Banana Chia Pudding
This Banana Chia Pudding is a great breakfast or an excellent snack. If you are tired of eating plain chia pudding, adding mashed banana to the mix is a perfect choice to make it more fun and yummy.
IS CHIA PUDDING HEALTHY?
Yes, it is! Chia seeds are an incredibly nutritious addition to your diet. They are rich in protein, healthy carbs, and especially fiber. You’ve probably heard some dietitians recommend adding chia seeds to water to fight constipation. If you still need to hear about it, here is a simple explanation. Chia seeds contain lots of fiber, but the majority are insoluble fiber. This is why when you add chia seeds to liquids, they absorb and expand in size and take on a gel-like consistency. Simply adding them to your water can help fight constipation, especially during travels, when many of us forget to dring plenty of water.
So, you don’t have to add many chia seeds to your water, just about one teaspoon per glass of water, and wait until they expand. Then you drink the water just like you’d typically do, and since the insoluble fiber in chia seeds does not get broken down by your body, they get incorporated into the stool, adding weight and bulkiness. If you ever suffer from constipation (I can hear you loud and clear, my friend, 😠, I’ve been there many times), you’ll love this clever and easy way to fight it. So, no wonder why people called this method an internal shower.
This banana chia pudding is even healthier than chia water since you add fruits, calcium sources from milk, and beneficial probiotic bacteria from yogurt. Another great way to fight constipation is to consume oats, like in my EASY & HEALTHY BREAKFAST OATMEAL WITH FRUIT recipe.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
- 4 tbsp chia seeds. This recipe is for two people, so please adjust accordingly.
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt. I love using plain yogurt in my smoothies and chia pudding recipes. And I am choosing it because of its excellent probiotic properties. But, make sure that it is plain and not fruity flavor since the fruity ones contain a lot of sugar.
- 1/2 cup milk. I tried making chia pudding with yogurt only, but it was too thick. So, adding milk works excellently to get great thickness and silkiness. If you don’t like adding milk, you can try adding water instead.
- 2 tbsp maple syrup. You can adjust the amount of maple syrup here. Just remember that banana is sweet enough, so don’t add too much maple syrup. If it’s not sweet enough for your taste, you can always add more before eating.
- One mashed banana. It would be great to have a ripe banana, but remember it has higher sugar content, so adjust sweet ingredients accordingly.
- 1 tsp cocoa. I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Topping of your choice. I always like adding berries, but adding kiwi was also an excellent choice.
Preparing this Banana Chia Pudding is very easy. I like making it in the evening and letting it sit in the fridge overnight to set. Plus, there is nothing better than waking up to an already-made breakfast. But, if you are going to snack on chia during the day, you can make it anytime and set it for about 4 hrs. I prefer making mine in small juice glasses, as an individual serving size. But if you prepare the pudding for more people, you can store it in a big mason jar and transfer it to individual dishes right before serving. The crucial part is to mix all ingredients and let chia seeds soak for about 30 minutes on the countertop. Then remix everything and put it in the fridge to set.
If you don’t eat it all at once, you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to three days. It probably can last up to 5 days, but I found that after three days, the yogurt in chia starts changing taste slightly.
The chia seeds themselves don’t have any taste. They absorb liquids and enlarge in size and will have any flavor of the liquids or any other addition you are combining them with. So, in this Banana Chia Pudding recipe, the dominant flavor will come from the banana, which makes the pudding especially tasty. Once the chia seeds absorb the liquids, they will have a gelatinous-like consistency that is easy to swallow and digest.
RECIPE PREPARATION STEPS
Time needed: 15 minutes
This recipe is for two people.
- Step 1
Prepare two serving dishes for chia pudding. I prefer making mine in small juice glasses. But if you prepare the pudding for more people, you can store it in a big mason jar and transfer it to individual dishes right before serving. Add two tbsp of chia seeds to each glass.
- Step 2
Smash one banana with a fork and place it in a dish.
- Step 3
Add 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk to the banana and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Step 4
Add 2 tbsp maple sirup to the mixture and mix.
- Step 5
Add 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder and mix everything until well combined.
- Step 6
Pour half the mixture into one glass with chia seeds and mix with a spoon. Pour the other half into the other glass and mix well.
- Step 7
Let the mixture sit on the countertop for about 30 minutes and remix well after. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for at least 3-4 hrs (it is best if left overnight).
- Step 8
Top the banana chia pudding with the fruits of your choice. Add some nuts as the protein source.
If you like this Banana Chia Pudding, here are some other chia recipes to try:
- Coconut Yogurt Overnight Oats without Chia (2 Easy Options)
- EASY OVERNIGHT CHIA SEED PUDDING WITH FRUIT
- SIMPLE OVERNIGHT ROLLED OATS WITH CHIA SEEDS
- EASY OVERNIGHT CHIA PUDDING WITH KEFIR
- Chia Pudding with Oat Milk (Easy Recipe)
Banana Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup yogurt plain
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 banana mashed
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare two serving dishes for chia pudding. I prefer making mine in small juice glasses. But if you prepare the pudding for more people, you can store it in a big mason jar and transfer it to individual dishes right before serving. Add two tbsp of chia seeds to each glass.
- Smash one banana with a fork and place it in a dish.
- Add 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk to the banana and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add 2 tbsp maple sirup to the mixture and mix.
- Add 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder and mix everything until well combined.
- Pour half the mixture into one glass with chia seeds and mix with a spoon. Pour the other half into the other glass and mix well.
- Let the mixture sit on the countertop for about 30 minutes and remix well after. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for at least 3-4 hrs (it is best if left overnight).
- Top the banana chia pudding with the fruits of your choice. Add some nuts as the protein source.
Video
Notes
- The nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on the specific ingredients used. Also, it only includes components for the chia pudding and doesn’t include the topping.
- Plain Yogurt. I love using plain yogurt in my smoothies and chia pudding recipes. And I am choosing it because of its excellent probiotic properties. But, make sure that it is plain and not fruity flavor since the fruity ones contain a lot of sugar.
- Milk substitute. I tried making chia pudding with yogurt only, but it was too thick. So, adding milk works excellently to get great thickness and silkiness. If you don’t like adding milk, you can try adding water instead.
- Sweetness Level. You can adjust the amount of maple syrup here. Just remember that banana is sweet enough, so don’t add too much maple syrup. If it’s not sweet enough for your taste, you can always add more before eating.
- Banana. It would be great to have a ripe banana, but remember it has higher sugar content, so adjust sweet ingredients accordingly.
- I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder.
- I always like adding berries, but adding kiwi was also an excellent choice.
