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Strawberry Milk Chia Pudding

I guess I’m in my chia pudding era. Breakfast at 4 servings, dessert at 8.

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Strawberry Milk Chia Pudding📌 Pin

I’ve gone back and forth on whether I should call this “Breakfast” or “Dessert” but I think I’ve come up with a decision. It all depends on how much you eat.

If you divide the recipe into 4 servings, it’s breakfast. If you divide it into 8, it’s dessert

But in all seriousness, this Strawberry Chia Pudding is nutritious enough to help you reach your daily fiber goals, give you a protein boost that you wouldn’t normally get from a dessert, and provides a daily dose of Omega-3s.

Pairing these tiny-but-mighty seeds with cream and mascarpone, like we do in this dessert, creates a high-fat, low-carb fuel source that stabilizes brain energy and supports cognitive function (another case for eating this for breakfast!). This combination changes how your brain processes fuel, offering a sharp contrast to the energy crashes caused by sugars.

That being said, I do add maple syrup, so as it is, it is not technically Keto, and it is NOT low in calories. I do want you to know what it is that you’re making when you choose to make this. For me, this is a luxurious dessert with many health benefits. So if you choose to eat a large serving of this for breakfast every day, don’t balance it with more protein and lower calorie dishes throughout the day, and start gaining weight? Don’t come for me. It’s all right here in this normal sized text

I didn’t get too instructional with the videos this time, however, the recipe covers just about any question you might have.

After making my Tiramisu Chia Seed Pudding, I knew that basic formula had way more potential. Then I saw strawberry milk at the store and a little light went off in my head.

Strawberry milk chia pudding.

Except, naturally, I couldn’t leave it there.

Instead of relying on flavored milk, I blended an entire pound of fresh strawberries with ultra-filtered milk, maple syrup, mascarpone and vanilla to make a luscious, strawberry-forward base. Chia seeds turn that into a thick, creamy pudding while adding a hefty dose of fiber.

Then comes the part that made the tiramisu version so ridiculously good in the first place: the mascarpone cream.

For this version, freeze-dried strawberries are ground into a fine powder and whipped into the maple mascarpone cream. They give it real strawberry flavor and the prettiest natural pink color without adding the extra liquid you’d get from fresh strawberry puree.

A dusting of strawberry powder and thinly sliced fresh strawberries on top turn it into something that looks far fancier than the amount of work involved.

It’s strawberries and cream meets strawberry milk — in chia pudding form.

Kara Jones Cooks
Strawberry Milk Chia PuddingPrep 20 min · Yield 4 generous servings, or 8 dessert portions

Recipe: Strawberry Milk Chia Pudding

Yield4 generous servings, or 8 dessert portions
Prep Time20 minutes
Chill TimeAt least 4 hours, preferably overnight
ScaleUnits
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Ingredients & Method

    Strawberry Milk Chia Pudding
    • 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled (reserve a few for garnish)
    • 2 cups ultra-filtered milk, such as Fairlife or Darigold FIT
    • 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
    • 2–4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, to taste
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/2 cup chia seeds
    Whipped Strawberry Mascarpone Cream
    • 1 cup mascarpone cheese, cold
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or to taste
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Small pinch fine sea salt
    • 2–3 tablespoons finely ground freeze-dried strawberry powder, plus more as needed for flavor and color
    For Finishing
    • Freeze-dried strawberry powder, for dusting
    • Fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
      Make the strawberry milk
      1. Add the hulled strawberries, milk, mascarpone, maple syrup, vanilla and salt to a blender.
      2. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
      3. Taste before moving on. Strawberries can vary quite a bit in sweetness, so add another drizzle of maple syrup if yours need it.
      Make the chia pudding
      1. Pour the strawberry milk mixture into a large bowl or container.
      2. Add the chia seeds and whisk thoroughly, making sure there are no pockets of dry chia seeds hiding at the bottom.
      3. Refrigerate for about 20–30 minutes, then give it another thorough stir. This second stir helps keep the chia seeds evenly distributed as they hydrate rather than settling or clumping together. BELIEVE ME, don’t skip this step.
      4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is even better.
      5. The finished pudding should be thick and creamy, but loose enough to spread.
      Make the strawberry mascarpone cream
      1. Grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a very fine powder. A small food processor or spice grinder works beautifully here.
      2. Add the cold heavy cream to a mixing bowl and whip until it just until it expands. It doesn’t have to set up yet.
      3. Add the mascarpone, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons of strawberry powder.
      4. Continue whipping just until the mixture is thick, creamy and fluffy.
      5. Taste and add additional strawberry powder if you’d like a stronger strawberry flavor or deeper pink color.
      6. Be careful not to overwhip. You’re looking for a soft, luxurious mascarpone cream rather than a stiff frosting.
      7. If you accidentally take it a little too far, add a splash of unwhipped heavy cream and gently mix it with a spatula to loosen everything back up.
      Assemble
      1. You can make individual servings, or make one large, layered trifle like I did.
      2. For individual servings:
      3. Divide the strawberry chia pudding among glasses, jars or bowls.
      4. Top each serving with a generous layer of whipped strawberry mascarpone cream.
      5. And I do mean generous. If you learned anything from my tiramisu chia pudding, it should be that the mascarpone cream is not merely decoration. That contrast between the fruity chia pudding and rich, fluffy cream is what makes the whole thing.
      6. Arrange very thin slices of fresh strawberry over the mascarpone cream.
      7. Finish with a dusting of finely ground freeze-dried strawberry powder.
      8. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

