This Pineapple Chia Seed Pudding combines the refreshing flavors of a pina colada with the powerhouse nutrition of chia seeds. A tropical escape without any added sugar!

It's made with just a handful of wholesome ingredients, like creamy coconut milk, zesty ginger, and pineapple. This easy, make-ahead recipe is your ticket to a vibrant breakfast or snack that fits right into a busy lifestyle.

Two glass jars with pineapple chia seed pudding topped with coconut and raspberries and a spoon on the side.

Don't Like Chia Pudding? I Feel Ya!

This is a chia pudding recipe for people who don't like chia pudding.

The first time I had chia pudding years ago, it had a gelatinous, slimy texture. Hard pass for me. I didn't rediscover chia pudding again until trying some at a hotel breakfast. They had mixed it up with coconut milk, pineapple and coconut chips. It was creamy like a tropical tapioca pudding. Kinda like pina colada.

I was on a mission to recreate it at home and that's how we got here.

What are the Health Benefits of Chia Seeds?

Aside from being naturally gluten-free and vegan, chia seeds are a super food. They're high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and low-glycemic plant proteins. I enjoy sprinkling them on my morning oats, on salads, and mixing them into scrambles for a boost of nutrition with minimal effort.

Types of Coconut Milk

There are a variety of different types of coconut milks out there such as light coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut milk beverage. This recipe calls for full-fat coconut milk which is thick and creamy, perfect for curries, soups and desserts. All those good healthy fats in coconut milk aren't just good for you.

They also make this recipe so much tastier. Instead of runny, gooey chia pudding, you end up with a thick creamy texture.

How to Make Pineapple Chia Seed Pudding

Step 1: Combine everything into a jar and be sure to stir it up so that the seeds are evenly distributed. If there are any clumps of seeds, you'll have a clumpy pudding.
Step 2: Cover the jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is ideal.
Step 3: The next morning it's ready to serve!

stirring up the chia seeds with the wet ingredients

Pudding Ingredients Substitutions

Ginger paste - I use this in so many recipes to add a punch of flavor. Peanut noodles, air fryer salmon, it's a vibrant punch! Feel free to sub in an equal amount of fresh grated ginger or half the amount if using dried ground ginger.

Unsweetened almond milk - You can use any unsweetened non-dairy milk you like. I just always have almond milk at my house.

Pineapple juice - This not only adds the pineapple flavor but acts as a natural sweetener. Instead of buying a big container at the grocery store (which would take forever for me to get through), I buy the small cans.

Make It a Custom Parfait

Though you can enjoy this chia pudding on its own, I love to use it as the base for a parfait. You can layer it up with things like greek yogurt, fresh ripe pineapple, berries, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds and unsweetened toasted coconut flakes.

I love having this for a quick and easy breakfast when I have a busy morning ahead or as a fresh afternoon snack.

a glass jar with pineapple chia seed pudding topped with coconut and raspberries

Tips for Chia Pudding

You'll see that the chia seeds will start to plump up after about 20 minutes but you'll get a nice thick texture after about 4 hours.
If you find your pudding is too thick for your liking when it's time to eat, just as a few splashes of almond milk to thin it out a bit.
Chia pudding stays good in the fridge for up to five days, making it ideal for meal prep.
You can make the chia pudding in a batch like I do here and portion it out later as you need. Or you can divide it out ahead of time into smaller weck jars or mason jars and layer up your parfaits in advance for easy make-ahead breakfasts.