Vegan Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding Recipe

Vegan Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding Recipe

Today we are making a Vegan Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding Recipe! This is the world of comfort food with a contemporary twist – the viral social media recipe, but into a PB&J chia seed pudding! This creation takes one of the most beloved and timeless flavor combinations, peanut butter and jelly, and reimagines it in a way that’s not only delicious but also plant-based and healthy. It’s a healthy snack you can swap in for a unique and healthy breakfast if you’re looking for new ways to enjoy traditional chia pudding + get in lots of vitamins and minerals in one go. So if you’re a fan of chia pudding or overnight oats, this recipe is the perfect choice for your next make-ahead breakfast for the next morning!

Now, this iconic duo of peanut butter and jelly is the good stuff, with a special place in the hearts of many children and adults alike. It’s a pairing that evokes memories of childhood lunches, picnics, and after-school snacks. The creamy, nutty essence of peanut butter harmonizing with the sweet, fruity notes of jelly is a match made in culinary heaven. But what’s the story behind it?

I always wondered why this was so popular while growing up – I didn’t have much of a taste for the creamy peanut spread with fruit jam on white toast, but all my classmates raved about it! Peanut butter items were also banned in our grade school due to allergies, so this was the go-to after-school snack for many. I never really got onto the bandwagon for this combination, until I grew up and had a change of heart. It’s quite delicious with the sweet and savory flavors!

So the history of peanut butter and jelly dates back to the early 20th century when both ingredients became more accessible and affordable. Peanut butter was already a staple, but it was the introduction of pre-packaged peanut butter and jelly that made it a nationwide sensation. The simplicity and convenience of spreading these two ingredients between slices of bread quickly caught on, becoming a classic American sandwich. It’s a testament to how the simplest ideas can often be the most enduring. And now, we’re taking that enduring flavor and transforming it into a wholesome chia pudding recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding Recipe

Favorite Sandwich-Turned-Pudding: This easy recipe reimagines your the popular childhood PB&J sandwich, classic peanut butter and jelly, and transforms it into a nostalgic chia pudding flavor and a nutritious snack! As a food blogger, experimenting with mixing different flavors into popular recipes – like a sandwich flavor into a chia pudding – is what makes this so fun! Now, you can dish out spoonfuls of this favorite flavor, all while enjoying that flavor combination but in a different way, with more health benefits. The peanut butter lends its rich, nutty depth, while the jam infuses a burst of fruity sweetness.

Remember those carefree moments at school lunchtime when the only thing you had to think about was the PB&J sandwich in your lunchbox? So if you still love the charm of a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich, this pudding is a twist that’ll have you enjoying the flavors of your childhood with a whole lot of deliciousness!

Substitutions: Chia Pudding

Oat Milk: Substitute with another non-dairy milk of choice. Soy milk will be a high-protein option, but coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk or others can work too. Oat milk has a sweet and nutty flavor, which is the one used in this recipe for best results.

Chia Seeds: Black chia seeds are a specific type of tiny black seeds that fluffs up when kept in liquid, and are a great source of healthy fats and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Do not substitute with another seed. From using them in chia pudding, in your morning oatmeal bowl, as an egg replacement in baking, in chia jam and more, these are versatile little seeds!

Maple Syrup: Use agave nectar or another liquid sweetener of choice. For the jam, you can also use the same substitutions.

Peanut Butter: Use natural peanut butter without added sugar or oils (the only ingredient should peanuts on the label). Feel free to use crunchy or smooth peanut butter instead of smooth. You can also use almond butter, cashew butter and other nut butters to change up the flavor of this pudding while keeping the creamy proportions the same.

Pure Vanilla Extract: Choose a high-quality vanilla extract, without additional caramel color or dyes. You can also use pure vanilla flavor, which is non-alcoholic so can’t have the “extract” label.

Substitutions: Strawberry Jam

Lemon Juice: Do not substitute the lemon juice. For best results, stick with the freshly squeezed juice, not a pre-bottled version. Bottled lemon juice usually tastes more acidic.

Strawberries: This recipe uses frozen strawberries, but you can swap it in for the non-frozen version as well. Frozen berries are easier to find year-round, whereas the best fresh berries are usually available in the summer months. Swap this out for blueberries, raspberries, cherries or blackberries for a different flavor!

Vegan Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding Recipe Notes

• To make this recipe higher in protein, opt for a fortified with protein vegan milk, or soy milk that naturally has a lot of protein.
• This recipe can be made suitable for a keto diet with a low amount of net carbs. Replace the maple syrup with a low-carb sweetener and use low-carb dairy-free milk like unsweetened almond milk. The peanut butter and chia seeds are high in fat, so not very carb-heavy to begin with. Strawberries are also considered keto-friendly.

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If you make this Vegan Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding Recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!