Light and Bright Mango Chia Seed Pudding

With a base that’s essentially a mango yogurt smoothie, this mango chia pudding is great for anyone who loves mango. Layered as pictured with even more mango puree or pieces of fresh or frozen fruit, it’s a tasty tropical breakfast or snack that can be made ahead.

Chia pudding made with yogurt has a higher protein content, so it keeps you full longer, and both the chia seeds and mango add plenty of fibre. We often have this as part of a larger breakfast or for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

Mango is one of my favourite additions to chia pudding – you’ll also see it layered together with my yogurt chia pudding – and we usually have frozen mango on hand for exactly this purpose. It adds such a great fresh flavour to a pudding which can otherwise be a little boring (let’s admit it, plain chia pudding is only okay).

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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why

With just six total ingredients, it’s an easy, straightforward recipe that you can mix up in a few minutes. The base is very similar to mango lassi. These are my notes from recipe testing. See below for the full recipe card with complete measurements and instructions.

• Yogurt: I always use Greek-style soya yogurt, but any unsweetened yogurt will work. Use Greek yogurt for a thicker texture or plain yogurt if you prefer a slightly thinner chia pudding. If you only have sweetened yogurt, omit the honey.
• Milk: any unsweetened non-dairy or dairy milk. I usually use soya or oat milk, sometimes a nut milk like cashew or almond. The flavour of the milk will come through slightly.
• Mango: use ripe fresh or frozen mango, no need to thaw first.
• Chia seeds: white or black or a mix, it doesn’t matter. I haven’t tested with ground chia seeds.
• Honey: to sweeten the chia pudding. For a fully vegan option, use maple syrup or your preferred liquid sweetener.
• Vanilla: a hint of vanilla extract makes the pudding taste sweeter without being cloying. It helps to bring out the flavour of the mango. Cardamom is a very good substitution.

How to Make Mango Chia Pudding

The trick is to start with a mango smoothie base, then add the chia seeds. That way you get sweet mango all through the pudding rather than having to seek it out if you only add pieces of the fruit or a puree.

Step 1: add all of the ingredients but the chia seeds to a blender or blending container, if using an immersion blender. If you only have a low-powered blender and want to use frozen mango, let it thaw first to ensure a smooth result.

Step 2: blend until completely smooth. Taste the mixture at this point and adjust sweetness to your personal preference. I often don’t add any honey at all if the mango is sweet enough.

Step 3: transfer to a bowl and whisk in the chia seeds. While some chia pudding recipes need to be mixed then rest for a few minutes and mix again, this is thick enough that there’s no need. The seeds are suspended in the mango base without needing a second whisk.

Step 4: refrigerate for a few hours for the chia seeds to absorb as much liquid as they can, then serve or transfer to containers with more mango pieces or mango puree.

Expert Tips for the Best Pudding

• Taste the smoothie base: before adding the chia seeds, try the mango smoothie and make sure you like how it tastes. Chia seeds are neutral and won’t change the flavour. (If your chia seeds taste bad, they’re probably rancid – they should always be stored somewhere cold and dry.)
• Give it enough time to chill: mango chia pudding needs at least two hours in the refrigerator before serving. Chia seeds take time to absorb liquid. It’s best to refrigerate overnight if you can.
• Sweeten to taste: the amount of honey you add will depend entirely on how sweet the mango you’re using is. Very ripe fresh mango will probably be sweeter than frozen, but it depends.
• Layer to serve: while you can serve the pudding as is without any toppings, it’s tastier and more fun with extra mango in the mix. Strawberries or banana are good too.
• Make it more tropical: for a mango coconut chia pudding, replace the milk with canned coconut milk and the yogurt with unsweetened coconut yogurt. It will be a little thicker and richer that way.

More Chia Pudding Recipes

• Coconut Milk Chia Pudding
• Peanut Butter Chia Pudding
• Strawberry Chia Pudding
• Chocolate Chia Pudding