Banana Chia Pudding

Back when we were in the process of moving from Minneapolis to Ontario, we were living in an RV - and had a very limited kitchen.

Breakfast was usually overnight oats or a chia pudding of some sort.

Both were a perfect make-ahead breakfast - a healthy breakfast that was quick and easy to make, AND tasty.

They were great for meal prep - we’d mix up a few batches in small mason jars, and have them ready in the fridge the next day to grab and go.

... and I never bothered to post any of those recipes!

Anyway, it took 5 years, but here I am, finally getting around to it!

This banana chia seed pudding recipe was a favourite of ours back then, and still is, to this day!

The best part?

Not only is this a great way to START the day, it’s a makes a great sweet snack any time of day!

With the high fiber content of those nutrient dense seeds, it’s the perfect combination of “healthy lifestyle choice” and “indulge the sweet tooth”!

These days, we do tend to look at this as a dessert recipe, and have some form of chia pudding on an almost-daily basis.

Anyway, let’s get to it!

Ingredients

This recipe uses some really simple ingredients, but I do have some notes for you:

Banana

I love using fresh fruit in my healthy chia puddings, and this banana chia pudding is no exception!

Like most of my recipes that use fresh bananas, you want to use a VERY ripe banana for the best banana flavour.

Bananas sweeten and develop a stronger banana flavor as they develop those black spots, so don’t be afraid to use a banana that is NOT looking great!

Also? They’re easier to mash down when overly rip, making for a smoother pudding.

Chia Seeds

Along with the banana, Chia Seeds are the other main ingredients of this recipe.

Nutritious chia seeds are what takes this from more of a banana smoothie, to an actual pudding. The seeds can absorb a LOT of liquid, and creates a gel-like consistency in doing so.

They’re a great thickener - Just 1 tablespoon of seeds can turn ⅓ cup of liquid into a very thick pudding!

They’re also a big part of what makes this a healthy dessert. Just 1 tablespoon of seeds has 4 grams of fiber, and they’re loaded with all kinds of antioxidants, essential amino acids, minerals, and more.

It’s no wonder that easy chia puddings have become so popular over the past few years!

While I tend to use regular black chia seeds, White Chia Seeds are another great option.

They tend to disappear, visually, into the puddings in a way that the black chia does not.

Milk

You can use whatever type of milk you like, in this recipe.

As far as dairy-free milk options go, I use Unsweetened Almond Milk, as I try to avoid cow’s milk whenever possible, and default to plant-based milk for most things.

That said, Coconut Milk, (I use the canned coconut milk, rather than the tetra packs in this case), Oat milk, Cashew Milk, Flax Milk, and Macadamia Milk are all great options - I love the flavour of each.

I tend to avoid soy milk and rice milk, myself, but both would work fine.

That said, if don’t need a non-dairy milk, use whichever you like - 2% and whole milk both work well!

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Light Brown Sugar or Dark Brown Sugar
Pure Vanilla Extract
Sea Salt

... I just don’t have anything else to add, for these last few ingredients!

Toppings

While optional, adding your favorite toppings is a fun way to make this the best banana chia pudding you’ll have!

A bit of whipped cream on top? Banana cream pie chia pudding!

Adding chocolate chips, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, and/or hemp seeds are a great way to add some contrasting texture and flavour.

I’m a “banana slices and chopped pecans” purist, myself!

Variations

Consider this to be a very base recipe, ripe (ha!) for customizing. A few ideas:

1. Use a touch of maple syrup in place of the brown sugar.

2. Mix a tablespoon or so of cocoa powder in, for a chocolate banana chia pudding.

3. For a high protein, blend a scoop or two of your favourite vanilla protein powder into it. (Or chocolate protein powder, for a banana chocolate chia pudding)

4. Add a little cinnamon to the mix, and stir in some walnuts after it’s thickened a bit, for more of a banana bread pudding.

5. Blend in some unflavoured or vanilla collagen powder.

6. Stir in your nut butters! Peanut butter, sesame seed butter, or cashew butter can make a great addition to your banana pudding!

How to Make Banana Chia Pudding

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here’s a visual walk through.

In a medium bowl, mash banana, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt together

Add chia seeds, stir well

Allow to sit for 20 minutes, stir again - scraping the bottom of the container - and divide into 2 serving cups.

Chill for at least 2 hours.

Garnish as desired - I like to go with banana slices and nuts - and serve.

Note: If it’s your first time making this recipe, I recommend not putting it into the serving cups right away. Let it sit in the mixing bowl (covered) for two hours, give it a good stir, and check for the texture.

I like it as a thick compote, your view of “best texture” may be a bit thinner.

If you find yourself wanting to thicken it up after the two hours, stir in an extra tablespoon of chia seeds and let it sit.

If you want to thin it out, add a little more milk, stirring until it reaches the desired consistency.

For an extra creamy pudding, run it through a food processor after it thickens.

Leftovers

If you’re not serving it right away, cover each serving cup with plastic wrap, and it will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

Alternately, don’t divide it out into the cups, and just store the whole batch in an airtight container - like a mason jar. Give it a stir and dole it out just before serving.

More Chia Pudding Recipes

Looking for some more tasty ways to get extra fiber into your diet? I've got you covered, with more chia seed recipes!

Blueberry Chia Pudding
Keto Protein Pudding [Protein Powder Pudding]
Mango Chia Pudding
Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding
Spiced Apple Chia Pudding

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