This Apple Pie Chia Pudding is like fall in a jar! It has apples both inside and on top, lots of apple pie spice, and it's very easy to make! You can skip the sautéed apples and pecans on top to make it even easier! Vegan, gluten-free, and a great make-ahead breakfast for meal prep!
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Why You'll Love This Apple Chia Pudding
Fall in a cup - This apple pie Chia pudding is one of the easiest make-ahead breakfasts for fall. It has apple pie spice and extra cinnamon for double the fall flavor! It's also great for snacking and perfect to take with you on the go!
Quick and easy - I topped this chia pudding with my go-to Caramelized Apples. You can make the actual chia pudding the night before in just about 10 minutes, and the sautéed apples are totally optional. I make those in the morning whenever I have a little more time. Later in the post, I also mention other toppings you can add instead of the cooked apples.
Perfect for meal prep - Chia pudding keeps in the fridge much better than overnight oats, so it's perfect for meal prep. It doesn't change in texture and doesn't get soggy like oats do. Chia seeds are high in fiber, so they're great if you want to up your fiber intake. A pudding is my favorite way to enjoy them because they should always be soaked before consuming.
Ingredients
- Chia seeds - I use regular black chia seeds, but white ones work as well. You can find them at most grocery stores or online.
- Apple - The Chia pudding has grated apple inside and caramelised apples on top. You can use any apples here, but I always like the firmer ones as long as they are still sweet, for example, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Gala.
- Yogurt and milk - I like using both yogurt and milk here for the best consistency, but you can always use only the yogurt if you like thicker Chia pudding. If you only use milk, that chia pudding will be much thinner. I like using vegan coconut yogurt and a non-dairy milk like almond or cashew milk.
- Sweetener - I like using extra dark maple syrup as a sweetener, but you can use any sweetener you prefer, like brown sugar, agave, coconut sugar, stevia, or anything else.
- Spices - You'll need both apple pie spice and cinnamon. Apple pie spice mix already has cinnamon, so doubling up on it is optional, but I like adding a little extra for even more flavor.
- Vanilla extract - A little bit of vanilla goes a long way and ties everything together. You can use an extract or vanilla bean paste interchangeably. If you use vanilla powder, use less because it's more potent.
Variations and Substitutions
- Pears - If you want to change things up, you can use a fresh pear instead of an apple or a mix of both!
- Regular milk - I chose to keep the chia pudding vegan, but you can use cow's milk and regular yogurt, like Greek yogurt if you prefer.
- Caramelized apples - These are an optional topping but so delicious! I cook the apples with dark maple syrup, unsalted butter, apple pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a little bit of sea salt. If you want to keep the recipe dairy free, you can use coconut oil instead of butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Grate the apple and add it to a medium bowl, including its juices. I use the side of my grater box with the smaller holes.
- Add yogurt, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, chia seeds, apple pie spice, and cinnamon.
- Whisk everything together until well combined.
- Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and whisk again. This prevents any chia seeds from sticking together and creating clumps.
- Cover the chia pudding with plastic wrap or divide into single-serving jars.
- Refrigerate overnight or for at least 5 hours to give the chia seeds time to expand.
- Add diced apples (and pecans if you want), butter, maple syrup, apple pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt to a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Allow the butter to melt and toss the apples to mix with the other ingredients.
- Once the sauce starts to bubble, lower the heat and gently simmer for 5 minutes, tossing once or twice. See Caramelized Apples for more details and extra tips.
- In the morning, serve the chia pudding with caramelized apples, granola, nut butter, or any other toppings. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Always soak your chia - It's always important to soak them before eating because they absorb moisture either way and could get stuck in your throat.
- Stir the pudding twice - Once you mix all the ingredients, I recommend letting the mixture sit for a few minutes, then stirring it again, and only then refrigerating it to allow the chia seeds to fully soak overnight. This prevents any clumps from forming.
Serving Suggestions
I like adding my Caramelized Apples on top when I want to make it extra special, but of course that doesn't always happen on busy mornings. There are lots of other toppings you can add, and here are a few of my go-tos!
- fresh diced apple, fresh berries or plums
- almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter
- nuts (pecans, walnuts, slivered almonds, etc.) or seeds (hemp seeds)
- granola
- more yogurt, kefir, or milk if you find it too thick
- extra sweetener like more maple syrup or even a spiced fall syrup like my Apple Brown Sugar Syrup!
Storing
Chia pudding is great for meal prep and, in my opinion, better than oats because it retains the same texture for longer without getting soggy.
Refrigerator: You can make it ahead of time and store it in an airtight container (or separate single-serving jars) in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Avoid freezing it. While you can freeze chia seeds in jams and such, I don't recommend freezing this pudding because of the yogurt and milk. It wouldn't have the same creamy texture once defrosted.
FAQs
Yes, but I would skip the milk because apple sauce (or apple puree) adds more liquid than grated apple. Add ½ cup of apple sauce for every 1 grated apple.
Yes, the pudding will just be thicker and creamier. You can simply replace the milk with yogurt in the recipe. I like vegan coconut yogurt or Greek yogurt. I usually avoid sweetened yogurts here or add less maple syrup.
More Chia Pudding Recipes
If you want to try other chia puddings, check out my four favorites below! I make them all with frozen fruit so they're great for any time of the year!
I'm working on creating more recipes to add to my collection, so always be sure to check out all my Chia Pudding Recipes for the latest ones!
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Print📖 Recipe
Apple Pie Chia Pudding
This Apple Pie Chia Pudding is like fall in a jar! It has apples both inside and on top, lots of apple pie spice, and it's very easy to make! You can skip the sautéed apples and pecans on top, but they're always a delicious addition! Vegan, gluten-free, and a great make-ahead breakfast for meal prep!
- Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
- Yield2 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- 1 apple, grated
- 1 cup yogurt (I use unsweetened coconut yogurt Yoggu)
- ¼ cup milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup (or other sweetener)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ½ tsp apple pie spice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- For serving: caramelized apples (see notes), fresh apples, granola, nuts, seeds, nut butter, cacao nibs, or berries
Instructions
- Grate the apple and add it to a medium bowl, including its juices. I use the side of my grater box with the smaller holes.
- Add yogurt, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, chia seeds, apple pie spice, and cinnamon.
- Whisk everything together until well combined.
- Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and whisk again. This prevents any chia seeds from sticking together and creating clumps.
- Cover the chia pudding with plastic wrap or divide into single-serving jars.
- Refrigerate overnight or for at least 5 hours to give the chia seeds time to expand.
- In the morning, serve the chia pudding with caramelized apples, granola, nut butter, or any other toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Caramelized apples: 1 diced apple, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1-2 tablespoon chopped raw pecans (optional). Add everything to a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Allow the butter to melt and toss the apples to mix with the other ingredients. Once the sauce starts to bubble, lower the heat and gently simmer for 5 minutes, tossing once or twice. (See the blog post for more detailed tips.)
Sweetener: To enhance the apple flavor even more, use my Apple Brown Sugar Syrup! You can also use honey, agave, coconut sugar, brown sugar, or stevia.
Storing: Store the chia pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing it.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Chill Time: 5 hours
- Category: Chia Pudding
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
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