      Kara’s Notes

      Use good strawberries. You’re putting an entire pound into the pudding, so they aren’t exactly a background character here. Ripe, flavorful berries will make a noticeable difference.

      Ultra-filtered milk is worth it. I like using Fairlife or Darigold FIT because you get the creamy milk base along with considerably more protein than conventional milk.

      Freeze-dried strawberries are the secret weapon. They give the mascarpone cream concentrated strawberry flavor and beautiful natural color without introducing additional moisture. Don’t substitute fresh strawberry puree here unless you’re prepared to adjust the consistency of the cream.

      Don’t skimp on the mascarpone cream. Apparently this is going to be a recurring disclaimer with my chia pudding recipes. The cream is what takes this from a practical bowl of chia seeds into something that genuinely feels like dessert.

      Adjust your maple syrup according to your berries. Really sweet summer strawberries may need very little. Out-of-season berries may need some help. Taste the strawberry milk before adding the chia and adjust accordingly.

      Give it the second stir. Chia pudding loves to convince you everything is evenly distributed and then quietly form one enormous chia blob at the bottom of the bowl. Stir it again after 20–30 minutes.

      Make it overnight. The flavor and texture are even better the next day, which makes this an excellent meal-prep breakfast or make-ahead dessert.

      Serving & Storage

      Store the chia pudding covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If it lasts that long.

      For the prettiest presentation, wait to add the fresh sliced strawberries and final dusting of strawberry powder until shortly before serving.

      You can assemble the pudding and mascarpone cream in individual jars ahead of time, then garnish when you’re ready to eat.

      A Note on Nutrition

      Between the chia seeds and ultra-filtered milk, this is one of those recipes that manages to bring some actual nutritional substance while still eating like a strawberries-and-cream dessert.

      Chia seeds are particularly rich in fiber, while ultra-filtered milk adds substantially more protein than you’d get from many traditional chia pudding bases.

      But I’m not going to pretend that’s why I’m eating it.

      I’m eating it because strawberry milk pudding buried underneath a thick layer of whipped strawberry mascarpone is objectively a very good situation.

      https://karajonescooks.com/recipes/strawberry-milk-chia-pudding/ · Recipe by Kara Jones Cooks

      Good to know

      This strawberry milk chia pudding combines a smooth blended strawberry-chia base with a luxurious whipped strawberry mascarpone topping. Serve it in individual jars or as a layered trifle for a delicious breakfast or dessert.

      Substitutions

      Storage & reheating

      Store the pudding and whipped mascarpone cream covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. Keep the dish chilled until ready to eat, as it is served cold and should not be reheated.

      Common questions

      Why does the chia pudding need to be stirred a second time?

      Stirring the pudding after 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge keeps the chia seeds evenly distributed as they hydrate, preventing them from clumping at the bottom.

      How can overwhipped mascarpone cream be fixed?

      If the mascarpone cream is overwhipped, gently fold in a small splash of unwhipped heavy cream with a spatula until it loosens back up.

      How long should the chia pudding chill before serving?

      Refrigerate the covered pudding for at least 4 hours to set, though leaving it overnight produces the best texture.

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