Flax Pudding
Flax pudding is sweet, filling and so easy to make. Ready in just 5 minutes, this flax seed pudding is high in fiber and is very budget friendly. Add your favorite toppings for a delicious healthy dessert.
Why you are going to love this recipe
- Easy to make – making flax pudding is so simple, just combine the ingredients (I recommend using a blender) then serve with your favorite toppings.
- Simple ingredients – this pudding is made with pantry staples like flax, maple syrup and dairy free milk. You likely always have these ingredients on hand.
- Budget friendly – ground flax is incredibly budget friendly and since it’s a pantry staple, you likely already have it on hand. Make this anytime you want something sweet and filling!
- Customizable – change up the sweetener by using honey, mashed bananas or even dates or change out the flavor by add other mix-in ingredients or toppings.
- Naturally sweetened – this flax seed pudding is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and packed with fiber, protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. It’s just sweet enough to enjoy for dessert but healthy enough that you could eat this for breakfast.
Ingredients
- Ground flax – you can buy ground flax (sometimes labeled flax meal) in most grocery stores or you can grind whole flax seeds down yourself using a blender or coffee grinder. Make sure you are not using whole flax seeds to make this pudding though.
- Dairy free milk – the binds with the flax and creates the thick and creamy pudding texture.
- Maple syrup – maple syrup is used to naturally sweeten the flax pudding. You could also use honey, your favorite low-carb sweetener or use mashed bananas or soaked dates to make this flax pudding Whole30 friendly.
- Vanilla extract (optional) – I love the flavor from the vanilla extract, it takes the entire recipe up a notch in flavor.
- Cinnamon (optional) – ground cinnamon also adds a boost of flavor. You could also use other spices like nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice.
How to make flax pudding
In a bowl or container, combine the flax, dairy free milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Stir immediately, the flax can clump if it’s left too long without stirring.
I recommend blending this mixture up with an immersion blender or instead making the pudding in a blender or food processor. Blend 30 seconds – 1 minute until the flax is broken down more and the pudding thickens substantially.
Serve immediately with your favorite toppings or store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Note that if you do not blend the pudding, let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour to thicken.
Top tips
- I found that blending the pudding gives it the best texture and also allows the pudding to be ready in just 5 minutes.
- If you don’t plan on blending the pudding because you are going to let it sit in the fridge, I recommend running the flax seeds (whole or ground) through the blender or coffee grinder to get them as ground as possible. This helps create the best texture. You can
- Golden flaxseeds have the best flavor, they are nutty and are more mild in flavor. Often you can only find golden flaxseeds in their whole form because they can go rancid so quickly once ground. If you choose to use golden flaxseeds, grind them up then store the ground flaxseeds in the freezer in a well-sealed container.
- When flaxseeds go rancid, they get a very bitter almost fishy taste. Sometimes they will smell fine but taste terrible. I recommend storing flax seeds (whole or ground) in a well sealed container in the freezer as soon as you bring them home from the store to avoid them going rancid.
- To thin out the pudding, add milk, 1-2 tablespoons at a time. If you find that the pudding isn’t thick enough, let it sit longer or add an additional 1/2 tablespoon ground flax. I find that blending the pudding helps to thicken it immediately.
Mix-in ingredients
- Protein powder – protein powder can add flavor and also help boost the protein in this flaxseed pudding. This is really a great way to make this into more of a meal. Add extra milk as needed (up to 1/4 cup) depending on the protein powder you are using.
- Fruit – you can add fruit before blending to give the entire flax pudding recipe a different flavor (or add it as a topping at the end).
- Cacao or Cocoa powder – cacao powder would make this into a chocolate pudding (this would be great if you have picky eaters that don’t love the color of the flaxseeds).
- Freeze-dried fruit – freeze dried raspberries or strawberries will turn the pudding a beautiful pink color and give it a wonderful flavor. This would be really fun for picky eaters!
- Yogurt – will make the pudding even more creamy and rich. Omit 1/4 cup of milk and add 1/4-1/2 cup yogurt of choice.
- Spices: Nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, ginger – use these in place of or in addition to the cinnamon to change the flavor of the pudding.
- Molasses – this adds so a deep rich flavor and also is a great source of iron (20 % daily value) potassium and magnesium (electrolytes)
Topping ideas
- Fresh fruit – berries, bananas, peaches, mango, pears. Top with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand.
