This delicious make-ahead chia pudding will put you in a festive mood! Not only does it taste like a gingerbread cookie, this cozy gingerbread chia pudding is full of healthy goodness! It’s the perfect breakfast, snack, or even dessert!
As a lover of chia pudding (see my round up of healthy chia pudding recipes!), I am always trying to find fun ways to incorporate them into my weekly meal prep. As winter has approached and I’m craving gingerbread cookies, this creamy gingerbread chia pudding is a delicious treat inspired by the cookies!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Like any chia seed pudding recipe, this peanut butter chia pudding is really easy to make. This recipe literally comes together in seconds, and then you just leave it in the fridge!
- Chia seeds are neutral in taste, so they take on whatever you add to them! This chia pudding is full of cozy gingerbread flavor.
- If you’re a lover of holiday baking like I am, you probably have most of the ingredients ready to go in your kitchen.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- milk — you can use any milk of your choice, from cow’s milk to non-dairy milk. I personally prefer whole milk, but it’s up to you! You can even get high protein milk where you get 13 grams of protein per cup.
- chia seeds — you can buy them at almost any major grocery store, and they can last for 4-5 years without refrigeration. Just be sure to store your chia seeds in a cool, dry place. They come in both black and white seeds, but there is no difference in nutritional content. They’re also an excellent source of plant-based protein!
- maple syrup — I sweeten my chia pudding with maple syrup but you can also use honey! Make sure you are buying maple syrup and not pancake syrup. Maple syrup comes straight from trees, whereas pancake syrup is usually made with corn syrup.
- vanilla extract — just a splash of vanilla extract to add a bit of cozy vanilla flavor. I prefer real vanilla extract over artificial extract.
- molasses — don’t skip the molasses! It adds a rich sweetness and is key to that classic gingerbread flavor. You can use dark or light molasses. Dark molasses comes from a second boiling and is darker, thicker, and less sweet than light or regular molasses. I would avoid using blackstrap molasses as it’s the most bitter.
- seasoning — to get that gingerbread flavor and balance out the molasses, I use ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground clove, and ground ginger.
How to Make Gingerbread Overnight Oats
- Add the milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla extract, molasses, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground clove, and ground ginger to a large bowl.
- Mix until well combined. Cover with a lid.
- Let it set for 5 to 10 minutes in the fridge before returning and giving it a second stir to prevent clumping. Let the chia pudding set in the fridge for at least three to four hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, stir, and add your favorite toppings.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- To increase the protein of the gingerbread chia pudding, you can add a cup of Greek yogurt or a couple of scoops of protein powder.
- If you don’t like the texture of chia seeds, you can add everything to a blender and blend it up like I do with my strawberry chia pudding.
- For a thicker pudding, add an extra spoonful of chia seeds to the mixture.
- For an on-to-go meal, mason jars are great. 16-ounce wide-mouth mason jars are great if you plan on adding toppings, so you don’t spill anything. I also LOVE a good weck jar.
- Feel free to add more or less maple syrup according to your taste! If you’re worried it’ll be too sweet, start with less maple syrup and you can always drizzle some on top when you serve the chia pudding. The molasses in this recipe will also add some sweetness to the gingerbread chia seed pudding.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: store the gingerbread chia seed pudding in the fridge without any toppings an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: to freeze chia pudding, portion out the pudding in small containers, then freeze! Thaw the chia pudding in the fridge for 6-8 hours/overnight before you’d like to eat it. You can store chia seed pudding in the freezer for up to 2 months.
What are chia seeds?
Chia seeds are tiny seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica. You may recognize them from those cute little chia pet commercials from way back when but other than a cute terra-cotta pet, the seeds are packed with healthy goodness. Despite being tiny little seeds, an one-ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fat (5 of which are omega-3s). (Source)
Why is my gingerbread chia pudding runny?
If the chia pudding is runny, the chia seeds haven’t fully set yet or there’s not enough chia seeds in comparison to the milk.
How long does it take to set?
While it’s best to set the chia pudding overnight, you can enjoy the peanut chia pudding in around 3 hours.
Gingerbread Chia Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cup milk, or non-dairy milk
- 6 to 7 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon clove
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Add the milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla extract, molasses, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground clove, and ground ginger to a large bowl.
- Mix until well combined. Cover with a lid.
- Let it set for 5 to 10 minutes in the fridge before returning and giving it a second stir to prevent clumping. Let the chia pudding set in the fridge for at least three to four hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, stir, and add your favorite toppings.
Nutrition Per Serving
This post was originally published on November 28, 2020. This post has been updated on December 15 with new photos and tips. The recipe remains unchanged.
More Chia Pudding Recipes to Try
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @carmyshungry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
Email: [email protected]
Leave a Reply