Chia Seed Smoothie Recipe
Soaking the chia seeds in the almond milk for a few minutes before blending lets them swell and soften, so the finished smoothie is thick and creamy instead of gritty with hard little seeds caught in your teeth.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Servings
- 2
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 medium frozen banana, sliced
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 306
- Protein
- 8g
- Carbs
- 46g
- Fat
- 13g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Put the chia seeds and almond milk in the blender jar first and let them sit for 5-10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the seeds look slightly swollen and the milk has thickened a bit.
- 2Add the frozen banana, frozen berries, spinach, and honey to the jar.
- 3Blend on high for 45-60 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides, until completely smooth with no visible seed clumps or spinach flecks.
- 4Check the consistency: if it's too thick to pour, add a splash more almond milk and blend for another 10 seconds; if it's too thin, add a few more ice cubes.
- 5Pour into two glasses and serve right away.
Tips & variations
- No almond milk on hand? Oat milk, regular dairy milk, or coconut milk all work in the same amount.
- For a thicker, pudding-like smoothie, use 3 tablespoons of chia seeds and let the soak run a full 15 minutes.
- Add a scoop of plain or vanilla protein powder along with the fruit for a more filling, post-workout version.
- Swap the spinach for kale if that's what's in the fridge; the flavor is slightly more assertive, so blend it a bit longer to break down the fibrous stems.
Storage & reheating
Chia seed smoothies are best drunk right away, but leftovers keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The chia will keep absorbing liquid as it sits, so expect the texture to thicken noticeably; shake or stir well and thin with a splash of milk before drinking.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Grinding the chia seeds in a spice grinder before adding them skips the soaking step entirely and blends in instantly smooth, though you lose the tiny bit of pop whole soaked seeds give.
- Using a very ripe, spotty frozen banana instead of a green one cuts down on how much honey the smoothie actually needs.
FAQ
Do chia seeds need to be soaked before blending into a smoothie?
Not strictly, a high-powered blender can pulverize dry chia seeds well enough that you won't notice them, but soaking for 5-10 minutes in the liquid first gives a smoother, thicker texture with less risk of gritty unblended seeds in a standard blender.
How many chia seeds should go in one smoothie?
One to two tablespoons per serving is the standard range; much more than that and the smoothie turns closer to a thick pudding, since chia seeds absorb up to 10 times their weight in liquid.
Will chia seeds make my smoothie too thick?
They can if it sits for more than 20-30 minutes after blending, since the seeds keep absorbing liquid over time. Drink it fresh, or stir in a splash of extra milk before serving if it's been sitting.
Can I use chia seed gel instead of dry seeds?
Yes. Pre-made chia gel (chia seeds soaked in water at roughly a 1:9 ratio overnight) can replace the dry seeds and part of the milk; start with about 3 tablespoons of gel per serving and adjust to taste.