Okay, I know this Mango Coconut Chia Pudding is a little out of the ordinary for me, since I don’t usually hop on to health food trends, but let me explain. I have this obsession with seeing food in restaurants and cafés and wondering about how much less it would be if I made it at home. I was in Tennessee last week and we stopped by a coffee shop to grab coffee before our long drive home and when I looked around for something I could grab for breakfast and eat in the car, I spotted some tiny cups of chia pudding. And when I say “tiny” I mean TINY.
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I couldn’t find a price on the chia cups, but I have no doubt they were at least $3 (is anything in a coffee shop less than $3? lol). Knowing that chia pudding is usually just chia seeds mixed with some flavorful liquid, I just had to try to make it at home. And guess what? I’m really glad I did! The Mango Coconut Chia Pudding that I made is soooo good, less than $1.50 each, and at least a couple ounces larger than the cups in the café! They’re light, fresh, filling, and not too sweet. I love them for breakfast or a snack, and I can’t wait to try more flavors!
What Are Chia Seeds?
If you’re not familiar with chia seeds, they’re tiny little seeds that contain a lot of soluble fiber and they gel up when mixed with liquid. So it’s almost like little tapioca beads with crunchy centers. They’re very interesting and fun to eat! As for nutrition, people love chia because it’s high in fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients. I mainly like them because they’re fun to eat. ;) You can find them at health food stores and if you don’t plan to use them often, I suggest checking the bulk bins so that you can buy just the amount that you need.
And don’t worry, if you’re more of a comfort food person, I’m sure I’ll be back to making things like Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese in no time. 😜
Mango Coconut Chia Pudding
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. frozen mango chunks* ($1.65)
- 1 13oz. can lite coconut milk* ($2.19)
- 1 tsp sugar ($0.02)
- 6 Tbsp chia seeds ($0.93)
Instructions
- If the mango chunks are in large pieces, chop them into smaller, 1/4-inch pieces. Place half of the mango chunks , the coconut milk, and sugar in a blender and process until smooth.
- Divide the remaining mango chunks between 4 small containers (10-12oz. containers). Add 1.5 Tbsp of chia seeds to each container. Finally, pour the mango coconut milk mixture into the containers, dividing it evenly between all four.
- Stir the contents of each container to make sure all the chia seeds have adequate exposure to the liquid. Place lids on the containers and refrigerate over night, or up to 4-5 days.
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Equipment
Notes
**Do not use full-fat canned coconut milk as it has a lower moisture content and may not fully hydrate the chia seeds.
Nutrition
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How to Make Mango Coconut Chia Pudding – Step by Step Photos
Chop 1/2 lb. fresh or frozen mango chunks into small 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups).
Add half of the mango chunks (about 1 cup), one 13oz. can lite coconut milk, and 1 tsp sugar (or your favorite sweetener) to a blender and purée until smooth.
Make sure you’re using lite coconut milk instead of full-fat because full-fat has a lower moisture content and it might not fully hydrate the chia seeds.
Divide the remaining mango chunks between four small containers. Place 1.5 Tbsp chia seeds in each container as well. I suggest a 10-12oz. container. These are actually 8oz. mason jars, but they were filled all the way up to the top, so a 10oz. would give you a little more wiggle room.
Pour the mango coconut purée over the mango chunks and chia seeds, dividing it equally between all four containers.
Stir each container of pudding to make sure all the seeds get exposure to the liquid. Make sure there are no clumps of seeds in the corners or on the bottom of the containers. Place lids on the containers and refrigerate over night.
And then by morning the liquid will have gelled and thickened from the chia and you’ll have delicious little “pudding” cups with chunks of mango!
It might not be a looker, but this Mango Coconut Chia Pudding is quite good! :D
With a drizzle of honey, this was delicious!
I love to play the how much would this be if I got it at a restaurant game! 😉
I need to try that in the summer. I’m a sucker for anything mango. This morning I had strawberry-vanilla-chia-pudding. Pureed strawberrys, vanilla sugar and milk. Although I’m pretty sure you can leave the sugar out if the strawberries are sweet enough and use vanilla almond milk instead of regular milk.
Interesting dessert. I had never tried chia pudding but it is nice. Not sweet, nice clean flavor of coconut and mango, and the chia seeds are addictive when eating. I will make it again.
I love making chia pudding with pumpkin puree, but this is a great option for the warmer weather. Thank you!
Don’t buy lite coconut milk! You’re spending your money on water. Buy full-fat, then dilute it with water at home. :) Twice as much for the money!
How much water do you recommend adding?
Would almond milk work in place of coconut?
It definitely won’t be as creamy or thick, since this coconut milk is pretty rich (even though it’s the “lite” version).
What a wonderful, fast and healthy idea! My husband is always looking for a little desert–and likes sweet breakfast, too– and I can see this as a terrific vehicle for lots of fruits–blueberries, blackberries, etc. Having some chia seeds and frozen mango, I tried this for breakfast–easy and delicious
I tried this right away, but used what I had on hand instead – unsweetened vanilla almond milk plus two tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut, and omitted the sugar. Turned out absolutely delicious! This will be going into my meal prep rotation for breakfast ASAP, especially since all the ingredients are inexpensive and accessible at Trader Joe’s. Thanks, Beth!
Trader Joe’s carries chia seeds, too, at a reasonable price for those lucky enough to live near one.
HI!
The cheapest place to buy chia seeds is Aldi’s. By far the most economical choice.
You were reading my mind! I was just thinking last night that I needed to look up chia pudding recipes! I love the idea of blending in some of the fruit with the coconut milk!
How long can these keep in the fridge? I imagine one container in the morning is plenty for a breakfast!
About 4-5 days.
Can I use other fruit besides mango
You can just just about any fruit that you’d like, but tropical fruits tend to go best with coconut, flavor wise.
This should be good with pineapple too! (sort of piña colada chia pudding?) I will definitely try it soon. Thanks for sharing!