Unicorn chia puddings [refined sugar, dairy, nut and gluten free]

Not only are these unicorn chia puddings a cinch to make, they are also refined sugar free, healthy and oh so pretty. You can make them with the kids on a cool Sunday morning, right at the start of their school holidays – while everyone’s still tired and cranky. The perfect fun and relaxing activity, truly. Bonus – this is no play-doh, people, when you’re finished, you can eat it all up!


Unicorn chia puddings – healthy snacks or breakfast
We have eaten these both ways – and both are great. Once you layer them, they are good to be eaten immediately, or you can store them in the fridge for a day or two. I even ate one of these poured over the top of my healthy cookie granola one morning and it was all kinds of delicious. Just imagine those crunchy spice-coated maple-sweetened granola chunks with this gorgeous yoghurty chia pudding over the top, swirling with unicorn colours. Got that image in your mind? Add some fresh fruit on the top and you really have something there.
And don’t be fooled by the good looks because, you see, all the ingredients in these unicorn chia puddings are good for you.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds are a veritable nutritional powerhouse. I might say this about a few ingredients but I am definitely right about this one. Just consider this – a single ounce (28 grams or about two tablespoons) serving of chia seeds contains:
- 11 grams of fiber
- 4 grams of protein
- 9 grams of fat (5 grams of which are omega-3s)
- 18% of the RDI of calcium
- 30% of the RDI of manganese
- 30% of the RDI of magnesium
- 27% of the RDI of phosphorus
- a decent amount of zinc, vitamins B1, B2 and B3 and potassium.
Source: Healthline

Did you know that chia seeds are seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica, which is related to the mint? Apparently chia seeds were an important food for the Aztecs and Mayans, who prized them for their ability to provide sustainable energy (and in fact, the word “chia” is the ancient Mayan word for “strength”).
Source: Healthline
Plant based milk and yoghurt
The chia seeds get mixed with plant-based milk (I use almond or macadamia milk but any type is fine, and even cow milk should work) and a bit of maple syrup and placed in the fridge for at least 15 minutes so that the whole mixture thickens up nicely and becomes chia pudding.
Chia pudding then gets layered with some natural/unsweetened plant-based yogurt (I like Nakula probiotic as well as the Wise Bunny range but you can also use coconut yoghurt or even plain Greek yoghurt if you prefer) which you can sweeten with a bit of maple syrup if you like.
The yoghurt then gets divided into thirds and coloured with natural colourings. And this is where the fun begins!

Natural colourings
As you can see below, we went with pink, blue and green – the perfect unicorn colours!
- the pink colour is achieved by mixing a bit of beetroot powder into the yoghurt;
- for the blue colour, you mix a bit of blue spirulina/freeze dried blueberry powder into your yoghurt; and
- to get that beautiful green colour, you mix your yoghurt with a bit of green spirulina powder.
That’s it! Then start layering. You need to make sure that your chia pudding mixture is firm enough to be able to achieve layers. That said, my middle layer always kind of sinks in and gets absorbed in all that chia. If that happens to you, don’t despair! What you have there is a surprise unicorn chia pudding – the third colour will become visible once you dip your spoon into it – just like in the photos above. It’s all good!


Recipe
Unicorn chia puddings [refined sugar, dairy, nut and gluten free]
Ingredients
Chia pudding layer
- 1/3 cup chia seeds (black or white, or a mixture of both)
- 1 1/3 cup (330 ml) plant based (almond, macadamia, coconut or any other) or cow milk
- dash (1/2 tsp) vanilla paste or extract
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Yoghurt layer
- 1 1/2 cup (420 ml) plant based (coconut or other) or Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tsp blue spirulina/freeze dried blueberry powder
- 1/2 tsp beetroot powder
- 1/4 tsp green spirulina powder
Decorations (optional)
- diced or cut out fruit (watermelon, berries, kiwi), to decorate
Instructions
Chia pudding layer
- Whisk the chia pudding ingredients in a small bowl for about 2 minutes or until the chia seeds have been properly dispersed through the milk. Place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Yoghurt layer
- Mix the yoghurt with the maple syrup (if using) until well incorporated. If you're not using maple syrup, skip this step.
- Separate the yoghurt mixture (or yoghurt, if not using maple syrup) into three small bowls.
- Mix each of the three powders into one bowl of yoghurt (mixture). So you will have one pink (with beetroot powder), one blue (with blue spirulina/blueberry) and one green (with green spirulina).
Layering the puddings
- Using four small glasses, layer each of the puddings as follows: (i) blue yoghurt; (ii) half of the chia pudding mixture; (iii) pink yoghurt; (iv) the second half of the chia pudding; and (v) green yoghurt on top.
- If using, top with fruit.
- Eat immediately or store in the fridge for 1-2 days (but the yoghurts will be better and fresher the sooner you eat them.)
Notes

