Berry Almond Chia Pudding Meal Prep

Berry Almond Chia Pudding Meal Prep works as a healthy breakfast or dessert. Gluten-free, vegan, and oh so easily adaptable!

It's not every day that you encounter a meal prep recipe that works as either (or both!) breakfast or dessert. In fact, it almost seems impossible to suggest that you could have pudding for dessert. But this, friends, is not your average pudding. This thick and creamy chia pudding is layered with your favorite berries and finished off with crunchy almonds for a balanced breakfast, snack, or dessert. It's made with the magic of chia seeds, non-dairy milk (we picked almond), and all those berries. 

What Are Chia Seeds, Anyway? 

Chia seeds are, quite simply, magic. They expand when put into liquid, which makes them a great candidate for pudding. These seeds come from a plant that's in the mint family (although they're not minty) and were believed to originate from Central America, where these powerhouses served as a regular part of the Aztec diet.

Chia seeds are full of protein and fiber and healthy fats. More specifically, one serving of chia seeds gives you 5 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of heart-healthy fats. 

Berry Almond Chia Pudding Meal Prep Ingredients

• 6 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 to 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 3 ½ cups mixed frozen berries
• 2 tablespoon sliced almonds
• Sweetener, if desired
• Pinch sea salt

How to Make Berry Almond Chia Pudding Meal Prep

This is a snap! All you need to do is combine chia seeds, almond milk, a little sweetener (if using) and a bit of sea salt in large jar or another lidded container. Let it sit for at least two hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator. When you're ready to assemble the pudding layers, whether they're glass jars or something else with a lid, take it out of the fridge. Layer the chia pudding alternated with sliced berries (if using strawberries, for example) or whole raspberries or blueberries, and top with slivered almonds. And then this pudding meal prep is good to go! 

How to Store and Serve Chia Pudding 

Well, we love berries, and that's what's in this pudding. You don't really need to serve it with anything else necessarily. It is a self-contained breakfast, snack, or dessert. Score!  Talk about easy-peasy meal prep heaven. 

That being said, you need to keep this berry chia pudding in the fridge, covered, and it'll be good for up to five days, but we don't think you'll let it go that long! 

Substitutions and Alterations

This one's fun to play around with. Are you ready? 

• Use cashew milk for the pudding and cashews on top.
• Opt for soy milk for even more protein (we prefer organic whenever possible here) in this chia pudding.
• Use a bit of vanilla extract (½ teaspoon) for some natural sweetness without using a sweetener.
• If you're not following a paleo or vegan diet and just need this to be dairy free, add a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the pudding. Agave nectar would be good, too. 
• Instead of berries, layer unsweetened shredded coconut, mango and/or pineapple, and slivered almonds. So good. Then you can call it a tropical chia pudding instead of a berry almond chia pudding.
• Use chopped walnuts or pecans if desired.
• Use fresh berries instead of frozen ones, but pssst! Frozen ones are cheaper! 

ALL CHIA, ALL THE TIME! 

• Vanilla Chia Pudding
• Chia Pudding