Chia Pudding

A low FODMAP chia pudding made with chia seeds, lactose-free or almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla, topped with fruit.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 2

Gluten-freeVegan-option

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (48 g) chia seeds
• 1 cup (250 ml) lactose-free milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• Low-FODMAP fruit for topping (see Tips)

Instructions

Whisk the Base

1. Add the chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt to a pint-size jar or sealed container.
2. Whisk hard for 30 seconds so the seeds don't clump at the bottom.
3. Wait 5 minutes, then whisk again to break up any gel pockets.

Chill

1. Cap the jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
2. The pudding is ready when the seeds have fully plumped and the mix holds its shape on a spoon.

Serve

1. Stir once to loosen. If the texture is thicker than you want, splash in another tablespoon of milk.
2. Divide into two bowls or jars. Top with low-FODMAP fruit just before eating.

Tips & Substitutions

• Vanilla berry. Keep the vanilla in the base and top each serving with 1/2 cup blueberries (~60 g) or 5 medium strawberries (~65 g, sliced). Frozen berries can go in with the base, but expect a looser texture.
• Chocolate. Whisk 2 teaspoons (8 g) unsweetened cocoa powder into the base along with the maple syrup. Top each bowl with up to 30 g of raspberries (about half the Monash serve, since you split the pudding).
• Coconut-banana. Swap 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the milk for canned light coconut milk, about 1/4 cup (60 ml) per serving, the low FODMAP serve. Choose a brand with no inulin. Top with a firm-yellow (unripe) banana, sliced, up to 1 medium / 100 g total across both bowls.
• Choose the milk. Lactose-free cow's milk, unsweetened almond milk or macadamia milk (1 cup / 250 ml), or rice milk (up to about 210 ml). Canned coconut milk is low only at 1/4 cup per serving, and oat milk at about 100 ml, so top rice, coconut, or oat milk up to 1 cup with almond or lactose-free milk.
• Check plant-milk labels. Skip anything with inulin, chicory root fiber, or apple or pear juice concentrate.
• Sweeten with maple or table sugar. Maple syrup is low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon. Honey is low only at about ½ teaspoon and agave is high FODMAP. Stevia and sucralose are low FODMAP; skip sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, and isomalt.
• Spice it up. A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom plays well with the vanilla or chocolate versions.
• Go slow on the fiber. Each 24 g serving of chia is a big fiber load. If you are new to chia, you can begin with 1 tablespoon per bowl and drink water with it.

Why This Works

Chia serve size. Monash tests chia seeds as low-FODMAP at about 2 tablespoons (30g) per serve. This recipe splits 1/4 cup (48 g) across two bowls, so each serving holds about 24 g, under that serve. Don't eat the whole jar in one sitting.

Milk matrix. Lactose-free dairy milk and almond and macadamia milks are low FODMAP at 1 cup; cashew milk is not. Canned coconut milk is low at 1/4 cup per serve and oat milk at about 100 ml.

Sweetener rule. Pure maple syrup is low-FODMAP at 1 tablespoon. Honey is low only at about ½ teaspoon and agave is high FODMAP, so maple is the sweetener here.

Fruit stacking. Individual fruit serves are low, but stacking two or three in one bowl adds up. Pick one topping per bowl and keep it within its Monash serve: 1 cup blueberries (125 g), 5 medium strawberries (65 g), 30 raspberries (60 g), 1 firm-yellow banana (~100 g), or 1 gold kiwi.

Storage

Assembled pudding keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below. Make the base without toppings and add fruit the morning you eat it, or portion into single-serve jars for breakfasts you can take with you. Frozen berries can go in with the base; fresh fruit is best added last.