, yet feel free to just use a pumpkin spice mix instead. This snack is great because it boasts 10 grams of protein, 23 grams of healthy fat, and 20 grams of fiber!
Chia Pudding Toppings
My pumpkin chia pudding is topped with pecans and a diced pear. Swap the pear with a diced apple if you prefer. Healthy granola is another great topping, dried fruit (or freeze dried fruit) works great, any kind of nut + seed combo you want… go crazy. Hemp hearts add a bit of nutty flavor, pumpkin seeds are highly nutritious… and also festive.
To turn this into a sweeter dessert drizzle maple syrup on top before serving. Mixing vanilla in before refrigerating also adds a lovely flavor. I’ve also got a rich Chocolate Chia Pudding if you want a natural energy boost!
Pumpkin Chia Pudding FAQs
It can be! Eating snacks like my pumpkin chia pudding will fill you up and keep you full between meals. That can help cut back on mindless eating, and fuel your body with nutrients and not empty calories.
Diet culture tells us all fat is bad and if we want to lose weight, we have to cut out fat. Yet that’s not true! Healthy fat is necessary for a balanced diet, and your body NEEDS fat to breakdown food and turn it into energy. Chia seeds are loaded with healthy fat and are a great way to add fat into your diet.
Even superfoods should be consumed in moderation. Include them in 1 meal or snack per day and look for other superfoods to eat as well! Your diet should have a variety of nutritious foods in it to give you well rounded vitamins + minerals.
Pumpkin Chia Pudding Ingredients
Snacks can be both good and good for you, and this pumpkin chia pudding is no exception. I originally created it for my 21-Day Cleanse. The snacks in this Seasonal Cleanse are supercharged to give your body the nutrients it needs while help you also reset for the season.
The Power of Chia Seeds
It’s no secret that I LOVE chia seeds. Heck I even put them in my Homemade Protein Powder recipe. They’re a superfood, and for good reason. They are the perfect addition to smoothies, pumpkin chia pudding and, well, anything.
Chia seeds provide impressive amounts of fiber, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, protein, and antioxidants. These super tiny seeds hold all that goodness! I typically find them in white, black, brown, or mixed; choose whichever kind you want.
Chia seeds are easily added to oatmeal, chia pudding, smoothies, baked goods, yogurt, and salads.
Nutrient-Dense Pumpkin
Pumpkins aren’t just lovely decorations; they’re loaded with nutrients. 1 cup of cooked pumpkin contains 3 grams of fiber and 245% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A as well as a good amount of vitamin C, potassium, copper, manganese, vitamin B12, vitamin E and Iron.
Not only is the pumpkin flesh healthy, the seeds are quite nutritious too.
A word of caution on buying canned pumpkin: READ THE LABEL. I know I always tell you to read labels, yet did you know that many brands of canned pumpkin are actually filled with not pumpkin? They use a variety of squash and sweet potatoes along with the pumpkin, plus sugar and preservatives. I always look for ones that say 100% pumpkin.
More Recipes with Pumpkin and Chia
Since this healthy pumpkin chia pudding won’t use a whole can of pumpkin puree, you’ll have some left over for more Autumn recipes! Here are a few of my fav to inspire you:
- Pumpkin spice smoothie
- Roasted Vegan Pumpkin Soup
- Soothing pumpkin smoothie
- Pumpkin pancakes
- Maple pumpkin smoothie
‘Tis the season for pumpkin! What are some of your fav pumpkin recipes? I’d love to know about them 🙂
Would you please rate + review this recipe once you’ve tried it? I love getting your feedback!
Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Jen HansardIngredients
- â…“ cup almond milk unsweetened
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 tablespoon pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- â…› teaspoon sea salt, unrefined
- â…› teaspoon ginger root ground
- â…› teaspoon nutmeg ground
For Topping
- 1 tablespoon raw pecans chopped
- ½ pear diced
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together, except for the pecans and diced pears.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat (at least 15 minutes). The mixture will thicken as it stands. Mixture is ready after 15 minutes, but can also be prepped up to a week in advance.
- Stir before serving and top with pecans and diced pears.
Recipe Notes
- You can swap almond milk with another kind of unsweetened plant milk. Oat milk, cashew milk and refrigerated coconut milk are all great options.
- If this isn’t sweet enough for you, add more maple syrup to taste.Â
- The chia seeds turn into a gel when they come into contact with liquid, so letting the pudding ‘set’ for 15 minutes in the fridge before consuming allows this process to happen.
- Feel free to top with your fav spices/nuts/seeds/fruit. I love adding in pumpkin seeds or granola as well.Â
- Instead of individual spices, you can use a pumpkin pie spice blend.
I never used chia seeds in cooking and I find chia seeds are very helpful to the digestive tract. I will definitely use these in my future green smoothies.
Cheers, Desiree. Enjoy chia seeds blended into your smoothie or sprinkled on top. 🙂
If chia seeds are rich in calcium, does that mean that adding them to my green smoothie will inhibit the absorption of iron from the leafy greens?
Looks like my question fell through the cracks. Would love to get a response. Thanks!
Hello Sarah! Great question. We will need to ask Angela Stanford who holds her MBA, RD, RYT of Vital Nutrition & Wellness. All the best to you. 🙂
This is Great information ! I am consulting and working with a large Bakery Co-packer on the west coast and am marketing a Chia Cinnamon roll directed at Educational K through 12, Health Care , and “Healthier Eating” categories. The brand is ” Great Earth Products” Packed and owned by MaryAnns Bakery in Sacramento California.
My dad got onto the chia seed bandwagon last year and he convinced several of us to eat chia seeds regularly. However, I found that when I had the requisite 2 Tablespoons in 12 oz glass of juice, I ended up with fairly serious digestive trouble (as in, I had to RUN for the bathroom). I couldn’t believe that it was the chia seeds and ran several “studies” to be certain that they were the culprit. Do you know if this is at all a common problem? My family thinks I’m nuts.
Hmm… We haven’t experienced it, Dawney, nor have we heard many others talk about it. Anyone else have this issue?
My sister has IBS or UC and cannot eat anything with fiber. May warrent a chat with a doctor.
Yes, please consult your doctor or healthcare provider. 🙂
I am a newbie to green smoothies and find that I’m really enjoying these! I had chia seeds before and just didn’t like the soaked texture or the seeds in my beverages. From reading these posts, my question was answered. Now I know I can add the chia seeds with my smoothie ingredients, I’ll try that, maybe enjoy them more.
I just joined the 30 day challenge, although I’m about a week into my own adventure with smoothies. I’m excited!
Glad you found your answer! Yep, we add them dry all the time 🙂