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
- Jelly Jars
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
Sweet and delicious chia seed pudding i like it
I added ginger and lemon juice. It really makes it! Much more flavorful.😋
Oh that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing Heidi.
This is so tasty and so easy! I’ll definitely be making it frequently. I added a bit of key lime juice for an extra zing, but it was delicious without too.
Oh that sounds delicious!
I am one of those weirdos who doesn’t like Mango or Pineapple. I think I will try this with blueberries. We always have loads of them in the freezer. Wish me luck.
This recipe doubles beautifully, but oh my god you wind up with more chia pudding than one person can possibly eat without burnout. Thankfully my roommate loves it as much as I do. (I’m a heathen and add extra sugar per-serving when I want something more like a pudding cup, and it’s delicious and not grainy at all.)
this recipe is amazing. I usually don’t eat breakfast but I actually want to now that I started making these! Tastes like a vacation in a mason jar and sooo easy to make.
Would you make any changes when using fresh mango instead of frozen?
Nope, should be a simple swap. :)
Your blog is the best thing since sliced bread. I’m a graduate student with a small budget who eats a pescitarian diet. I’ve been trying to get healthy and be in shape, but it’s hard when you think the only cheap foods are instant ramen noodles and taco bell. I’ve been getting into cooking too, but I find that ingredients can get expensive. Your blog is a LIFESAVER. I feel like I’m able to cook creative and healthy foods for a low cost. Thanks so much!
Thank you!!
I just made this last night, but didn’t put in any sugar (completely forgot!) but I loved the flavour and I think there was enough sweetness from the mango and coconut milk to satisfy my morning sugar cravings. I think this would also be lovely for a lighter dessert in the evening.
And I sprinkled just a few blueberries on top for fun and colour- pretty and delicious! Thanks Beth for the recipe!
Pretty tasty! I doubled the recipe and split it into 4 containers instead. I also added a little bit more sweetener. It makes a filling breakfast.
This looks sooo good! I can’t wait to try it! I work overnights, and this is perfect when
I come in and am STARVING, but too tired to cook.
This is great! I may have a serious sweet tooth but I thought it was a little blah — until I sprinkled some brown sugar on the top of each jar — then it was marvelous!
I also used full-fat coconut milk and it worked out just fine!
I just mixed up a variation of this recipe. Didn’t have mango, so I used pineapple. Also didn’t have lite coconut milk so I just used half full fat coconut milk and half unsweetened almond milk. And because I want this for dessert, I used a tablespoon of honey instead of a tsp of sugar. Start to finish the whole recipe took under 10 minutes and now I have desserts ready to go when my sweet-tooth inevitably kicks in after dinner.
Ugh, I realize I’ve become something I hate…one of those recipe commenters who changes literally everything about the recipe. LOL But honestly, this is a very versatile recipe and can be modified quite a bit with great results.
Haha, I love it when people make the recipes their own! And sharing what you’ve altered can help other people learn how to customize recipes. Now, when someone changes everything and doesn’t like the result, then blames it on the recipe, that’s a different story. ;)
Lite coconut milk is just regular coconut milk plus water, usually for the same price. You might be able to save money by using regular coconut milk and water.
Thank you for giving this advice, I couldn’t find lite coconut milk at my grocery store at all. I will try this recipe with water and regular coconut milk!
Love it, this has become one of my “go-to” healthy snack recipes. Thanks Beth!!