Creamy Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding (High Protein!)
This creamy strawberry chia seed pudding is the perfect high protein and high fiber breakfast to prep for your week. Fresh strawberries blended with cottage cheese and then flavored with vanilla and brown sugar make this high protein chia seed pudding recipe taste just like you are biting into a healthy strawberry cheesecake!
I love an easy breakfast recipe that checks all of the boxes. High protein. High fiber. Full of fruit. Easy to make and clean up. Delicious! Because let’s be honest, the first meal of the day simply shouldn’t fall short on flavor and nutrition.
If you are looking for a breakfast recipe that checks all of those boxes too then this creamy strawberry chia seed pudding recipe is one that you should add to your rotation!
A full serving of juicy strawberries blended with cottage cheese and milk then mixed with fiber rich chia seeds makes this breakfast nutritious, delicious, and meal prep friendly. Topped with whipped cream and some crushed graham crackers, this is a healthy breakfast recipe that your entire family will love.
Let’s get to the recipe!
Why you’ll love this high protein chia seed pudding recipe:
This strawberry chia seed pudding recipe will likely become one of your favorite breakfasts to reach for because it is:
High in protein: This high protein chia seed pudding gets its protein content from creamy cottage cheese, milk, chia seeds, and has no protein powder in sight!
Full of fresh fruit: One of my favorite ways to sneak in extra fruit servings is by blending them into the liquid of my recipes. Blending strawberries with milk and cottage cheese sneaks in the flavor, fiber, and nutrition of strawberries and you avoid soggy strawberries in the morning.
High fiber: The fiber from the strawberries and chia seeds make this breakfast extra filling, great for gut health, and helps you work towards your fiber goals for the day.
Meal prep friendly: This meal prep breakfast recipe is perfect to make on a Sunday and enjoy throughout the week.
Egg free: If you wanted a high protein breakfast without any eggs then this is a perfect option for you!
You’re going to love this recipe. Now let’s get into the ingredients you will need to make it!
Ingredients you’ll need:
To make this strawberry chia pudding you’ll need:
Chia seeds: Rich in plant based protein, omega-3’s, and other micronutrients makes chia seeds one of my favorite ingredients to use as the base of a recipe like chia pudding or to mix into other recipes like overnight oatmeal and granola.
Cottage cheese: I used low fat Good Culture cottage cheese but you could use your favorite brand.
Milk: This helps the cottage cheese and strawberries blend, adds some protein, and thins out your chia pudding. If you want to thin out the consistency of your chia pudding then I would add more milk or use less if you prefer thicker chia pudding recipes.
Brown sugar: This adds some sweetness and can be swapped for maple syrup or honey.
Vanilla extract: This always cozies up any creamy fruit recipe and adds a nice depth of flavor.
Optional Toppings: Graham crackers, sweet thins, whipped cream, and fresh sliced strawberries are delicious on this strawberry chia pudding.
That’s it!
Step by Step Instructions:
One of the reasons why I love prepping chia seed pudding to enjoy throughout the week is because it comes together in a flash and makes minimal mess. Here’s how you’ll prep this recipe:
1) Add your strawberries, cottage cheese, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to a blender or blender cup.
2) Blend until fully smooth.
3) Pour your blended strawberries into a glass bowl then gently stir in your chia seeds. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
LTN TIP: If you prefer a thinner chia seed pudding consistency, simply stir in some additional milk in the morning until it reaches the consistency that you want.
4) Enjoy this recipe as it is or top with crushed graham crackers, whipped cream, and fresh sliced strawberries in the morning. Enjoy!
Swaps, substitutions, and suggestions:
Some things that you could do to make this strawberry chia pudding even better is to:
Add chopped nuts or stir in nut butter: Chopped pecans, walnuts, and even peanut butter would be delicious stirred into this recipe.
Add some chocolate chips: Turn your strawberry chia pudding into chocolate covered strawberries chia pudding by topping this recipe with some chocolate chips!
Swap out the berries: If you do not have strawberries then you can easily swap them for blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or another kind of fruit to change the nutrition and flavor in your chia pudding.
Change the cottage cheese out for greek yogurt: You can easily swap the cottage cheese out for probiotic rich Greek yogurt instead. This will keep the protein content and will add a slightly tangy flavor instead of the creamy flavor of cottage cheese.
Mixing in nutritious additions: Chia seeds, oats, pumpkin seeds, or ground flax seeds can easily be added to this recipe and will boost the fiber, protein, and antioxidants.
Add protein powder: If you want to make this high protein chia pudding even higher in protein then you could easily blend a little bit of protein powder in with your cottage cheese and strawberries. If you add protein powder, I would add slightly more milk as well.
Make this recipe your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!
Recipe FAQ:
Will I taste the cottage cheese?
No! Trust me, you do not even notice it is there. While some people struggle with the cottage cheese texture, this cottage cheese is blended and will simply add a creamy flavor and texture to your chia pudding.
Can I swap the cottage cheese for Greek yogurt?
Yes, you can but the final flavor will be slightly different because Greek yogurt has a tangier flavor than cottage cheese does.
How long can I keep chia pudding in the refrigerator?
This chia pudding recipe will be good for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. The longer it sits, the thicker it gets so you may want to add a little bit of milk to thin it out if you prefer a thinner texture.
Other high protein chia seed pudding recipes:
If you love this strawberry chia seed pudding recipe then you’ll probably love some of the other high protein chia pudding recipes I have on the blog as well:
Limoncello Protein Chia Seed Pudding
2 Ingredient Chocolate Protein Chia Seed Pudding
Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Chia Seed Pudding
Pumpkin Cheesecake Protein Chia Seed Pudding
Creamy Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
Instructions
- Dice your strawberries then add your strawberries, cottage cheese, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to a blender or blender cup. Blend until smooth.
- Pour your creamy strawberry mix into a medium glass bowl then stir in your chia seeds. Cover and refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
- In the morning, spoon your chia pudding into two separate bowls and top with whipped cream, vanilla greek yogurt, fresh strawberries, or other toppings of your choice. Enjoy!
*All nutrition information has been approximated. Results may vary depending on brands used and serving size.
*These blogs may contain affiliate links. Any purchase made through my links gives me a small commission and supports Lauren Twigge Nutrition
Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!