Recipe notes
This recipe makes 4 small puddings. They may be small in volume but they are pretty filling with all those chia seeds. Perfect for the grown ups and kids alike.
You don’t need to follow the colours exactly, or the order I have layered the puddings in – they are just suggestions. Feel free to use what you have at home or what you can find online. Have a go at different combinations – the options are endless.
While you’re at it, how about some different toppings? Coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, linseeds, pine nuts, chocolate shavings, or maybe just extra yoghurt.
This recipe is based on a Unicorn chia parfaits recipe from the Australian Women’s Weekly cookbook #Veganlife (which is awesome!).


62 Comments
Julia Rees
They look so pretty as well as delicious! I love the unicorn colours and it’s amazing how much goodness there is in chia seeds!
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Katerina
Thanks so much Julia – chia seeds are super good indeed!
sherry
these puddings are so pretty katerina. i’m sure kids would love them.
Katerina
Mine really do! Thanks so much Sherry.
Molly Pisula
These are so adorable! My girls would have loved this when they were little. Luckily I can still get them to eat chia seeds, but they prefer them in crunchy form. Either way, they’re great for you.
Katerina
You’re so right, Molly! Thanks so much for your comment.
Aarthi | Prepbowls
What a fun pudding to make, love the nature color of the pudding, looks delicious! I’m pretty sure my kids will enjoy it, thanks for sharing the recipe , have an wonderful weekend, Katerina!
Katerina
Thanks very much, Aarthi!
Aarthi
Hi Katerina, Tried this recipe, and it was such fun to make. Tatsed so good and we loved it.
Katerina
Oooh, that’s wonderful! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Lovely
This looks so delish and fun! I can’t wait to make it. Thanks for this recipe!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Katerina
Thanks so much, Lovely!
Laura
These are adorable, Katerina! I love using chia in recipes, and these look delicious and nutritious!
Katerina
Thank you so much Laura!
Ashley
What a great idea for making chia pudding more fun + colorful! Chia seeds have so many health benefits- I love ’em!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Katerina
Thanks very much Ashley!
Laura Bambrick
These look so beautiful and delicious! I love the pretty colorful layers! I know my daughters would love these so much! Thanks for sharing!
Katerina
Thanks so much Laura! These are great for kids!
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
I have never had chia pudding before, but I love chia seeds in my yogurt! I need to try this! Love the colorful photos.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Katerina
Thank you very much, Carrie! Much appreciated.
Christie
These are so much fun! A colourful and delicious way to eat chia pudding! I bet they are so fun for the kiddies to get them into chia pudding too! Hope you’re doing well Katerina!
Katerina
Thank you so much Christie! Kids loved these 🙂
Juliana
Oh Katerina, these are so cute…I love all the colors in it…I yet have to try making chia pudding…thanks for the recipe.
Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Katerina
Thanks so much Juliana! Happy Wednesday 🙂
Danielle
This is so pretty, and looks delicious, too!
Katerina
Thank you so much, Danielle!
Jill
These look amazing! And, almost too pretty to eat! I’m going to have to make these when my daughter comes home for Thanksgiving break!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Katerina
Thank you Jill! I hope you enjoy these!
Naya
Another hit, Katerina! I love chia as well as chia pudding, but I haven’t tried anything similar to your recipe. You decorated it so beautifully too; a perfect sweet and healthy treat! xx
Naya
http://www.nayatilly.com
Katerina
Thank you so much, Naya, I hope you give it a try!
Anika
They look so pretty and delicious! I love the way the fruit is cut too, what a fun idea! Lovely recipe.
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
Katerina
Thank you so much, Anika, appreciated!
Shannon
