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Basil Seed Pudding is a great breakfast, snack or treat that’s high in fiber and nutrients, plus delicious and convenient to make. With just 2 basic ingredients, this recipe is perfect for Paleo, Vegan, Keto, Gluten-free, GAPS and many other diets.
Like chia seed pudding, but gentler because it’s lectin-free, enjoy Basil Seed Pudding as a new and better alternative.
Ingredients in Basil Seed Pudding
Just two main ingredients are needed to create Basil Seed Pudding:
- milk of choice, according to your diet and preference: coconut milk, almond milk OR … my favorites, macadamia nut milk or fermented nut or seed milk (if you want to pre-digest the basil seeds to get more of their nutrients + probiotics)
- basil seeds (Learn more about what basil seeds are, here.)
- optional sweetener — Stirring a sweetener into your pudding is optional! It doesn’t need it. And you may also top your pudding with a garnish of sweetener instead: maple syrup, or low carb sweetener of choice for Keto; honey can be used for the full GAPS diet.
- optional pinch of sea salt
You may also make this pudding with just water, instead of milk. If so, the seeds absorb more water than milk, so your water-based pudding will be thick. And then you can stir in a cream of choice to garnish, such as coconut cream or cashew cream (for non-low carb).
Here are the basic ratios of how to make thick or thin puddings with milk or water:
- FOR A THICK PUDDING — 1/2 cup milk of choice + 2 tablespoons basil seeds
- FOR A CREAMY, LESS THICK PUDDING — 2/3 to 3/4 cup milk of choice + 2 tablespoons basil seeds, depending on how thick and dense you want the pudding.
Once you have the basil seed-to-liquid ratio you prefer, the flavor possibilities are endless: chocolate or carob, nut butter or peanut butter, berries, citrus, banana and more. You can even use eggnog in place of the milk.
Feel free to double, triple or quadruple the recipe to make a large batch for the week.
HOW TO MAKE BASIL SEED PUDDING
Basil Seed Pudding is easy to make: just stir the ingredients together, and wait for the pudding to thicken.
It takes just 5 minutes to prep Basil Seed Pudding. But, I do find it’s helpful to give the mixture an extra stir once the seeds begin to absorb liquid.
You may also wish to give the pudding one more stir before serving.
Tips and insights about basil seed puddings
- Meal prep option: Fill mason jars with Basil Seed Pudding. Leave some room, then top with frozen berries, screw on the lids, and then freeze. When you want a healthy snack or breakfast, thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Watch the portion size: It’s easy to make too big of servings, when it comes to pudding. But remember to stick to the recipe for the right portion size: 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk to 2 tablespoons basil seeds.
- Adjust the ratios to suit your preference: Some like a thicker basil seed pudding and some like a thinner pudding. Add more or less milk, accordingly.
- Have fun with the toppings; they can be half the meal!: Use sprouted nuts or seeds, fresh fruit, applesauce, runny jam or berry sauce, whipped cream, cocoa nibs, chocolate chips or cinnamon.
Variation with carob or cocoa
Chocolate Basil Seed Pudding is just as delicious as plain, and only has one additional ingredient.
The other difference with this variation of the recipe is we heat the milk + carob or cocoa first, and then add in the basil seeds once the mixture has cooled.
Heating the carob or cocoa helps its flavor to bloom. No, you don’t have to heat, but I think it’s better.
Find this version of the recipe in the Notes section below the main recipe.
Lectin-free, no carb basil seeds
Whether you’re on a lectin-free diet or not, many of us have learned from Dr. Gundry that lectins are best to reduce in our diets.
Lectins are plant compounds that plants use to defend themselves against predators. As a result, lectins are not gentle for our GI tracts.
Because chia seeds are high in lectins and basil seeds are lectin-free, they are truly the better choice!
Plus, as mentioned, basil seeds are super high in soluble fiber and have no carbs.
Which brand of basil seeds to buy
I have personally only tried two brands, and interestingly, they were actually a bit different from one another. I chose each one because it was organic but still had a decent price point.
The first, Eden’s Larder brand (here), has a really floral, basil flavor. It tastes lovely and fun. The only downside of this brand is that it doesn’t absorb liquid as well, so pudding with it may not end up as thick. The seeds retain a bit more crunch and may even slightly alter the ratio called for in recipes.
The second brand, Biobliss (find it here), has a milder flavor, but the seeds absorb a lot of moisture, so they create a really creamy thick pudding. You can add more or less milk to vary the texture, according to your preference.
