Easy Viral Tiramisu Chia Pudding

Name: Easy Viral Tiramisu Chia Pudding (Plant-based)
Prep time: 3 h 10 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Teaspoon Espresso Powder (see Note 1) + 3 Tablespoons Hot Water; 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup, Optional (see Note 2); 1 Teaspoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Optional (see Note 3); 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds; 0.5 Cups Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk); 0.25 Cups Vanilla Flavored Vegan Yogurt (see Note 4 for suggestions); 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup, To Taste; 0.5 Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract); 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds; 3 Tablespoons Soy Milk (see Note 5); 0.5 Teaspoon Maple Syrup, Optional; 0.25 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, Optional

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Tiramisu Chia Pudding is an incredibly flavorful and easy to make breakfast-friendly version of a classic Italian dessert. This dairy-free chia pudding recipe is high in protein and healthy fats that will supercharge your morning and is easy to meal prep in advance!

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Hey Internet, you might already know I have a recipe for vegan tiramisu, but it's honestly a lot of work (since I made my own vegan mascarpone and vegan ladyfingers because I'm extra like that). This Tiramisu Chia Pudding is a ridiculously quick and easy version that has tons of flavor and yet is perfect for breakfast!

I already have quite a few recipes for chia pudding because it's honestly such a quick and easy breakfast that's meal prep friendly. My favorite flavors I've made thus far include Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding, Lemon Blueberry Chia Pudding, Apple Pie Chia Pudding, Peach Chia Pudding, and Pumpkin Chia Pudding, but honestly there's also a few I make that haven't made it onto the blog yet... gotta work on that!

But today we're here to talk about this incredible delicious and healthy Tiramisu Chia Pudding. Let's talk about the delicious part first.

There's a cocoa-coffee layer on the bottom that uses espresso, cocoa, and maple syrup. On top, vegan vanilla yogurt (substitutions available), vanilla, and maple syrup make an incredible mascarpone-like flavor and super creamy texture. Finally, the prepared chia pudding is topped with our homemade Vanilla Vegan Cold Foam which is optional but pretty freaking incredible and only uses three ingredients: soy milk, vanilla extract, and a splash more maple syrup.

Side note: if this sounds too sweet to you, you can totally remove as much of the maple as you'd like and the recipe will still work!

Okay, let's talk about the healthy part. This is a breakfast, not a dessert. That doesn't mean I don't think all foods have a place in any meal you'd like... it's more that, especially in the morning, we're looking for foods with nutrients that fuel us. Chia seed pudding is high in protein, fiber, healthy fats (omega 3 fatty acids!), and many micronutrients. These will give you sustained energy and satisfaction throughout your morning. Plus you'll get extra energy from the caffeine in the espresso!

Anyway, I know you're going to love this chia pudding recipe, so let's get into it.

Why You'll Love Tiramisu Chia Pudding

Quick and Easy: This delicious recipe is super easy to make and it comes together pretty quickly. You can make it even easier by just combining the coffee layer and the mascarpone layer, it will all taste the same. We only chose to do it separately to make it look pretty!
Energizing: Both the chia seeds and the espresso will give you an awesome boost of energy to help you at work, school, with housework, or whatever else you need to tackle each morning. This espresso chia pudding will become a staple in your house.
Budget Friendly: Chia seeds are usually found in the baking aisle or health foods sections of the grocery store. Luckily, you can buy chia seeds in bulk (we buy ours from Costco) and keep them in an airtight container (they'll last awhile on the counter but you can also refrigerate or freeze them to extend their lifespan). Cheap, healthy, delicious... kinda seems too good to be true!

Ingredients

Pick up these simple ingredients for this vegan chia pudding the next time you're at a grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredients, instructions, and accurate nutrition information (to the best of my ability; please consult your physician, registered dietitian, or healthcare professional if you have specific dietary needs or need to meet certain daily values of any nutrient). I give substitutions for the ingredients in the section below this one, so most people can still make this recipe!

For the Coffee Layer

1 Teaspoon Espresso Powder + 3 Tablespoons Hot Water: Mix the espresso powder into 3 tablespoons of hot water to brew our espresso; the amount of water is important for making a thickly gelled layer of espresso chia pudding.
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup, Optional: We preferred this recipe with a bit of sweetness, but if you like the bitter taste without sweetener, feel free to reduce or omit it.
1 Teaspoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Optional: This may not be considered traditional in Tiramisu inspired recipes, but we really loved the flavor combo. Feel free to omit.
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds: This is what makes the layer thick and pudding-like.

For the Mascarpone Pudding Layer

0.5 Cups Soy Milk: We highly recommend a creamy high protein style non-dairy milk like soy milk. We use shelf stable soy milk for just about everything because it's inexpensive, creamy, high protein, and just seems to make everything more awesome. If you use another store bought non-dairy milk, that's fine, but you results may vary (it should still gel up of course).
0.25 Cups Vanilla Flavored Vegan Yogurt: You can use any kind you like. We used the So Delicious Coconut Yogurt Alternative in Vanilla flavor and it was PHENOMENAL in this recipe, and really gave it that mascarpone flavor we were looking for. Any yogurt should work; feel free to use vegan greek yogurt for more protein.
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup: We found that while our yogurt was nice and sweet on its own, once we added the rest of the ingredients it needed a little more sweetness. You might need to adjust the maple syrup amount to your individual taste preferences.
0.5 Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract): It sounds a little fancy, but we find that vanilla bean paste has a much better vanilla flavor than vanilla extract and you definitely need less of it. But regular vanilla extract will work fine if that's what you have!
2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds: This is what makes the layer thick and pudding-like.

