Vegan dessert for Janmashtami? Here's a calorie-free chia seed pudding that will deliciously satisfy your sweet cravings

Janmashtami is celebrated in many parts of India with great enthusiasm and lots of food. No celebration is complete without a sweet treat on this day. While many desserts are high in sugar and unhealthy, we have a healthy dessert recipe made with chia seeds. The secret recipe is chia seed pudding! Once you try it, you will want to make it again and again. This healthy vegan treat uses just four ingredients: chia seeds, a healthy fruit like watermelon, plant-based milk, and a sweetener. It makes a great, healthy breakfast or snack! Top it with fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup for added flavor. It’s tasty and good for you!

Tavishi Dogra is a Deputy Chief Content Producer, Health & Wellness, at Hindustan Times. She has over 9 years of experience writing about fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, translating medical research and expert insights into practical advice readers can trust. Career journey and experience Tavishi began her health journalism journey in 2017, and has since reported for RSTV, Financial Express, Jagran, HT Media Labs and Zee. She joined Hindustan Times to simplify wellness subjects by cutting through jargon. From decoding health trends and interviewing doctors to testing fitness routines herself, Tavishi always approaches content with one filter: “Will this help someone make a better decision today?” Subject expertise With 9+ years tracking India’s health conversations, Tavishi knows the gap between clinical advice and daily life. She knows fads from fundamentals and curates science-backed, expert-recommended solutions. In fitness, she breaks down bodyweight training, recovery, and posture fixes for desk-bound readers. In nutrition, she translates guidelines into affordable, desi meal tweaks. In mental well-being, she focuses on stigma-free, actionable tools — all backed by research, expert input, and lived context. Education and professional background Tavishi holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and began her career reporting on public affairs for broadcast. Those early years in policy and TV shaped how she writes today: fast, factual, and human-first. Editorial Philosophy I write with one single goal: To simplify health in a world full of noise by finding what’s actually doable, safe, and evidence-based for my readers. I test claims against research and user experiences. When all else fails, I speak to the expert who sees 50 patients a day, not the one with the most followers.

The main ingredient in chia pudding is chia seeds. Chia seeds are known for their many health benefits. They are a superfood loaded with nutrients. Chia seeds provide omega-3 fatty acids and are high in fiber, protein, magnesium, antioxidants, and phosphorus. They also contain calcium, iron, niacin, and thiamin.

To make your chia seed pudding healthy, use high-quality ingredients and a natural sweetener like maple syrup or honey. You can use regular milk or a non-dairy option like almond, coconut, oat, cashew, or soy milk. Chia pudding is flexible.