This mango breakfast bowl combines some of my favorite breakfast elements: a creamy chia pudding, homemade mango yogurt (dairy or dairy-free), fruit puree, and a crispy oatmeal topping. It’s the ultimate nourishing mango chia pudding bowl! Whether you’re looking for a mango brunch, breakfast, or mid-day snack, this bowl is packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants… not to forget a ton of creamy, tropical mango flavor, too (with no added sugars necessary)! I recently shared a mango sago dessert and creamy yogurt mango lassi. Now I’m combining the two for a creamy mango chia seed pudding breakfast bowl to impress! I’ve already shared several chia pudding jar recipes with smoothie toppings, like my 3-ingredient chia pudding recipe. This time I’ve swapped out the frosty smoothie topping for something a little less perishable and perfect for meal-prep several days in advance! Even better, this mango breakfast recipe is ideal for filling you up till lunch; no snacking is necessary! Best of all, if you prepare the chia pudding and crispy oats in advance, this mango chia seed pudding bowl takes just a few minutes to assemble! If you meal-prep all the elements, then it’s ready in practically seconds! Want more mango breakfast inspiration? How about this mango smoothie or pineapple and mango smoothie?!
Mango Chia Pudding Ingredients
The chia pudding: for the chia pudding, I used a combination of chia seeds, vanilla powder, and milk (dairy or dairy-free; I used homemade coconut milk). You can also add a little maple or honey (not vegan) to naturally sweeten the pudding too, but it’s not necessary. Crispy oats: these lightly spiced crispy oats combined with rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary), extra virgin coconut oil (melted), cane sugar (or the sugar/granulated sweetener of your choice), cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and optionally some vanilla. Mango: if it’s mango season, then I recommend using fresh, ripe mango. However, you can also use high-quality tinned mango pulp. I recommend Indian Kesar mango pulp or Alphonso mango pulp. Yogurt: use your yogurt of choice – natural yogurt will work well. For a dairy-free option, dairy-free coconut yogurt works best.
Optional Add-ins & Variations
Coconut: mango and coconut are a delicious combination. Feel free to sprinkle over some raw or lightly toasted shredded coconut or coconut flakes. Other fruits: feel free to top the mango chia pudding bowl with extra fruits like raspberries, pineapple, blueberries, kiwi, etc. Passionfruit also works particularly well with mango. Orange zest: adding a little orange zest to the chia pudding is a great way to increase flavor! Lime: to add extra ‘brightness’ to the dish, you can add a squeeze or two of fresh lime juice to the mango puree and optionally top with a little grated lime zest. Granola: swap out the crispy oats for healthy granola instead.
How to Make a Mango Chia Pudding Bowl?
Step 1: Prepare the chia pudding Combine the chia seeds, milk, and vanilla in a bowl/container, mix well, and then set aside to thicken into a chia pudding for a minimum of 20 minutes. However, you could also prepare this the day before and leave it to thicken overnight in the fridge. I recommend giving the chia pudding one more stir after 5 minutes to break up any seed clumps in the mixture. Once thickened, feel free to add a little sweetener to taste – though you may not need it with the sweetness of the mango and crispy oats. Step 2: Prepare the crispy oats In an oven-safe dish, combine the oats, spices, and coconut oil (melted) and mix. Then bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF/175ºC for 10 minutes, until the oats are golden and crispy. Step 3: Prepare the mango If you plan on using tinned mango pulp, then you can skip this step. First, peel and chop the mango. If you are not sure how to cut it open, I shared 4 methods for how to cut a mango. Mash it by hand with a fork for a slightly chunky texture, or throw it in a mini food processor/blender for a smooth mango puree. Step 4: Assemble the mango chia pudding bowl You can ‘layer’ this bowl in several ways, so feel free to do so as you please. First, add your yogurt of choice to the bowl. Then, mix a little of the mango puree into the yogurt to create homemade mango yogurt. Then, add the chia pudding over the yogurt, some extra mango puree, a few spoonfuls of the crispy/ crunchy oatmeal, and optionally some extra mango slices or other fruits and mint leaves. Enjoy!
How to Make Ahead and Store
Make ahead: all the elements for this mango chia pudding bowl can be made ahead for several days’ worth of delicious breakfasts.
Prepared chia pudding will last up to 5 days. The mango puree can be kept safely in the refrigerator for three days. However, it’s freezer-friendly for up to 3 months – so you could simply leave a portion to thaw overnight whenever needed. Lastly, the crispy oats can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container, ready to sprinkle over breakfast dishes. If they begin to lose their crispness – just pop them in a skillet or the oven for a few minutes to crisp back up again.
Fridge: After assembling the mango chia pudding bowls, it’s best to enjoy it immediately, as the crispy oats will go soggy over time. However, the chia pudding, yogurt, and fruit puree mixture can be combined and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Top off with the crispy oats just before serving!
Recipe Notes & Variations
To make mango chia pudding: if you want mango-flavored chia pudding then, no worries. All you need to do is substitute half the milk in the chia pudding for mango pulp, mix, and allow to set. If you plan to use mango chia pudding, I recommend using plain yogurt or combining the yogurt with a different fruit puree like raspberries. To sweeten the chia pudding: I recommend using maple, agave, or honey. The amount you need will depend on how sweet the mango pulp is. I recommend ½-1 Tbsp per portion. Serve in a jar: With this combination of ingredients, you can easily make layered mango chia pudding jars. I recommend adding ⅓-½ of the chia pudding first, then some of the mango puree and yogurt, then repeating those layers and topping off with the crunchy toasted oats and any other toppings. That way, you get a bit of each element in every spoonful. Using frozen mango: If you prefer, you can use frozen mango. Just make sure to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before preparing the mango breakfast bowl. If your chia pudding doesn’t thicken: this is likely due to using old chia seeds, which lose their absorbency over time.
Other Fruity Breakfast Recipes
Mango Lassi Strawberry baked oatmeal Vietnamese avocado shake (Sinh To Bo) Berry oatmeal (2-ways) Blueberry Aebleskiver (Danish mini pancakes) Healthy Smoothie meal-prep Chocolate covered fruit and nut bars
If you try this mango chia pudding bowl recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
