Keto Chia Protein Pudding
⏱ 10 min💪 21g protein per serving🔥 ~350 cal🍽 2 servings
Chia is the keto answer to overnight oats. It thickens without starch, brings almost all of its carbohydrate as fiber, and holds up in the fridge for days. Whey plus full-fat Greek yogurt takes each serving to 21g protein at about 6g net carbs, which is a real breakfast rather than a snack. Mix it at night and stir it once before bed so it does not clump.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chia seeds (40g)
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage
- 1 scoop vanilla whey or casein protein (32g)
- 1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt (113g)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons allulose
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted, for topping
Instructions
- Whisk the coconut milk beverage, protein powder, allulose, vanilla, and salt together in a bowl or jar until the powder is fully dissolved with no lumps.
- Whisk in the Greek yogurt and heavy cream until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add the chia seeds and whisk hard for 30 seconds, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes and whisk again to break up any clumps that formed.
- Divide between two jars, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until the pudding holds a spoon upright.
- Stir once before eating, top with toasted coconut flakes, and thin with a splash of coconut milk if it set firmer than you like.
- Keep sealed in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, adding toppings only right before you eat so they stay crisp.
Tips
- The second whisk after five minutes is the whole recipe. Chia seeds gel on contact and the first clumps that form will still be dry pockets the next morning if you skip it.
- Casein sets noticeably thicker than whey. If you use casein, start with an extra 1/4 cup of coconut milk or you will end up with something closer to a sliceable block than a pudding.
- For a chocolate version, whisk in 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder with the protein and add an extra tablespoon of allulose. It adds roughly 1g net carb per serving.
FAQ
- How many net carbs are in one serving?
- About 6g net carbs. Chia seeds contribute only around 1.5g net per serving because most of their carbohydrate is fiber, and the Greek yogurt adds a little over 2g.
- Can I use regular yogurt instead of Greek?
- Greek is the better choice because straining removes most of the lactose. Regular full-fat yogurt would add about 4g more net carbs per serving and make the pudding looser.
- Why is my pudding gritty instead of creamy?
- That is usually undissolved protein powder rather than the chia. Whisk the powder into the liquid completely before the seeds go in, since once the mixture thickens you cannot smooth it out.
- Can I make this without protein powder?
- Yes. Double the Greek yogurt to 1 cup and cut the coconut milk to 1 cup. You land around 15g protein per serving and about 7g net carbs.