It sometimes happens with chia seeds that they don’t absorb moisture as well as they could, and this happens because they’re not fresh. So it may be that Eden’s brand doesn’t yet have enough turnover on their product, or some other processing issue. However, we still really enjoyed recipes made with their seeds, so you’ll have to decide what your priority is: flavor or function.
If the milk to seed ratio is off a little with Basil Seed Pudding (because of your brand of seeds), it’s easy to add more milk or more seeds to get it to your liking.
Basil Seed Pudding
Equipment
- bowl and whisk, or glass/jar and spoon
Ingredients
FOR A THICK PUDDING
- ½ cup milk of choice, OR you may make the pudding with water and then top it with and stir in a bit of cream of choice after it's thickened
- 2 Tablespoons basil seeds
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup optional, or low carb sweetener for Keto; honey for GAPS
- pinch sea salt optional
FOR A CREAMIER, LESS THICK PUDDING
- ⅔ to ¾ cup milk of choice (To make the pudding drinkable, use 1 full cup of milk.)
- 2 Tablespoons basil seeds
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup optional, or low carb sweetener for Keto; honey for GAPS
- pinch sea salt optional
Instructions
- In glass or bowl of your choice, stir or whisk together the ingredients: milk or water, basil seeds, optional sweetener of choice and sea salt.
- Allow to thicken 15 to 30 minutes.
- Serve, or cover and refrigerate.
- Basil Seed Pudding keeps covered in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Serve with favorite toppings, such milk of choice, sweetener, berries, Strawberry Topping, cocoa nibs, nuts or seeds, fresh banana (not for Keto) or coconut whipped cream.
Notes
Chocolate or Carob Basil Seed Pudding variation
To make this recipe with carob or cocoa, use the same amount of milk, basil seeds, sweetener and sea salt as indicated in the recipe above:- In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 Tablespooon carob or cocoa with milk of choice.
- Stir over medium heat until the mixture is steamy hot, but not yet simmering.
- Cool to warm or room temperature, then whisk in sweetener of choice and basil seeds.
- Allow to thicken at least 15 to 30 minutes. Chill 3 hours or overnight, if desired.
The following nutritional facts are for the Keto Low Carb version of this recipe.
Nutrition
You can Pin this recipe here:
Similar recipes I think you’ll like:
- Basil Seed Jam
- Soaked Chia Seed Pudding
- Keto Overnight “Oatmeal” (grain-free)
- Buckwheat Porridge (pressure-cooked to remove lectins)
- Kombucha Overnight Oats (pre-digested to reduce antinutrients)
Claudia Lamascolo says
Terrific flavors, easy to make and everyone loved this healthy pudding!!
Megan says
Thanks for sharing your results, Claudia, and I’m so happy to hear you loved the basil pudding! 🙂 It is nice to have a healthy easy treat!
Marisa Franca says
This pudding is delicious. I haven’t had the whole serving yet – I made it for my dessert tonight — but I licked the spoon. I used my oat milk for it and to tell you the truth – it feels like I’m cheating. Great recipe.
Megan says
Aw, great to hear, Marisa, I’m so glad you like the recipe! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Julie says
I wasn’t too familiar with basil seeds so I’m so glad I came across your recipe to use mine! So tasty and delish. I will be using it again.
Megan says
Yay, so glad, Julie! Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe!
Natalie says
Wow this looks fantastic! Flavors are inviting. I’m putting this on my breakfast list.
Megan says
Yay, so glad to hear, Natalie, enjoy! 🙂
Gail Montero says
Love that it’s a guilt-free and wholesome dessert that can easily be made!
Megan says
True, Gail, thanks, and enjoy!
April says
This sounds amazing! Love this recipe idea. Basil seed pudding is new to me. At first, I thought it was chia seeds! I’m glad to have stumbled upon this recipe! It’s so interesting. Will have to try it!
Megan says
Great, April! Thank you, and enjoy!!
Lisa says
Does the basil seed pudding have a “basil” taste in the pudding? Thanks, Lisa
Megan says
Hi Lisa, it does actually! I don’t think everyone would notice it, like, my kids don’t. But I can really taste it. It’s basically a subtle very floral flavor, and then when you hone it on it, you realize it’s basil. So, I think you could go either way with liking it because of the basil flavor, or not noticing the basil flavor, depending on the person. For me, I can’t escape it, so it’s a good thing I like it. I do have a very strong sense of both taste and smell.
