Low FODMAP High Protein Dessert – Tiramisu Chia Pudding
📌 Key Points
What it is: A low FODMAP high protein dessert — hung curd layered with chia seeds, cold brew coffee, and oats, set overnight and dusted with cacao for a tiramisu look
Why it works: Cold brew (never hot) keeps the probiotics in the hung curd alive; chia gels overnight for a tiramisu-like texture with no cream or mascarpone
Gut-friendly: Yes — no refined sugar, no cream, no gluten. Chia provides soluble fibre that gels gently without fermentation-related bloating
Prep: 5 minutes active + overnight set
Calories: ~390 kcal | Protein: ~26g | Fibre: ~8g
This low FODMAP high protein dessert is a tiramisu chia pudding made with hung curd, cold brew and cacao. No cream, no refined sugar, 26g protein. Prep in 5 minutes.
There is a version of tiramisu I cannot eat anymore. The original — ladyfingers soaked in espresso, mascarpone, egg yolks, sugar, heavy cream — is one of the most calorie-dense desserts going, and it hits nearly every gut trigger I have in one bowl. Cream. Refined sugar. A big caffeine spike from hot espresso on an empty stomach. I have not ordered it since my gut stopped tolerating it. Not because I was told to. Because I know what follows.
So I built my own version instead, and the first time I let a mix of hung curd, chia, and cocoa set overnight, I did not expect it to work this well.
This is a low FODMAP high protein dessert that happens to look and taste like tiramisu. Hung curd the job mascarpone does — thick, creamy, tangy — but with far more protein and far less lactose. Chia seeds set it overnight into something spoonable. Cold brew coffee gives it the tiramisu flavour without the hot-espresso problem. A dusting of cacao on top finishes the look.
26 grams of protein. Around 8 grams of fibre. No cream, no refined sugar, no cooking. Five minutes of work the night before, and it is waiting for you in the morning — as breakfast, or as the after-dinner thing you reach for when you want something sweet that will not wreck your stomach.
The reason it qualifies as a low FODMAP high protein dessert, and the reason cold brew matters so much, are both worth explaining — so here goes.
What Makes This a Low FODMAP High Protein Dessert?
A dessert earns the “low FODMAP” description by leaving out the fermentable carbs that set off bloating and cramping — and earns “high protein” by actually delivering a meaningful amount, not a token gram or two. This tiramisu chia pudding does both.
On the gut side: there is no refined sugar, no wheat, no high-lactose dairy, and no high-fructose fruit. Hung curd is strained, which removes much of the lactose that makes regular yoghurt and cream hard on a sensitive gut. Chia seeds are a low FODMAP soluble fibre. Cocoa, in the small amount used here, sits within tolerance for most people. Each component is chosen to keep the whole thing gentle.
On the protein side: one serving lands at around 26 grams, almost all of it from the hung curd. That is a real number for a dessert — most sweets bring close to zero. It is what lets this work as a breakfast, not just a treat.
So when I call it a low FODMAP high protein dessert, it is not a label stuck on afterwards. The recipe was built backwards from those two requirements.
Why Is This Tiramisu Chia Pudding Gentler Than Real Tiramisu?
Real tiramisu has four ingredients that cause trouble for a sensitive gut. This version swaps out all four.
Heavy cream becomes full-fat hung curd. Cream is pure fat with nothing to buffer the lactose. Hung curd has had its whey strained away — removing a chunk of the lactose — and brings 20 grams of protein per cup. For a gut that reacts to dairy, the difference is not subtle.
Refined sugar becomes maple syrup or stevia. Refined sugar spikes and crashes blood sugar, and the crash drives cortisol, which worsens gut symptoms. A teaspoon of maple syrup or a few drops of stevia sweetens without that swing, and without the sugar-alcohol bloating you get from many “sugar-free” desserts.
Hot espresso becomes cold brew coffee. This is the detail people miss, and it is the one that keeps this a genuine low FODMAP high protein dessert rather than just a healthier-looking one — more on it below.