Bonus Layer: Vanilla Vegan Cold Foam

If you want to top your tiramisu chia pudding with vanilla cold foam (highly recommended and it takes just a minute to do!), grab the ingredients from our Vanilla Vegan Cold Foam recipe:

3 Tablespoons Soy Milk: Note that a high protein milk (we recommend shelf stable soy milk with the highest protein content possible) is much better to make cold foam with; see details in our Vegan Cold Foam recipe.
0.5 Teaspoon Maple Syrup, Optional: Obviously it tastes a little better with some sweetness but will work fine without the sweetener if you prefer.
0.25 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, Optional: This is what gives the cold foam a vanilla flavor. Feel free to use another extract (I would use just a drop of other extracts, though, as they are usually much more intense than vanilla and too much can ruin the flavor) or omit if preferred.

Substitutions

Espresso: If you don't have espresso, you can use about 3 tablespoons cold brew (NOT cold brew concentrate, for that dilute at the ratio provided on the container) or brewed coffee. It will have a slightly weaker flavor but it will work!
Maple Syrup: Feel free to use another liquid sweetener such as agave or simple syrup. Flavored coffee syrups will also work and you can add some fun flavors that way such as caramel, cinnamon, mocha, toffee, etc.
Cocoa Powder: You can omit this or use another powder for a different flavor.
Soy Milk: For the actual chia pudding, any non-dairy milk will be fine. If yours is sweetened, you may want to consider adding less maple syrup; just taste and adjust if needed. Be careful when substituting milks for the vegan cold foam. They don't all froth well (we especially had poor luck with barista-style creamers that are great at frothing when hot, but not so much for cold foam.
Vegan Yogurt: Plain vegan yogurt will work fine; you might just need more sweetener. The vanilla in the recipe should flavor it enough with the sweetener to be a good substitute. You could alternatively blend up tofu with a little sweetener and lemon juice. If using silken tofu, add very little lemon as it's quite watery already. Any other tofu and you may need to add a splash of non-dairy milk to get it to blend but it will work! This is also a great way to get more protein. You can also make your own homemade soy yogurt if you prefer.

How to Make Tiramisu Chia Pudding

Note: I have the two layers separated out in the ingredients list, but feel free to mix all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, mix in the chia seeds, and store, without layers if you prefer.
Make the Coffee Layer: In a small jar or container, add the teaspoon of espresso powder to the 3 tablespoons of hot water. Then add in the cocoa powder and maple syrup if using. Whisk with a mini whisk or a fork until well combined. You may choose to taste it and adjust the sweetness level at this time if you'd like. Add the chia seeds, stir well, and refrigerate covered overnight (at least 3 hours, but best when done overnight).
Make the Mascarpone Layer: In a medium jar or container, whisk together the soy milk, vegan yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla bean paste or extract. Taste and adjust sweetness level if necessary. Add the chia seeds, stir well, and refrigerate covered overnight (at least 3 hours, but best when done overnight).
Assemble: In a short to medium glass or jar (a bowl will also work but you won't see the layers), first add the coffee layer. If it is too firm, you can stir in a splash of water or milk to get it moving again. This didn't happen to us but there might be some inconsistencies in measurement for some folks. Next, add the mascarpone layer. You may also add a splash of milk to get it moving again if needed. Finally, if desired, make the vegan cold foam in a small glass or measuring cup with your frother (or in a blender) and pour on top of the chia pudding. If you'd like, you can dust a little cocoa powder or espresso powder on top using a small fine mesh strainer.
Enjoy immediately (as the cold foam will deflate).
Storage: The chia pudding itself will last up to 5 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. The cold foam is best when made and enjoyed fresh, otherwise it deflates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don't love the texture of chia seeds?

You can blend them! Blend the ingredients in high speed blender (separately for each layer if you wish, but not really necessary) and pour into a jar. It will still need to gel overnight but the texture will be much smoother.

Will it still taste good if I don't do the layers separately?

Absolutely! We've tried it both ways and they're equally delicious. This simply looks prettier (and we often consider how things look when we photograph them for the website!).

How can I boost the protein in this recipe?

There's a variety of things you can do to increase the protein here. One easy option is just to use a vegan Greek yogurt (our favorite is by Kite Hill). You can alternatively take my suggestion in the Substitutions section above and use blended tofu instead of vegan yogurt. Finally, you could also add a half or even a full scoop of your favorite plant based protein powder to the recipe. You may have to add more milk but it should work. Just make sure that there is enough liquid (the batter should not be TOO thick before adding the chia seeds) so that the chia seeds can absorb excess liquid which is what makes them gel and soft enough to eat and digest.

Can flaxseed be used instead?

Yes, however, flaxseed MUST be ground to gel together, so you won't get the same texture.

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