This Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding is a decadent and delicious breakfast or snack that'll satisfy those sweet-tooth cravings in a more nutritious way. You can even enjoy it as a dessert - it's that tasty!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This easy and healthy chia pudding recipe is perfect for the chocolate lovers out there - banana and chocolate is one of my favourite combinations and go so incredibly well together.
- Healthy and nutritious - chia seeds are a superfood, packed with protein, vitamins, fibre, and healthy fats. This is a super easy and tasty way to incorporate chia seeds into your diet.
- Easy to meal prep - with just a few minutes of prep time, this chia pudding is super easy to make - the heavy lifting is done for you in the fridge. All you have to do is mix the ingredients, and then sit back and wait.
- Kid-friendly - kids love this recipe. If you've got picky breakfast eaters, this one will be hard for them to resist (and nutritious for them too).
- Enjoy it as dessert - while chia pudding is often enjoyed as a breakfast or snack, because of the decadent nature of this recipe, it makes a fantastic delicious dessert as well.
What is Chia Pudding?
Chia Pudding is a super easy way to make a healthy, nutritious and delicious breakfast with no cooking required. All you need to do is mix together chia seeds and milk, and refrigerate for a few hours. During that time, the chia seeds will absorb the liquid and expand in size, gelatinizing into a deliciously thick, jelly-like texture that closely resembles tapioca. It's the easiest pudding you'll ever make.
What makes it great is how easy chia pudding is to customize with different ingredients and add-ins to create some really unique and fun flavours, such as chocolate and banana. Give it a try and you'll be surprised just how great it tastes for just how little prep is required!
Ingredients
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for exact quantities and measurements.
- Chia seeds - the star of the show. You can use black or white chia seeds, they'll both work just as well!
- Milk - I'm using unsweetened almond milk, but you can use cow's milk or any other type of plant-based milk you like (oat, cashew, soy, etc.)
- Maple syrup - I prefer maple syrup but any type of sweetener will work here (such as honey, agave nectar, stevia, etc.)
- Cocoa powder - make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder, which will give us a rich, chocolatey taste.
- Vanilla extract - for a boost of vanilla flavour.
- Chocolate chips - helps boost the chocolate flavour, while adding in some fun texture and crunch. You can also use crushed chocolate if you like.
- Banana - we'll throw a few slices on top as our final topping. A ripe banana works best here!
- Crushed almonds - as a topping for some crunchy texture! (any other type of nut will work)
Instructions
STEP 1: In a mason jar (or other sealable container), mix together chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips.
STEP 2: Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then stir it again to remove any clumps. Snap on a lid and refrigerate for 2+ hours.
STEP 3: When it's ready, take it out and add your toppings: banana slices, chocolate chips, and crushed almonds. Enjoy!
How to Store
You can store this in an air-tight sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like using 8-ounce (236 ml) wide mouth mason jars - the wide mouth makes them easy to clean and stir ingredients in, while being tall enough to have enough space for additional toppings.
Toasty's Tips
- Make sure to follow the Stir → Sit → Stir Again rule by letting the chia mixture sit for 5 minutes and then stirring again before refrigerating. This will ensure a smooth, thick, creamy consistency without clumps. Don't forget this step!
- You can use any types of nuts, seeds, or even coconut flakes as toppings - it's totally up to you! This chocolate banana flavour is a very easy complement to nuts and seeds.
- Instead of cocoa powder, you can also use chocolate protein powder instead for a protein boost. If your protein powder is already sweetened, just be mindful of adding too much additional sweetener. You may want to save mixing in the sweetener until the end and adjust to taste.
FAQ
Can I batch prep this for more than 1 serving at a time?
Absolutely! Chia pudding is perfect for meal prep - just multiple the quantities for each ingredient but keep the same ratios. So you if want to make 3 servings, simply multiply everything by 3. You can do this either in separate storage containers/mason jars, or in a large mixing bowl as one single batch.
My chia pudding hasn't thickened up properly - what am I doing wrong?
If the chia pudding isn't thick enough, you can try mixing in some more chia seeds and then refrigerating again for 2+ hours. You can also try letting it soak for a longer period of time, or using a thicker type of milk (such as full-fat coconut milk). If none of these solutions work, you may have to try purchasing a different batch of chia seeds - some batches or brands may not have the same absorption ability as others, but this is not typical.
Can I make this vegan or gluten-free?
Yes, chia seeds are naturally vegan and gluten-free! The great thing with chia pudding is you can tweak the ingredients based on your own dietary restrictions - for instance, using the right kinds of milk (i.e. plant-based for vegan) or sweetener (maple syrup instead of honey for vegan) to suit your needs.
Other Chia Pudding Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
Pudding Base
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1.5 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
Toppings
- ½ banana - sliced
- 1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips
- almonds - crushed (optional)
Instructions
- In a mason jar (or other sealable container), mix together chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then stir it again to remove any clumps. Snap on a lid and refrigerate for 2+ hours.
- When it's ready, take it out and add your toppings: banana slices, chocolate chips, and crushed almonds. Enjoy!
Notes
- Video: Watch the step-by-step video tutorial here.
- Make sure to follow the STIR → SIT → STIR AGAIN rule: Stir the ingredients, let it sit for 5 minutes, stir it again to remove any clumps, then refrigerate. This is very important to make sure your chia pudding ends up with a smooth consistency.
- Storage: You can store this away in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. I like to use an 8-ounce wide mouth mason jar, which has a wide mouth opening that makes it easy to clean and easy to stir ingredients out of. It also has enough room at the top to add in your caramelized onions and other toppings.
- Instead of cocoa powder, you can also use chocolate protein powder instead for a protein boost. If your protein powder is already sweetened, just be mindful of adding too much additional sweetener. You may want to save mixing in the sweetener until the end and adjust to taste.
- You can use any types of nuts, seeds, or even coconut flakes as toppings - it's totally up to you! This chocolate banana flavour is a very easy complement to nuts and seeds.
STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO
You can find step-by-step video tutorials for all of my recipes on my YouTube Channel. There you'll find many more tips and tricks to help you along!
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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