As far as healthy breakfast options go, chia pudding is a pretty safe bet: It’s tasty, nutritious, and filling. There’s only one downside: Prepping it sure can be a time slog. Most recipes advise refrigerating it overnight (or at least for a few hours) to achieve that pudding-like consistency.
If you’re rushing to make it out the door (hello, it’s me), waiting around is obviously out of the question. So when I came across a TikTok by @clairehodginss sharing a hack that supposedly slashes the prep time to less than five minutes, I was intrigued enough to try it out myself. It’s been viewed over 400,000 times, so there must be something to it, I figured.
After all, chia seeds are pretty much a nutritional powerhouse. They’re a great base ingredient because (similar to beans) they contain a balance of the important macronutrients, including protein, fat, and carbohydrates (and in particular, fiber), Emily Van Eck, MS, RDN, an Austin-based dietitian nutritionist, tells SELF. Fiber’s important for a whole lot of reasons—for one, it promotes good digestion—and most folks don’t get nearly enough of it. What’s more, Van Eck says, chia seeds are packed with antioxidants, substances that can protect against everything from heart disease to cancer.
Chia seeds also have “crazy gel properties”—the ability to absorb water, milk, or whatever liquid you want to use, and transform into a paste, Van Eck says. All you have to do is combine them with some liquid and let the combo sit for a while to thicken up. You can eat chia gel plain, but it also mixes well into a variety of other dishes, like soups and smoothies.
For folks who happily meal-prep, that lag isn’t a big deal, but for the rest of us scrambling to feed ourselves in the morning, it could be a deal-breaker. That’s where the TikTok’s hack comes in: Per the video, using hot water (instead of cool or cold) causes the seeds to form a gel right away. Then simply add Greek yogurt, a sweetener of some sort, and toppings like fresh fruit to make it a balanced (and quick) meal.
I tried it myself. First, I combined two tablespoons of chia seeds with hot water in a bowl and noticed that they almost immediately began to congeal. Next, I scooped in three-quarters of a cup of plain Greek yogurt and added my toppings. Going by the original TikTok, I layered strawberry slices and blueberries over the pudding and drizzled some honey across to enhance the sweetness a little bit.
In total, the process took me about 10 minutes from start to finish; slicing up the strawberries was the most labor-intensive step. (I was going slow and kept referring back to the video to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. If I went by memory, or used grab-and-go fruit like all blueberries, I definitely would have hit that five-minute mark.) And no, the hot water didn’t make the whole thing unappetizingly warm—I found that the addition of the Greek yogurt cooled it off. By the time I took the first bite, the dish was room temp to chilly (but in a refreshing way, not a gross way, I promise).
All in all, my breakfast came in at roughly 20 grams protein and 10 grams fiber. But as Van Eck says, two tablespoons of chia seeds is actually a pretty small amount—less than 140 calories—so it might not keep you full for long. She recommends potentially adding a third (that’d give you an extra hit of fiber, too).
Some other changes you can make to your quick chia pudding: Consider using something other than water to make your pudding, Van Eck says. Any liquid “that you like the flavor of” works, including regular milk or a plant-based version like soy or coconut. Reduce the amount of Greek yogurt for a thinner and less gooey texture. And stir in a little maple syrup and salt. “With anything that you're adding sweetness to, adding just a pinch of salt really brings out the flavor,” she says.
While Van Eck would make some tweaks to the TikTok recipe, she considers it a well-rounded meal overall. “I can see this holding you over for several hours, and that's always a good thing to get out of your breakfast,” Van Eck says.
As for me, I was impressed by the result. The fruit gave me something solid to chew on, the honey added a hint of sweetness without overpowering the other flavors, and the protein kept me full for a while after. Next time, I think I’ll take Van Eck’s suggestions and use more seeds and less Greek yogurt—but there will definitely be a next time for some quick chia pudding.
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