Ladyfingers (made with wheat flour) become rolled oats. Two tablespoons of oats soak up liquid overnight and give the soft, slightly chewy layer ladyfingers provide — without the refined flour, added sugar, or gluten.
Why Must the Coffee Be Cold Brew, Never Hot?
This is the most important technical point in the recipe.
The live probiotic cultures in hung curd are heat-sensitive. Most strains start dying above 40°C and are destroyed at 60°C and up. Hot espresso comes out at 90 to 95°C. Pour that into the curd — even after letting it cool a little — and you damage the cultures before they do anything useful.
Cold brew coffee is steeped in cold water over 12 to 24 hours and never gets warm. Added to hung curd, it leaves the probiotic cultures intact. The gut-supporting side of this dessert depends on those cultures surviving — which they only do with cold brew.
Cold brew is also around 60% less acidic than hot-extracted espresso. For anyone whose gut issues include acid sensitivity or reflux, that lower acidity is another reason it sits easier.
Four tablespoons (about 60ml / 2 fl oz) of cold brew gives a clear coffee flavour without overpowering the curd. Use shop-bought cold brew concentrate diluted with equal water, or make your own by steeping 2 tablespoons of coarse-ground coffee in 300ml of cold water overnight, then straining.
What Does Each Ingredient Do?
Hung curd (chakka dahi) — the protein and the creaminess. Strained full-fat dahi is roughly twice as protein-dense as regular curd and thick enough to stand in for mascarpone. One cup brings about 20 grams of protein. Three-quarters of it goes into the base; the rest sits on top as a fresh layer.
Chia seeds — the structure. Each seed soaks up to ten times its weight in liquid overnight and forms a gel, which is what turns the blended mix into a set pudding with no cooking or gelatine. Chia is also a low FODMAP soluble fibre, so it moves through the gut gently rather than fermenting fast.
Cold brew coffee — the tiramisu flavour, kept cold to protect the probiotics. Covered above.
Rolled oats — the soft layer that stands in for ladyfingers. Two tablespoons, soaked in overnight.
Cacao powder — the dusting on top and the chocolate note. Raw cacao keeps more of its flavanols and minerals since it is not roasted, but unsweetened cocoa powder works too.
Honey or stevia — a small amount of sweetness without refined sugar.
How Do You Make This Low FODMAP High Protein Dessert?
Five minutes of work the night before.
The night before. In a jar or lidded bowl, combine three-quarters cup (about 180g / 6.3 oz) of hung curd, 1.5 tablespoons of chia seeds, 2 tablespoons of rolled oats, 4 tablespoons (about 60ml / 2 fl oz) of cold brew coffee, and your sweetener — 1 teaspoon of maple syrup or a few drops of stevia. Stir very well, making sure no chia seeds are clumped at the bottom. Stir again after two minutes — seeds settle and clump in the first few minutes before the gel forms. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
In the morning. The mix will have set into a thick, spoonable pudding. Spoon the remaining quarter cup (about 60g / 2.1 oz) of hung curd on top as a fresh layer. Dust generously with cacao powder using a fine sieve or tea strainer for that clean tiramisu surface. Eat straight away.
Do not stir the top layer in. The contrast between the set base, the fresh curd on top, and the cacao dusting is the whole point — one spoonful through all three layers is how this tiramisu chia pudding is meant to be eaten.
For meal prep. The base — without the top curd and cacao — keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make three jars on Sunday night; each morning, add the fresh curd top and the cacao. Three servings from one five-minute session. The same overnight method works for the blueberry chia pudding if you want to rotate flavours through the week.
Is This Tiramisu Chia Pudding Good for Weight Loss?
390 calories for a full serving with 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fibre is well suited to weight loss — especially compared to a standard breakfast or dessert with little protein and no fibre.
