This Carrot Cake Chia Pudding is a delicious and nutrient-dense solution for busy mornings. It is sweet & spicy, fiber-rich and is the perfect way to sneak some extra vegetables into your morning meal.
Jump to:
- What I Love about this Carrot Cake Seed Pudding
- Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
- How to Make Carrot Cake Chia Seed Pudding
- Storage
- Topping Ideas for Carrot Cake Chia Pudding
- Healthy Breakfast Tips
- Amp Up the Protein in This Chia Pudding
- Dietitian Notes
- Recipe Tips
- Try These Other Healthy Breakfast Options
- Did you try this Carrot Cake Seed Pudding?
- 📖 Recipe
This carrot cake chia pudding is a delicious, fun, and festive way to add more fiber and micronutrients to your diet. Chia seed pudding is an easy, make-ahead solution, perfect for busy mornings, kiddo lunches, or post-workout snacks. Transfer this pudding into individual mason jars for a grab-and-go option.
Looking for other recipes that utilize chia seeds? Try this Pumpkin Chia Pudding, this Berry Chia Seed Pudding, or these Peanut Butter Chia Protein Balls.
What I Love about this Carrot Cake Seed Pudding
I love chia seed pudding, and this carrot cake chia pudding is no exception. Here is why I love it:
- Carrot Cake Flavor — Like carrot cake that you can feel good about eating for breakfast, this pudding is sweet and spicy in all the right ways.
- Nutrient Dense — This recipe is high in antioxidants, and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, micronutrients, and fiber.
- Packable - This pudding can be made ahead and stored in a mason jar for the perfect packable post-workout snack, breakfast, or treat.
Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
Milk
Almost any type of milk or milk alternative will work! Avoid canned coconut milk as the cream can solidify in the fridge and give the pudding a weird texture.
Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree may seem like an unconventional ingredient in this recipe but it is a great way to add nutrition and carrot cake flavor! Be sure it is unsweetened pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix.
Chia Seeds
Fresh chia seeds absorb water best. You can use white or black chia seeds; however, black chia seeds are more commonly available. Do not substitute this ingredient.
Grated Carrot
Obviously carrot cake chia pudding will need some grated carrot. You can use a veggie or cheese grater or a food processor to grate carrots.
Maple Syrup
You can substitute any liquid sweetener, like agave or honey. Honey requires a little more effort when agitating to ensure it dissolves fully.
Pecans
Walnuts could also be used, but pecans have a sweeter, less bitter taste.
Rasins
If you don't like raisins in your carrot cake, feel free to omit this ingredient.
Coconut
Finely shredded unsweetened coconut will work best and provide the best texture.
How to Make Carrot Cake Chia Seed Pudding
Combine & Agitate
- Add all the ingredients to a large mason jar and seal with lid. Shake vigorously for several minutes until all chia seeds are suspended and the pumpkin puree is fully mixed in.
- Store in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight, shaking occasionally to prevent the chia seeds from settling on bottom. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Storage
Store chia pudding in an airtight container or sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Topping Ideas for Carrot Cake Chia Pudding
This carrot cake chia seed pudding can be enjoyed on its own or served with your favorite yogurt. Try one of these tasty toppings to add texture and flavor:
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Whipped coconut cream
- Rasins
- Candied ginger
- Shredded coconut or coconut chips
Healthy Breakfast Tips
Breakfast can be a tricky meal during busy mornings, but it can also be a great opportunity to optimize your nutrition from the get-go. Here are some tips:
- Pick foods that are nutrient-dense. The carrots and chia seeds in this recipe along with all the spices add micronutrients so that you can maximize your morning nutrition. Try choosing at least one dense source of micronutrients for breakfast. This could be things like spinach, bell peppers, or kimchi with your eggs or dark colored berries with your yogurt.
