This post may contain affiliate links. Click here for my affiliate disclosure. If you purchase items through my affiliate links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn't change.
I’m always tickled when a dairy-free recipe turns out well enough for the general populace to enjoy! I don’t have any dairy sensitivities, but I like to be dairy-conscious because I know there are a lot of people with dairy allergies who read my blog. However, taking dairy out of life limits the options, and to someone who isn’t that well-versed in dairy substitutions, trying to create a dairy-free recipe usually involves more flops than a “normal” recipe would! Hence, why I’m delighted when a dairy-free recipe works on the first or second try and tastes good enough to please even the people who consume dairy with great gusto. This Single-Serve Vanilla Chia “Tapioca” was thankfully one such recipe!
Click here for all my dairy-free recipes!
As I’ve said before, chia puddings remind me of tapioca! Especially when they’re made in classic flavors like vanilla or strawberry. Chia seeds do have a bit of their own flavor so they’re not exactly like tapioca, but they’re a great substitute when you’re trying to avoid tapioca because of its starch! Today’s recipe is a basic vanilla flavor. I used light canned coconut milk to make it creamy (you can find this in the ethnic foods aisle at the grocery store or Walmart), but after refrigerating the pudding overnight to thicken, I can’t taste any coconut flavor! (And I’m not a big coconut fan.)
I used light canned coconut milk because I wanted something creamier than carton coconut or almond milk but I didn’t want all the calories of full-fat coconut milk when it wasn’t really necessary.
Click here for a dairy-free Strawberry Chia “Tapioca” recipe!
You may also enjoy:
-
STARTING THM
-
my recipe index
-
recipe index by fuel type/allergy/theme
-
Chunky Monkey Chia Pudding
-
Creamy Vanilla “Tapioca” (THM:E, made with barley)
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission (but your price doesn’t change).
Want to start the New Year out right? Grab a copy of my cookbook to get nearly 400 RECIPES to jump start your healthy journey! You’ll find lots of our Thomas family church cookbook favorites made healthy in this easy-to-use, hard cover/spiral bound book. CLICK HERE for details! You may also want to check out my 2018 recipe calendar with 12 brand new recipes and exclusive recipe cards!
- 1 c. unsweetened almond milk
- ½ c. light canned coconut milk
- ½ c. water
- ¼ c. chia seeds
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp. THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
- 1/16 tsp. salt
- Whisk the ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Refrigerate overnight to thicken, then enjoy! You can top it with some berries or use it as a blank canvas for your favorite extracts and/or spices.
You can pin this recipe here:
Oh man ! I got excited to see this post, thinking you had a Chai spiced pudding, instead of a Chia pudding !!!!!
Ah !!! The agony of being slightly dyslexic !!!!!
Hmm…maybe I need a chai chia pudding. 😉 You may be interested in this Chai Spice Rice Pudding! https://www.briana-thomas.com/chai-spice-rice-pudding/
I love this….. except for the time that I was diluting regular coconut milk to make light and then misread the directions — not wanting to waste anything, I ended up with 16 servings, which lasted awhile. My flavor addition is to brew two chai tea bags in the water to add an additional flavor. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Haha…way to save!! Thanks for the flavor idea!
Thanks for going the extra mile to create a dairy-free recipe for those of us who have no choice but to eat dairy-free!
If I use half and half instead of coconut milk, will it be an S? Still trying to get a handle on all this. This looks great, I love tapioca and rice pudding with cinnamon, I’m wondering how this would be with it, or not recommended. Thank you.
Yes, it would be an S because of the chia seeds and the fat in the half and half. 🙂 If you like cinnamon, that would be a great addition!
Why do you heat it? I’ve never done that before and curious what benefit it has.
I’ve never been able to get chia pudding to thicken without cooking the chia seeds to “activate” them. Maybe I have the wrong kind of chia seeds!
Yum! I used half and half rather than the coconut milk and it was fabulous! And I drank part of it warm ? couldn’t wait!
I’m so glad it worked with the half and half! Thanks for trying it!
Hi Brianna.. I have never commented before. Been following your posts for probably a year. I love your cookbook and recipies. I’m a stay at home mom of 3..living in ON. THanks for all your hard work in providing healthy variety in our cooking. .
Congratulations! So very happy for your engagement!
Thank you so much, Janelle! It’s good to have you here! 😉
Could I just use all almond milk ?
You’re welcome to try that, but it won’t be as good and creamy.
I have normal canned coconut milk (not lite) & coconut milk in a carton. Do you think either of those would work in this recipe in place of the light coconut milk?
Thanks. 🙂
The full-fat canned coconut milk should work, but the pudding will be a lot more calorie dense than it needs to be. 🙂 Maybe use part full-fat canned coconut milk and part carton almond or coconut milk?
Thank you 🙂
I’m making this tonight! I have discovered your website in the last month or so and I have already bought your cookbook and just about every recipe I make for THM is yours. I understan you and I know this is weird, but I have been wanting you to find someone amazing to be with and God answered! I promise I am not a weirdo, but I am so excited to follow your story in the changes coming and am so happy for you! Thank you for all you do to help us on the THM journey!
Aw, thank you so much, Erika!