- Dried fruit – raisins, dried apricots, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried blueberries
- Nuts and seeds – add chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
- Nut butter – add a drizzle of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter or my favorite chocolate tahini spread
- Granola or cereal for crunch
- Chocolate chips or cacao nibs
Flavor combinations to try
- Banana bread – add ¼ cup of sliced bananas (about ½ of a banana) and 1-2 tablespoons of chopped pecans
- Peanut butter and jelly – add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter) and 2 tablespoons of jelly or jam
- Strawberry walnut – add 2 tablespoons sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts
- Chocolate chip – add 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips
- Cinnamon apple – cook ½ an apple, peeled and chopped with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in the microwave together for 1 minute.
- Pumpkin pie – reduce the milk in this recipe by 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice.
- Chocolate peanut butter – add 1 tablespoon peanut butter and 2-4 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Carrot cake – add ¼ cup shredded carrots, ½-1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and 2 tablespoons of walnuts or pecans, chopped
- Birthday cake – add 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite sprinkles.
- Chocolate cherry – add 2 tablespoons cherries (chopped) and 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips.
- Blueberry almond – add 2 tablespoons blueberries (fresh or frozen) and 1-2 tablespoons chopped almonds.
- Raspberry chocolate chip – add 2 tablespoons raspberries (fresh or frozen) and 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
Common questions
Are ground flax and flax meal the same thing?
Yes, when buying flaxseeds at the store, you may see it advertised as ground flax or flax meal – both of these are essentially the same way to describe flax seeds that have been ground down.
Can you use whole flaxseeds to make pudding?
The pudding consistency requires the flax seeds to be ground first. The whole seeds do not absorb liquid the same way as ground flax, and the texture would be very off since the whole flaxseeds would remain chewy.
If you only have whole flaxseeds on hand, grind them up using a blender or coffee grinder before making the pudding.
Do you need a blender to make this recipe?
If you don’t want to blend the flax pudding with a blender or immersion blender, use ground flax seeds and allow the pudding to rest in the fridge for about an hour to achieve the same consistency and thickness.
Other ways to naturally sweeten the pudding
I love how easy it is to use maple syrup. It gives the dish so much flavor and I always have it on hand. However you could also sweeten the flaxseed pudding with:
- Mashed banana or mashed mango
- Honey or your favorite liquid sweetener
- Coconut sugar or brown sugar
- Medjool dates, pitted then soaked in hot water before adding to blender to blend with the rest of the ingredients.
Can you make is flaxseed pudding in advance
Yes! Make a double or triple batch and divide it between individual containers. Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I would recommend that you wait to add toppings until right before serving.
Can you use chia seeds?
If you don’t have flax seeds and want to use chia seeds, you certainly can. I would advise that you either grind the chia seeds up before blending with the rest of the ingredients or blend everything together to get a thick, creamy pudding with similar texture.
Storing flax meal pudding
Fridge: Store in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a freezer safe container up to 3 months. Will likely need to blend after defrosting as the texture may be clumpy after freezing.
If you love this recipe, you should try
High Protein Chocolate Pudding
Flax Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 3/4 cup dairy free milk
- 1.5 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract - optional
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon - optional
Instructions
- In a bowl or blender, add the ground flax, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Stir well or blend on high for 30 seconds.
- If you use a blender, serve immediately with your favorite toppings. If you don't use the blender, allow the flax pudding to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour to thicken.
Equipment
- Immersion Blender or Blender optional
Notes
- I found that blending the pudding gives it the best texture and also allows the pudding to be ready in just 5 minutes.
- If you don’t plan on blending the pudding because you are going to let it sit in the fridge, I recommend running the flax seeds (whole or ground) through the blender or coffee grinder to get them as ground as possible. This helps create the best texture. You can
- Golden flaxseeds have the best flavor, they are nutty and are more mild in flavor. Often you can only find golden flaxseeds in their whole form because they can go rancid so quickly once ground. If you choose to use golden flaxseeds, grind them up then store the ground flaxseeds in the freezer in a well-sealed container.
- When flaxseeds go rancid, they get a very bitter almost fishy taste. Sometimes they will smell fine but taste terrible. I recommend storing flax seeds (whole or ground) in a well sealed container in the freezer as soon as you bring them home from the store to avoid them going rancid.
- To thin out the pudding, add milk, 1-2 tablespoons at a time. If you find that the pudding isn’t thick enough, let it sit longer or add an additional 1/2 tablespoon ground flax. I find that blending the pudding helps to thicken it immediately.
- Protein powder
- Fruit
- Cacao or Cocoa powder
- Freeze-dried fruit
- Yogurt
- Spices: Nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, ginger
- Molasses
