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This chocolate banana bread chia pudding will not only make your mornings easier, it will allow you to have a great start to the day with lots of fiber and protein. Mornings don’t have to be so hard! If you’ve ever made overnight oats before, chia pudding is the same idea. It takes minimal ingredients to make this chocolate banana bread chia pudding and takes minutes to mix together and forget about. Just pull it out of the fridge and enjoy right away, it doesn’t get any easier than that!
Chocolate Banana Bread Chia Pudding Ingredients
Bananas: Similarly to when you make banana bread, you’ll want to use one large or two small very ripe bananas for this recipe. The riper the better, and the easier it will be to turn it into mush that will incorporate into the chia pudding.
Almond Milk: I recommend using an unsweetened almond milk for this recipe as I’ve found the taste and consistency are best with it. It you’d prefer a different milk or you have an allergy, skim milk, coconut milk or pretty much any other nut milk will work too.
Cacao Powder: The chocolatey piece of the chocolate banana bread chia pudding comes from cacao powder. You can use any cacao or cocoa powder that is unsweetened for this recipe. If you’re looking for some extra chocolatey flavor, try warming up the chia pudding once its set and mix in some chocolate chips — so good!
Cinnamon: I added cinnamon to this recipe because I think the flavor compliments the banana and chocolate well. Cinnamon and banana is a common combo and I love that taste in the chia pudding. If you’d like to omit the cinnamon the recipe will still work.
Vanilla Extract: Similarly to the cinnamon, I recommend adding vanilla extract to the chia pudding because it enhances the flavors and does add flavor that tastes like what you’d expect from banana bread. It’s not necessary and can be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.
Maple Syrup: The main sweetener for the chia pudding other than the banana itself is maple syrup. Maple syrup is my favorite unrefined sugar sweetener but you can use honey as well. Note that if you use honey the recipe will not be vegan.
Salt: I really don’t leave salt out of any recipe on my site, it just makes everything better! The combination of salt with the chocolate and almond butter is just everything. If you’d like to have a less salty taste, you can omit it.
Almond Butter: I made the almond butter optional for this chia pudding because I’ve tried the recipe with and without it and I think it comes out great either way. The almond butter simply adds more creaminess and substance to the pudding. It also provides some extra protein! Even if you don’t add it in, you can just top it off with some almond butter.
Chia Seeds: Chia seeds are of course the star of this recipe. I love chia seeds and use them daily because they are an amazing source of Omega-3 and fiber. If you’re looking to add more fiber into your diet as many people are, chia pudding is always a good option. White or black chia seeds both work for this recipe.
How To Make Chocolate Banana Bread Chia Pudding
Step One: In a large bowl, use a fork to smash the ripe banana until there are no chunks left. The riper the banana, the easier it will be to break it down.
Step Two: Add the almond milk to the banana and whisk to combine. Mix in the cacao powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, maple syrup, salt and almond butter (if you’re using it) and whisk again until the mix is completely uniform.
Step Three: Stir in the chia seeds and whisk immediately for a few minutes until the seeds are evenly distributed in order to prevent large clumps.
Step Four: When the chia seeds are evenly distributed and the mix is uniform, either cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator or pour the mix into jars and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight to set.
Step Five: When the chia pudding is ready to eat, the chia seeds will have absorbed the milk and the pudding will be very thick. Refrigerate the pudding for up to four days and top with toppings of your choice like almond butter and cinnamon.
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CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD CHIA PUDDING
4
servings15
minutesGluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo, Vegan
Ingredients
1 large or two small ripe bananas
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp cacao powder
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
optional: 3 tbsp almond butter
1/2 cup chia seeds
Directions
- In a large bowl, use a fork to smash the ripe banana until there are no chunks left. The riper the banana, the easier it will be to break it down.
- Add the almond milk to the banana and whisk to combine. Mix in the cacao powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, maple syrup, salt and almond butter (if you’re using it) and whisk again until the mix is completely uniform.
- Stir in the chia seeds and whisk immediately for a few minutes until the seeds are evenly distributed in order to prevent large clumps.
- When the chia seeds are evenly distributed and the mix is uniform, either cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator or pour the mix into jars and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight to set.
- When the chia pudding is ready to eat, the chia seeds will have absorbed the milk and the pudding will be very thick. Refrigerate the pudding for up to four days and top with toppings of your choice like almond butter and cinnamon.
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