How adorable are these??? My daughter would flip! We are all about unicorns over here! 😆. So delicious and healthy too! I love the colors you chose (that has got to be the perfect shade of pink!), Katerina, and the fact that they’re natural is just so so cool. Definitely need to make these unicorn chia puddings!!
Katerina
Thank you so much, Shannon! These were definitely fun to make and to eat!
Lauren
These are so cute! I love the unicorn colors! I haven’t made chia pudding in sooo long! It might be time to start making them for breakfast again. Thanks for the inspiration!
Katerina
Thanks so much, Lauren!
Sophie
They look amazing, I love chia puddings but I haven’t played around with any fun versions for a while now. I love how colourful these ones are x
Sophie
Katerina
Thanks so much, Sophie!
Neil
We have chia seeds in our porridge breakfasts every day. I’ll need to give your chia pudding a go though as with it being yogurt based it’ll be a change and mean less carbs too. Also it looks yummy!! Hope you guys are all well there “down under”. 🙂
Katerina
Thanks so much, Neil! Glad you like the look of this chia pudding. And we’re all well, thank you!
Rahul
The color of this pudding is spectacular! This is such a fun recipe and those flowers looks so cute. You are very creative Katerina
Katerina
Thank you so much, Rahul, much appreciated! We like playing with our food 🙂
Kathrine Eldridge
I saw these on your Insta and thought they looked amazing! Would love to have my family try this dessert.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Katerina
Thanks so much Kathrine, I’m so glad you like these!
Jeff the Chef
I don’t know if you know this, but uinicorns are an endangered species, and you should not be making pudding out of them! 😉
Katerina
Bahahaha.. thank you for the reminder, Jeff! I promise you that no unicorns were hurt during the making of this recipe!
Balvinder
Chia pudding is one of my favorites for breakfast and I love you made it look pretty and healthy with all the additions.
Katerina
Thank you so much Balvinder, much appreciated!
CoCo
This is going to be such a big hit at my house so I’ll just say thank you in advance from my family, Katerina! I have chia seeds every day in my smoothies but I never thought about putting them in pudding. They look so good and I love how you made the color a healthy choice as well. Super excited to try this recipe! Hugs, CoCo
Katerina
Thanks so much CoCo, I’m so pleased this recipe will bring you joy!
Healthy World Cuisine
What an awesome mom! I bet the kiddos loved these. Super delicious but also super nutritious. Fun way to color your foods. Way to go mom!
Katerina
Thanks very much, appreciated!
Auggie
Oh such a fun color! I am super inspired. I love chia pudding for breakfast and having one of these will definitely lift up the day 💜
Katerina
Thanks so much Auggie, I totally agree!
Marissa
What a pretty and clever dessert, Katerina! And I had no idea that chia and mint are related to mint. Reminds me of quinoa being related to the tumbleweed – you just never know. 😉 Excited to try this!
Katerina
Is that right!? You’re so right – you never know. Thanks so much, Marissa!
jodie filogomo
You always know how to make anything healthy and look plus taste good Katerina!!
I’m going to have to peruse your site because right now we are seeing a naturopath and having to change how we eat (and it’s not like we ate terribly…haha)
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Katerina
Thanks so much Jodie! I hope you’re both ok and that you’ll find some inspiration here. All the best!
David @ Spiced
How fun is this recipe!? I haven’t made chia pudding in quite a while, and the unicorn angle here is really cool – especially when we’re talking about cranky kids. (Oh, I know the cranky kid syndrome quite well right now!) I’m thinking I might be able to get Robbie to try this one because of the colors – that and he usually tries things if he helps to make them. Love this concept, Katerina!!
Katerina
Haha.. parents always understand! Glad I’m able to help and hope that Robbie likes this recipe!
Judee
This dessert certainly looks pretty and sounds healthy. Thanks for the background on the chia seed. I had no idea they were part of the mint family. I love how you used natural ingredients to create the beautiful colors.
Katerina
Thank you so much, Judee, I’m always trying to keep things healthy and natural. Much appreciated!