Flaxseed Pudding

This easy flaxseed pudding recipe is a nourishing breakfast, snack, or dessert. With less than 5 ingredients this recipe can be served with fruit, nuts, and yogurt. The main ingredients for this recipe are flax seeds and plant-based milk. This recipe is suitable for many different diets, such as Whole30, paleo, keto, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

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Are you looking for a versatile breakfast recipe that isn’t pancakes, oatmeal, chia pudding, or a smoothie? You came to the right place. This flaxseed pudding is a great way to start your day. It is ready in 5 minutes, great as a meal prep breakfast, and very customizable. All you have to do is pick your toppings (or skip those), and you have created an easy (on-the-go) healthy breakfast or snack.

Flaxseed pudding is made with 4 ingredients and prepared in 5 minutes, and a delicious breakfast, especially if you add tasty toppings such as nuts, berries, and yogurt. But you can also enjoy it as much as you want.

Making a bigger batch ahead for the entire week as a snack or breakfast is also possible.

The top view of two glasses with yogurt, raspberries and chopped walnuts on a light grey backdrop and a third glass showing only the edges on the bottom.

Why you’ll love this flaxseed pudding:

  • It’s a delicious variation on a classic chia pudding with a nuttier flavor.
  • You’ll only need 4 ingredients and 5 minutes.
  • The toppings are customizable.
  • Great recipe for meal prep.
  • Satiating and nourishing.

INGREDIENTS

You will only need a few simple ingredients for this recipe, a mixing bowl, and a fork. 

Whole flaxseeds or flaxseed meal
It’s easy to make your own flaxseed meal, but you can also buy it.

Plant-based milk
Any plant-based milk will be good for transforming the flax seed meal into a pudding. Some options are almond-, soy-, oat-, or rice milk. More experimental is plant-based milk that is a bit heavier such as hemp- or coconut milk.

Maple syrup
Flaxseeds have a mildly nutty flavor, and a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup is a delicious option to balance the flavors in your pudding.

Vanilla-extract
 To enhance all the flavors in the recipe use a good quality vanilla extract.

Sea salt
This is an optional ingredient, but a tiny bit of sea salt in sweet recipes is a good ingredient to reduce any bitterness in flaxseeds and to increase the sweetness in this recipe. 

Two small bowls with ground flax seeds and white milk with smaller bowls with vanilla-extract, salt and maple syrup and a text with the ingredients in bold next to each bowl.

HOW TO MAKE FLAXSEED MEAL

Did you know that according to nutritionists ground flaxseeds are actually more nourishing than whole flaxseeds? Ground flaxseeds are easier to digest, and the body can absorb the nutrients efficiently. Whole flaxseeds can pass through your digestive tract undigested, so that you will miss out on the benefits.

It’s straightforward to make flaxseed meal from whole flaxseeds. Whole flaxseeds are usually easy to find in any grocery store and affordable. Flaxseed meal might be more challenging to find and pricier than whole flaxseeds. 

All you need is a blender (quality doesn’t matter), a food processor, or a coffee grinder to make your flaxseed meal.

Add whole flaxseeds to your blender/food processor/coffee grinder and let it blend for about 30 seconds. Shake the machine or container a bit and give it another 30 seconds. You can also use a spatula to push down flaxseeds before blending again. That’s it. In about 1 minute you made yourself flaxseed meal. 

FLAXSEED MEAL TIP

Make a bigger batch and keep it in a glass jar in the fridge. You can use it for this flaxseed pudding recipe but also as an oatmeal topping or as a flax egg (vegan egg replacement) in baking recipes. 

HOW TO MAKE OVERNIGHT FLAXSEED PUDDING (step-by-step with photos)

Step 1.
Add half the flaxseed meal and half the amount of plant-based milk to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir with a fork to combine and remove any clumps.

Step 2.
Add the remaining flaxseed meal and plant-based milk and stir to combine.

Step 3.
Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir until it’s well combined with the flaxseed meal and milk.

Step 4.
Set the bowl in the fridge overnight or for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5.
To make a single serving, scoop out the flaxseed pudding in a bowl or glass jar and add toppings.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Instead of almond- or soy milk, try rice milk. To serve this as a dessert you can also use plant-based vanilla-flavored or sweetened soy milk.

The sweeteners also leave room for adjustments. Instead of maple syrup, try agave syrup or date syrup. Any liquid sweetener is a good option.

If you are pressed for time, you can make this recipe without salt or vanilla.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This recipe is very customizable as the base is simple, flaxseed meal and plant-based milk. After that, all ingredients can be added to make your flaxseed pudding unique.

Flaxseed Pudding Chocolate
A tablespoon of cacao powder will turn this flaxseed pudding into a chocolate delight. 

Fruit Flaxseed Pudding
This pudding is delicious with a variety of fruits, fresh or frozen. A few examples are (frozen) cherries, berries, strawberries, and fresh bananas (mashed or sliced).