- Balance carbohydrates with fiber. The worst thing to have in the morning is something that is going to set you up for wild blood sugar swings and cravings. Lower carbohydrate foods will help you feel fuller for longer so you are not getting "hangry" before noon. Your ideal morning carb load will depend on your carbohydrate tolerance, activity level, and how you are currently breaking up your macros. If you are consume carbohydrate rich foods be sure to include plenty of fiber and a little healthy fat to minimize blood sugar swings.
- Select something satiating. Opt for a decent amount of protein, fiber, and healthy fat in the morning. This will help fill you up and give you slow burning fuel throughout your morning.
Amp Up the Protein in This Chia Pudding
Serving this chia pudding on top of your favorite Greek yogurt or adding protein powder to the pudding can be great ways to increase the protein in this recipe.
To add protein powder, add ¼ cup of your favorite vanilla or plain protein powder and reduce the chia seeds to ¼ cup. If the pudding is too thin after it has set, add more chia seeds 1 tablespoon at a time until the right consistency. Note that if your protein powder is sweetened, you may want to reduce the maple syrup in the recipe by half.
Dietitian Notes
- Each serving contains 10 grams of fiber - almost half of your daily needs!
- This pudding is rich in beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and selenium.
- Chia seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which can help to reduce inflammation and promote heart health.
Recipe Tips
- You can add more chia seeds or more liquid to make the pudding more or less thick.
- This recipe about 3.5 cups, so you will need a jar with a capacity of 32 ounces to allow room to agitate the chia seeds. Alternatively, you can use two jars with a volume of 16 ounces or greater (dividing the ingredients equally between the jars).
- If you don't have a jar you can whisk the ingredients in a bowl, but be sure to whisk until the chia seeds are fully suspended.
- Mix or shake up the chia seeds at least several times during their resting period. This will help prevent them from turning into a brick at the bottom of the jar.
- After the pudding is made, try dividing it into smaller individual mason jars for a simple meal prep or grab-and-go snack.
- If you want your nuts to be crunchy, add them prior to eating.
Try These Other Healthy Breakfast Options
Looking for other tasty recipes? Here are a few you might like:
Did you try this Carrot Cake Seed Pudding?
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📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Chia Pudding
Equipment
- Grater
- Large jar with lid 32 ounces
Ingredients
- 2 cups Milk or unsweetened dairy-free milk I used almond milk
- ½ cup Pumpkin puree unsweetened
- ⅓ cup Chia seeds
- ¼ cup Grated carrot
- ¼ cup Maple syrup or to taste
- 2 tablespoon Chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoon Raisins
- 2 tablespoon Shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large mason jar and seal with lid. If you think the soaked nuts and raisins might be a textural issue for you, you can wait to mix these in after the chia seeds have expanded overnight. Shake vigorously for several minutes until all chia seeds are suspended and the pumpkin puree is fully mixed in.
- Store in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight, shaking occasionally to prevent the chia seeds from settling on bottom. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for several days.
Notes
-
- You can add more chia seeds or more liquid to make the pudding more or less thick.
-
- This recipe about 3.5 cups, so you will need a jar with a capacity of 32 ounces to allow room to agitate the chia seeds. Alternatively, you can use two jars with a volume of 16 ounces or greater (dividing the ingredients equally between the jars).
-
- If you don't have a jar you can whisk the ingredients in a bowl, but be sure to whisk until the chia seeds are fully suspended.
-
- Mix or shake up the chia seeds at least several times during their resting period. This will help prevent them from turning into a brick at the bottom of the jar.
-
- After the pudding is made, try dividing it into smaller individual mason jars for a simple meal prep or grab-and-go snack.
-
- If you want your nuts to be crunchy, add them prior to eating.
Nutrition
Check out these other easy chia seed pudding recipes:
Kevin says
I made it with stevia and skipped the raisins for a keto carrot cake pudding.
foodbornewellness.com says
That is how I make it much of the time as well!
Jess says
I make this for breakfast all the time. I make it the night before. I don't use collagen just because I don't have any.