Pumpkin Chia Pudding- Vegan, Gluten-Free, Tastes Like Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin chia pudding is the perfect fall breakfast or healthy dessert. It tastes like pumpkin pie but is more nutritious, thanks to the chia seeds. Plus, this recipe is quick and comes together in minutes! Try making pumpkin chia pudding overnight to save even more time.

Additionally, this pumpkin chia pudding is vegan and gluten-free, making it a great fit for most diets and eating patterns!

Cups of pumpkin chia pudding
Vegan pumpkin chia pudding tastes like pumpkin pie but is made with nutritious ingredients, including chia seeds and pumpkin.

Halloween is right around the corner, which means that we are reaching peak pumpkin season! And I am not complaining.

During autumn, pumpkin seems to take over the world and inspires so many delicious fall recipes! Like this pumpkin chia seed pudding. So I hope you are ready for one more pumpkin recipe before fall comes to an end and we enter the holiday season.

Click here to jump to the pumpkin chia pudding recipe.

Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding

Why Try this Pumpkin Chia Pudding

First, this chia pudding tastes like delicious pumpkin pie but is made with better-for-you-ingredients. Pumpkin chia pudding combines two highly nutritious foods (chia seeds and pumpkin) to form an irresistible breakfast or dessert packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

Plus, this recipe is incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is combine the ingredients, stick it in the fridge, and chill. You can also make this recipe overnight to have a healthy breakfast waiting for you in the morning.

Additionally, this recipe is vegan and gluten-free, meaning that it fits with most diets. And finally, you can customize this pumpkin chia pudding to fit your taste buds by adding optional toppings. I have included some suggested toppings below but feel free to play around with this recipe to create the perfect breakfast or dessert.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkin sure gets a considerable amount of attention this time of year. Beyond its delicious flavor, pumpkin is also full of nutrients that have potential health benefits.

One cup of cooked pumpkin (245 grams) contains the following nutrients (1):

  • Calories: only 49 calories, making it a low-calorie food
  • Protein: 2 grams
  • Carbs: 12 grams
  • Dietary Fiber: 3 grams
  • Vitamin A: 245% of the RDI, or reference daily intake. Yes, you read that correctly- 245%!
  • Vitamin C: 19% RDI
  • Potassium: 16% RDI
  • Copper: 11% RDI
  • Vitamin B2: 11% RDI
  • Vitamin E: 10% RDI

In particular, pumpkin is incredibly high in vitamin A, an essential nutrient that plays a role in immunity. Pumpkins also contain vitamin C, iron, vitamin E, and folate. All of these nutrients have been shown to help maintain a healthy immune system.

Additionally, orange pumpkins are a source of carotenoids known as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Carotenoids act as antioxidants in the body and may help protect against damage caused by free radicals.

This antioxidant activity may lower inflammation and protect against certain types of cancers.

For example, an analysis of 13 studies showed that individuals with higher intakes of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, like those found in pumpkin, had significantly lower risk of stomach cancers (2).

On top of this, pumpkin is also incredibly versatile and makes an excellent addition to sweet and savory dishes.

Pumpkin Chia Pudding

Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

These tiny seeds are packed with nutrition. Chia seeds are a good source of dietary fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, and plant-based omega-3s. All of these are nutrients that many individuals don’t consume in adequate amounts.

For example, a one-ounce serving of chia seed contains approximately 120 mg of magnesium or about 30% of the daily value (DV) (3). Magnesium is a mineral found in every cell of the body and is essential for health. It plays a role in muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control, and blood pressure regulation (4-6).

In fact, low magnesium is associated with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and migraines (6).

To learn even more about the health benefits of chia seeds and chia seed pudding, check out this article for chocolate banana chia pudding. In this post, I go into more detail about the potential health benefits of chia seeds. Plus, it includes another delicious chia pudding recipe that you’ll love if you like pumpkin chia pudding.

What You Need to Make Pumpkin Chia Pudding

To make this pumpkin chia pudding, you will need:

  • Unsweetened almond milk or the milk of your choice- Some other options are coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or cow’s milk (although it will no longer be vegan if you use cow’s milk)
  • Pumpkin puree
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of maple syrup- You can adjust this recipe’s sweetness to fit your personal preference. I recommend starting with two tablespoons of maple syrup and adding more as needed.
  • Ground cinnamon- because it wouldn’t feel like fall without this warm spice
  • Nutmeg
  • Ground ginger
  • Vanilla extract
  • Optional toppings

Some optional toppings for pumpkin chia pudding include:

  • Non-dairy whipped cream- You can also use regular whipped cream (although it’s not vegan)
  • Chopped pecans
  • Walnuts
  • Flaxseeds
  • Granola
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Pomegranate arils
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon

How to Make Pumpkin Chia Pudding

To make pumpkin chia pudding, start by combining the almond milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Then whisk to combine the ingredients until they are smooth.

Next, add the chia seeds and stir to combine.

Let the mixture stand for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, whisk the chia seed mixture to distribute any seeds that have settled to the bottom. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 to 5 hours or until the pudding has set. You can also refrigerate the chia pudding overnight to save time.

Pumpkin chia pudding is the perfect fall breakfast or healthy dessert. It tastes like pumpkin pie but is more nutritious, thanks to the chia seeds. Plus, this recipe is quick and comes together in minutes! Try making pumpkin chia pudding overnight to save even more time.

Other Fall Recipes that You Will Love

There you have it! Easy, pumpkin chia pudding that is packed with fall flavors. I would love to hear from you. What are some other pumpkin recipes that you love?

pumpkin chia pudding
healthy breakfast, healthy dessert, fall
Yield: 3 (1/2 cup servings)
Author: Allison Herries, MS, RDN
Print
Pumpkin Chia Pudding

Pumpkin Chia Pudding

Prep time: 5 Mininactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 5 M
Pumpkin Chia pudding is the perfect fall breakfast or healthy dessert. It tastes like pumpkin pie but is more nutritious, thanks to the chia seeds. Plus, this recipe is quick and comes together in minutes! Try making pumpkin chia pudding overnight to save even more time.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup, or more or less to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup chia seeds

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and whisk until smooth.
  2. Add the chia seeds to the bowl and mix to combine well.
  3. Let stand for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, whisk the chia seed mixture to distribute any seeds that have settled to the bottom. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 to 5 hours or until the pudding has set. You can also refrigerate the chia pudding overnight to save time.

Calories

175.17

Fat (grams)

7.56

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.89

Carbs (grams)

24.65

Fiber (grams)

9.19

Net carbs

15.46

Sugar (grams)

11.54

Protein (grams)

4.37

Sodium (milligrams)

52.49

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00
Note that the nutritional info was calculated using 2.5 tablespoons of maple syrup.
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Created using The Recipes Generator

References

  1. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2601/2
  2. Zhou, Yunping et al. “Association of carotenoids with risk of gastric cancer: A meta-analysis.” Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) vol. 35,1 (2016): 109-116. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2015.02.003
  3. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/784468/nutrients
  4. Institute of Medicine (IOM). Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.
  5. Rude RK. Magnesium. In: Coates PM, Betz JM, Blackman MR, Cragg GM, Levine M, Moss J, White JD, eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Informa Healthcare; 2010:527-37.
  6. “Office of Dietary Supplements – Magnesium.” National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/.

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