Nutty Flaxseed Pudding
If a sweet pudding is not so much your thing, add a dollop of yogurt with chopped nuts (such as walnuts) with a tablespoon of peanut butter. Nut heaven!

The options are endless. Another option is yogurt (plain or vanilla) with stewed plums. 

Serve it warm
If you like the idea of flaxseed pudding but don’t like cold puddings, you can turn it into a flaxseed porridge by adding more milk (you can eyeball this by the consistency) and heating it up (either on the stove or in the microwave). For the warm version, you can skip the yogurt as a topping but include the fruits and nuts as you heat the porridge. 

Three small glasses layered with brown pudding, then white yogurt and then red raspberries with chopped walnuts.

FINAL TIPS

Overnight flaxseed pudding or not?
Compared to a chia seed pudding, flaxseed pudding needs less time to sit in the fridge. Half an hour might be just enough to get the texture you like. If the consistency is too dry, stir in a bit more milk. If the consistency is how you like it after combining the ground flaxseeds and milk, then feel free to serve it immediately. In other words, it doesn’t have to be an overnight recipe. 

Ground flaxseed
If you are on the hunt for flaxseed meal, it might be good to know that ground flaxseed is the same thing. 

Make ahead
You can make this recipe ahead in a bowl and then scoop out as much as you need when you are ready to enjoy your pudding. But you can also make a batch in individual jars for an even more convenient breakfast or snack. 
 
Make it #healthy
Flaxseed pudding is a delicious, satiating, fiber- and protein-rich recipe with plant omega-3 fatty acids. But if you want to add more healthy fats, add a bit of chopped nuts or nut butter as a topping. The milk you use will also determine how protein-rich your pudding is. For example, soy milk contains more protein than almond- or oat milk. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How can I store flaxseed pudding?

Whether you made a bigger batch or divided the flaxseed pudding into smaller jars, this flaxseed pudding can be stored in the fridge (covered) for about 5-6 days. To serve the pudding, you might need to stir in a splash of milk. Sometimes the pudding can become too dense when sitting in the fridge for days. 

It’s better to store individual portions in the fridge without any toppings. 

Can I use whole flaxseed for flaxseed pudding?

The answer to that is no. You will not get the same pudding-like consistency (more like a gel) when you use whole flaxseeds. Ground flaxseeds are also more nutritious than whole flaxseeds.

What is the difference between a chia seed pudding and a flaxseed pudding?

The first thing is the texture. A chia seed pudding still has some texture, and a flaxseed pudding is smoother. 
They are both high in fiber and protein, but chia seeds taste a bit blander. Flaxseeds have a more robust and nuttier flavor.

Having that said both recipes are customizable when it comes to the toppings.

If you are going to make flaxseed pudding, I would love to see your creations! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @thegreencreator or by leaving a comment below.

Three small glasses layered with brown pudding, then white yogurt and then red raspberries with chopped walnuts with the text ''flaxseed pudding'' on top and ''easy vegan and gluten-free'' in the bottom of the photo.
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Three small glasses layered with brown pudding, then white yogurt and then red raspberries with chopped walnuts.

Flaxseed Pudding

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Bianca
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings or 3 small servings 1x
  • Category: breakfast, snack, dessert
  • Method: fridge
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Flaxseed pudding is a nutritious recipe for an easy breakfast or snack. With only 4 ingredients and 5 minutes, this pudding is easy to make, vegan, and gluten-free. This recipe is also great for meal prepping.


Ingredients

Scale

Toppings: soy yogurt, frozen raspberries, maple syrup, flaxseed meal, and chopped walnuts.


Instructions

Add half the flaxseed meal and half the amount of plant-based milk to a mixing bowl. Stir with a fork to combine and remove any clumps.
 
Add the remaining flaxseed meal and plant-based milk and stir to combine.

Next, add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir until it’s combined with the flaxseed meal and milk. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. 

Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge so it can thicken overnight or for at least 30 minutes. But if the consistency of the pudding is to your liking after mixing it, you can serve it right away.

To make a single serving, scoop out the flaxseed pudding in a bowl or glass jar and add toppings, such as yogurt, nuts, and berries. 


Notes

  • This recipe is pretty thick, but if you prefer a thinner pudding, use 1.5 cups (330 ml) of plant-based milk. And if you prefer an even thinner porridge, use 2 cups of plant-based milk (440 ml).
  • Ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal (it’s the same) loses its freshness quickly. Store it in a glass container with a lid in the fridge or freezer to prevent it from going rancid. You can grind the whole flaxseeds before making the pudding if you want to use fresh flaxseed meal.
  • This recipe is perfect to make ahead and enjoy throughout the week.
  • Place this pudding (covered) in the fridge so it can last up to 5 days. 

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3 thoughts on “Flaxseed Pudding”

  1. I have tried this once (another recipe) without toppings and it was ok, so I tried it with berries and yogurt this am. Wow! What a delicious treat! Thanks for the recipe!






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