Toasted Coconut Chia Pudding

Name: Toasted Coconut Chia Pudding
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 252 min
Ingredients: 1 can full-fat coconut milk (well shaken); 1 cup water; ½ cup chia seeds; ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract); 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup ((optional)); 2 scoops collagen peptides or vanilla protein powder ((optional)); 1 cup coconut yogurt; fresh fruit for topping ((optional))

In this post:

Why You’ll Love It
Key Ingredients
How To Make It
Victoria’s Tips
Ingredient Substitutions
Storage & Meal Prep
FAQ
More High-Protein Breakfast Recipes
The Recipe
More Recipes To Try

Recently, I developed a recipe for a High-Protein Coconut Chia Pudding, and you guys loved it so much that I thought I would develop this adaptation for a toasted coconut chia pudding.

It’s a very similar recipe, but with toasted coconut flavor that comes from adding toasted shredded coconut right into the chia seed pudding itself.

It’s just as easy to make as the original recipe but has that deeply nutty, warm, comforting flavor of toasted coconut.

About 10 minutes of prep and you’ve got a high-protein, high-fiber, dairy-free breakfast you can enjoy all week long.

Why You’ll Love It

High-fiber, high-protein, and full of healthy fats. 21 grams of protein per serving and 12 grams of fiber, plus lots of healthy coconut fats and omega-3s from the chia seeds. The kind of breakfast that keeps you full and nourished all morning long.
Nutty, toasted coconut. The toasted shredded coconut that goes directly into the chia pudding adds a luxurious, nutty flavor that makes every spoonful taste oh so special.
Naturally gluten and dairy-free. No swaps or workarounds needed.
Meal prep friendly. About 10 minutes of effort and you’ve got a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast that’s ready to grab and go every morning of the week.
Refined sugar-free. You can add a bit of optional honey or maple syrup. Otherwise, this recipe is totally refined sugar-free.

Looking for the original? If you want a classic High-Protein Coconut Chia Pudding, this is the one for you.

Key Ingredients

Full-fat coconut milk. You have to use the canned kind here because it makes this pudding unbelievably creamy and keeps you full all morning long. Coconut fat also has MCTs, potassium, and magnesium.
Toasted coconut. Mixed into the chia seed pudding itself and sprinkled on top, it adds a little bit of crunch and a delicious nutty toasted flavor that makes this toasted coconut chia pudding so special.
Chia seeds. This is where all the fiber and healthy omega-3s are coming from. They soak up all the liquid and turn into the pudding texture we all know and love.
Coconut yogurt. Layered into the pudding for a rich, creamy, slightly tangy contrast.
Collagen peptides or vanilla protein powder (optional). A couple of scoops of collagen powder or protein powder gets you to 21 grams per serving. Dissolves right into the pudding and you don’t really taste it.

How To Make It

This toasted coconut chia pudding couldn’t be easier to make. The only cooking required is toasting the coconut, which takes only a couple of minutes. Then it’s just a matter of mixing and layering.

Finely shredded coconut toasted to a deep golden brown in a stainless steel pan

Toast your coconut
Add the shredded coconut to a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Transfer to a plate.

Thick set creamy coconut chia pudding in a metal bowl ready to layer into jars

Make the chia pudding
Combine most of your toasted shredded coconut with the coconut milk, water, chia seeds, vanilla, and optional collagen peptides or protein powder. Give it a good whisk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then whisk again to break up the clumps. Then throw it into the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Layer and assemble
Grab 4 jars and spoon a couple of tablespoons of chia pudding into the bottom of each, then add a layer of coconut yogurt, then a bit more pudding, and finish with a layer of yogurt. Sprinkle with the remaining toasted coconut.

If you like grab-and-go breakfasts like this one, my Almond Croissant Overnight Oats are another one I keep coming back to. Plus, they have 40g of protein per serving.

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Victoria’s Tips

Here are some of my tips for the best toasted coconut chia pudding.

Toast until perfectly golden. Keep a watchful eye when toasting your coconut, because it toasts faster than you think, and you’ll need to move it around constantly to get a nice even golden color. Take it off the heat just a second before it’s deeply golden. It’ll keep cooking a little bit from the residual heat. If you go a little too far and burn your coconut, it’s worth trying again because burnt coconut is very bitter.
Prevent clumps. Do your initial whisk, then wait 5 minutes, then give it another good mix. Chia seeds tend to clump together in the first few minutes, so if you skip the second whisk, you might end up with a clumpy pudding.
Adjust the thickness. If you want it more dense, you can add an extra tablespoon or two of chia seeds. For a more liquidy consistency, add a little splash of extra coconut milk or water.

Ingredient Substitutions

Need to swap something? Here’s what works:

Coconut milk. Use full-fat canned for the creamiest, thickest result. Light canned coconut milk works if you want to cut some calories, and you’ll still get the coconut flavor. Just avoid the carton kind, it’s too thin and the pudding won’t have the right consistency.
Coconut yogurt. Any dairy-free yogurt works as the topping. If dairy isn’t an issue for you, regular greek yogurt is great here and adds even more protein.
Honey. Maple syrup, 1:1 swap and it keeps the recipe vegan. Agave works too. Or just skip it if you don’t want it sweet.

Love coconut? My Strawberry Glaze High-Protein Overnight Oats are inspired by the Hailey Bieber Erewhon smoothie and combine strawberries and coconut.

Storage & Meal Prep

I am obsessed with how easy these are to meal prep. Just mix the pudding base on a Sunday, divide into jars, and you’ve got breakfast for the next 4 days.

Add the toasted coconut topping and optional fruit right before you eat it.

FAQ

How long does chia seed pudding need to set?

At least 4 hours in the fridge, but overnight is best. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s thick and the chia seeds have fully absorbed the liquid. If you need to speed up the process you can warm the coconut milk before mixing.

Is coconut chia pudding good for you?

Very! Chia seeds are one of the best sources of fiber and plant-based omega-3s you can eat. Full-fat coconut milk adds healthy fats, including MCTs. And you can add collagen or protein powder and you’ve got the protein covered too.

Can I use light coconut milk instead of full-fat?

Definitely. It’ll still set, but it won’t be as thick or creamy. Full-fat gives you that dense, rich texture and the coconut fat that keeps you satisfied all morning. Light canned coconut milk is fine if you want to cut some calories, you’ll still get the coconut flavor.