Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding

This Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding makes for a sweet and nutritious breakfast, snack or dessert. It’s vegan, quick to prepare and tastes delicious! Try making this recipe to prepare for the next busy week.

Do you ever want a recipe that is super versatile and can work as a breakfast, snack and dessert? This Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding does just that. Make it once and enjoy it at whatever time of day suits your needs!

Over the years, chia seeds have been considered a “superfood” in mainstream diet culture and there has been a ton of recipes incorporating them. There’s a reason why they’re so fun to cook and bake with! They provide a ton of texture, nutrients and are relatively mild in taste, so they can take on whatever flavours they’re paired with.

In this chia pudding, the chocolate, banana and coconut milk are the stars of the flavour show. Although the chia seeds are integral to the recipe, they don’t alter the taste at all. So, if you’ve ever been hesitant to try chia seeds, this is a great entry point.

It takes a little bit of time (1 hour) to allow the mixture to set but the actual preparation takes less than 5 minutes!

Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding Ingredients

A meal prep recipe with minimal ingredients is the way to go. For this chia pudding, all you need is:

• Chia seeds
  • Feel free to use black or white chia seeds.
• Banana
  • For a sweeter taste, make sure you choose a ripe banana. Alternatively, you can use a frozen banana, microwave it for 1 minute, drain the excess liquid and mash it up.
• Coconut milk
  • I like to use the lite coconut milk from a can as it offers more flavour and a smoother consistency. If you prefer to use coconut milk from a carton or a different type of milk altogether, you can do this too.
• Cocoa powder
  • You only need 1 tbsp of cocoa powder to make this pudding a chocolate dream!
• Cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt
  • These are all for flavour and can be adjusted depending on your preference! I find the salt helps take all of the flavours to the next level.

 

In terms of equipment, I recommend preparing this recipe in a large bowl so it’s easier to combine it well. It’s also helpful to use a whisk when mixing so that you’re able to break up big clumps of chia seeds that may get stuck together.

Chia Seed Nutrition

This Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding recipe calls for ¼ cup (or 4 tbsp) of chia seeds. However, in just 1 tbsp of dry chia seeds, there is roughly:

• 2 grams of protein
• 3.5 grams of fibre
• 100%+ of your daily omega 3 recommendation
• A significant source of vitamin K and other minerals

As you can see, these little seeds provide so many nutrients! With the protein and fibre, they add some staying power too, keeping you full for longer. And if you’re not a fish lover, they can help you meet your omega 3 needs!

How to Make Chia Seed Pudding

Making this pudding couldn’t be easier. Here are the instructions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chia seeds, mashed banana and cocoa powder together. Mix well.
2. Pour in the coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir until well combined and all the chia seeds are covered in the milk.
3. Place the bowl in the fridge and allow the pudding to set for a minimum of 1 hour. You can leave it in the fridge overnight if you have the time.
4. Once it is set, serve it with sliced banana, shredded coconut, grated chocolate or chocolate chips and enjoy!

If you’re not a big fan of the seedy texture, blending the pudding is always an option. Before you let the mixture set, toss it in the blender and blitz it up for about 10 seconds, or until mostly smooth. Let it set for a minimum of 1 hour (ideally overnight). Serve as recommended.

I hope you love this Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding! If you’re looking for more healthy and delicious snack ideas, that also double as breakfast options, check out these recipes:

• Peanut Butter Banana Yogurt Bowls
• Chocolate Chip Power Cookies
• Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Oat & Almond Granola Bar

 

If you make this Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!