The protein and fibre together are what make this low FODMAP high protein dessert work for weight management, not just the calorie count. Protein suppresses ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and stretches out how long you feel full. The soluble fibre from chia slows digestion, so the pudding is still keeping you full hours later. Both cut the urge to snack between meals, which is where most extra calories sneak in.
Skipping refined sugar matters too — no spike-and-crash, so hunger returns gradually instead of suddenly.
Pair it with a warm option like the oats chilla breakfast on other days, or with the no sugar chocolate ice cream when you want dessert after dinner — all three follow the same no-refined-sugar approach.
Watch Full Recipe on YouTube
Low FODMAP High Protein Dessert – Tiramisu Chia Pudding
Equipment
- 1 Container
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
Base layer:
- ¾ cup about 180g / 6.3 oz hung curd (chakka dahi / strained full-fat yoghurt)
- 1½ tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp rolled oats
- 4 tbsp about 60ml / 2 fl oz cold brew coffee — never hot
- 1 tsp Honey or a few drops of stevia
Top layer:
- ¼ cup about 60g / 2.1 oz hung curd (chakka dahi)
- 2 tsp raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder — for dusting
Instructions
- Mix the base — In a jar or container , combine ¾ cup hung curd, chia seeds, rolled oats, cold brew coffee, and sweetener. Stir very well so no chia clumps at the bottom.
- Stir again after 2 minutes — Chia settles and clumps before the gel forms. A second stir keeps it even.
- Refrigerate — Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 2 hours, until set into a thick pudding.
- Top it — Spoon the remaining ¼ cup hung curd on top as a fresh layer. Do not stir it in.
- Dust with cacao — Use a fine sieve to dust 2 tsp cacao evenly over the top. Serve straight away.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Why must you use cold brew coffee in this tiramisu chia pudding?
Hot coffee destroys the probiotic cultures in hung curd before they reach your gut. Live cultures begin dying at 40°C and are largely destroyed at 60°C — hot espresso is extracted at 90 to 95°C. Cold brew is extracted in cold water and never exceeds room temperature, preserving the cultures entirely. Cold brew is also 60% less acidic than hot espresso, which matters for IBS acid sensitivity. This is functional, not aesthetic.
Can you make this tiramisu chia pudding without coffee?
Yes — replace the 4 tablespoons of cold brew with cold water or cold unsweetened almond milk. The pudding sets identically. Add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract for flavour. Or skip the cacao dusting and add honey plus cardamom (elaichi) powder for a mishti doi-style version. Coffee is flavour, not structure — the chia gel forms in any cold liquid.
How do you know when the tiramisu chia pudding has set properly?
Two signs: the mixture looks visibly thickened with chia seeds suspended in gel rather than floating in liquid, and tilting the jar moves the contents slowly as a mass rather than a slosh. If still liquid after 2 hours: stir vigorously (seeds may have clumped), add half a tablespoon more chia seeds and refrigerate another hour, or check if your chia seeds are old — seeds past a year lose gelling capacity. Overnight gives a firmer result than the 2-hour minimum.
Is chia pudding safe for IBS?
For most people with IBS, yes at 1.5 tablespoons. Chia seeds provide soluble fibre that gels in liquid before reaching the digestive tract — arriving partially processed rather than as raw rapidly-fermenting fibre. Start with 1 tablespoon if new to chia seeds after an IBS diagnosis and increase once comfortable. All other ingredients in this tiramisu chia pudding — hung curd, cold brew, oats — are in quantities I have eaten regularly since my 2023 diagnosis without issue.
What is the difference between raw cacao powder and cocoa powder in this recipe?
Raw cacao is cold-pressed without roasting — it preserves flavanols, enzymes, magnesium, and iron that roasting destroys. Since the cacao is used as an unheated dusting on this tiramisu chia pudding, raw cacao delivers its full nutritional value. Unsweetened cocoa powder works as a substitute with slightly different flavour and fewer preserved nutrients. Never use drinking chocolate or Milo — both contain added sugar.