Lisa says
Thank you Megan! I’m not a huge fan of basil – and I too have a very strong sense of taste & smell so probably not for me. I’m looking forward a replacement for chia seeds. which I used for making chia pudding with raw milk. Though I followed instructions for making them more digestible, I began to have digestive issues 🙁 any suggestions on a replacement?
Megan says
Hi Lisa, sorry for the late reply! Somehow this comment went into a different folder, so I just found it. Hmmm, alternatives to chia that are gentler, to have with raw milk….: Tapioca? Do you do any grains: rice? Sprouted rice cereal? Hulled barley? Do you specifically want a seed? Nothing else will balloon up like the chia and basil seeds. There are hemp and flax type porridges, but hemp is high in polyunsaturated fats, so not good for too often, and flax has estrogens… Lots to consider! 😉
Lisa says
Hi, there? yes I do eat white rice. I don’t have access to raw milk. Almost all stores that carried it (within a 3 hour driving distance) do not sell raw milk anymore. I called every store on the raw milk website – no luck. So…I’d be using organic but pasteurized milk. I am unfamiliar with tapioca. Love to hear more about it! Hoping I can find someone who sells raw milk when the farmers markets starts back up.
Smooches!!! ??
Megan says
Hi Lisa! 🙂 Tapioca is an instant or longer cooked porridge (depending on the pearl size) or dessert treat, made of translucent pearls, derived from cassava. We make them with water like this: https://eatbeautiful.net/tapioca-floats/ and then top them with cream and maple sugar. The cream allows us to avoid badly processed milk, but to still have dairy. We do something similar with white rice. My boys love sushi rice best, and Basmati is the gentlest on the gut, so a kind of casual rice pudding. We have also started eating sprouted brown rice and hulled barley, both of which I cook no-fuss in the Instant Pot, and hulled barley especially makes a great porridge, like oatmeal. If you tolerate hulled barley, I consider it the best combination of nutrient-dense and gentle (because it’s low oxalate and low salicylate, so over time no toxic veggie compounds building up in your system). But all of these options are ones we enjoy, and maybe one of them will resonate the best with you. 🙂
Bunny says
Does anyone know if zen basil is low Oxalate?
Caroline Kemnitzer says
Hi! Zen basil is my favorite And they claim very low oxalate. Recommend you reach out to them. https://amzn.to/43zLmXB Love enjoying my basil seeds with mixed raw, un roasted nuts on top and a dash of salt.
Adele says
Love this! Can you freeze the pudding?
Megan says
Yes, you can. The pudding texture isn’t quite as good thawed, but almost. Adding a little cream after thawing helps. 🙂
it’s me says
omg this is so good. i tried chia pudding but hated it so much but this, I LOVE IT!!!!!! i’m gonna have it everyday no cap.
Megan says
Awesome, so happy to hear! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 🙂
Alta says
This is really good! I made two portions – one batch I made with whole basil seeds with water and the other batch I ground up the basil seeds and mixed with coconut milk. Then I mixed both portions together, so it would be nice & creamy but still had the texture from the whole seeds. I also added compliant sweetener & cinnamon. Best served chilled! Thank you for the recipe…I am lectin free!!!
Bblondon says
I’ve been having this weekly to replace chia but can’t seem to find much info about basil seeds/ Potential side effects aside from it not being recommended for pregnant women and having an impact on estrogen (I’m not sure those sites were accurate/verifiable though!) just wondered if there was any resource to learn more /more info?
Megan says
Hi there, and glad you’re enjoying the basil seed pudding in place of chia seed pudding. Thanks for sharing that. I think we’re a bit limited at this time in really honest studies on basil seeds’ effects on one’s health. They just aren’t popular enough yet, for one, and two, people who share new food fads tend to celebrate all the wins without really looking at both sides with true curiosity and concern. The most information we have at this time comes from their use as an Indian medicinal food. We would need Pub Med type studies to gain new insights, which haven’t happened yet. My takeaway is moderation in all things. As with all seeds, I would expect they could change hormone levels if eaten daily.
Meg says
Stupid question. So could you use basil seeds from a seed pack to make this?
Megan says
Hi Meg, not a stupid question at all. Sabja or Tukmaria Seeds are the same seeds used for eating as they are for growing the plant with basil leaves, so theoretically, absolutely, yes. 🙂