Banana Chia Pudding is a delicious, quick breakfast, sweet snack, or dessert that's fast and easy to meal prep with simple ingredients. Enjoy as-is with your favorite toppings or blend with yogurt and more banana for creamy banana pudding.
For more healthy breakfast ideas Yogurt Chia Pudding and Coffee Yogurt next!
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We’re big fans of overnight oats, and I make a big batch every week. For the longest time, they were a simple mix of oats, almond milk, yogurt, and fruit. But then I started adding chia seeds for an extra boost of nutrients, and it was a game-changer. These Banana Chia Overnight Oats are one of my favorite variations.
Lately, I’ve tried skipping the oats altogether, and making different variations of pure chia pudding, and we're loving the creamy texture.
This Banana Chia Seed Pudding recipe is a great base recipe to start with. You can easily customize it to your tastes by adjusting the sweetness, mixing it with yogurt, or even blending it with yogurt and more fresh bananas.
What is Chia Pudding
Basic chia pudding has just two main ingredients: chia seeds and some sort of liquid. For regular chia pudding, I use a ratio of 1 tablespoon of chia seeds per ¼ cup liquid. After soaking in liquid for about 15-20 minutes, chia seeds will start to absorb the liquid -- they can absorb up to 10 times their weight in liquid -- and the mixture will become gelatinous with a texture similar to tapioca pudding. The longer they sit, the more they absorb. I like to soak chia seeds overnight for the thickest, creamiest texture, and I often like the texture even better on day 2.
What is Banana Chia Pudding?
For this banana chia pudding recipe, I add mashed banana to the mix, but I use a different ratio of chia seeds to liquid -- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds for ⅓ cup of liquid (instead of ½ cup).
Why? Mashed banana also provides liquid. If I didn't adjust the milk down, I wouldn't get the thick, creamy consistency I'm going for.
Also, it's way easier to thin chia pudding than thicken it. If it's too thin, just add more milk. If it's too thick, the options are to add more chia seeds and wait a few hours (no, lol) or stir in something thick like Greek yogurt.
When you start out and are playing around with ratios, I recommend erring toward too thick and adjusting with more milk, as needed.
🍌Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Banana. You'll need one ripe mashed banana for the base recipe, but you might want more for toppings or if you want to make blended chia pudding.
- Chia seeds. Black chia seeds and white chia seeds are the same, so you can use either.
- Milk of choice. We use unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk will do -- oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk. You could even use water if you really wanted to.
- Maple syrup or honey. Add sweetener to taste. You might not need any -- the natural sweetness of the banana might be enough.
- Cinnamon. I like the banana bread vibe that cinnamon adds. You can also add nutmeg, cardamom, or other warm spices you love.
- Salt. A tiny pinch of salt helps enhance the flavors.
🫐Variations or Substitutions
- Fruit. Instead of mashed banana, lightly mash ½ cup of frozen or fresh berries. We love this blueberry chia pudding.
- Stir-ins. Go chocolatey with cocoa powder and a little instant espresso powder. Or try peanut butter or almond butter.
- Toppings. The best part! Try any of these:
- Fresh or frozen berries (slightly thawed)
- Mango, pineapple, sliced bananas
- Dried cranberries, blueberries, or raisins
- Toasted almonds, walnuts, or pistachios
- Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- Toasted coconut flakes or chips
- Chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
- Granola
- Fruit purees or compote
- Peanut butter, honey, or maple syrup
- Cinnamon, nutmeg
🥣How to Make the Best Banana Chia Pudding
Step 1: Mash the banana in a small bowl or lidded mason jar. Add the remaining ingredients and stir or shake well. Stir or shake the mixture again in 5-10 minutes to keep the chia seeds from clumping.
Step 2: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. Serve topped with extra banana slices, toasted coconut or nuts, a drizzle of honey, and shaved chocolate.
Step 3: As another option, blend the banana chia pudding with ¼ to ½ cup yogurt and another banana for even more banana flavor.
Step 4: Layer the blended chia pudding in a parfait or top with fresh fruit or your favorite toppings.
👉Helpful Hint: Find your favorite ratio. Play around with the ratios of seeds to liquid. Two tablespoons of chia seeds per ½ cup liquid is the ratio I use for basic 2-ingredient chia pudding. When I add mashed fruit, I use less liquid -- ⅓ cup. Find the ratio that works for you.
✅Top Tips
- Stir. Give the mixture a good stir after 5-10 minutes to keep the chia seeds from clumping or settling on the bottom.
- Sweeten, as needed. Add sweetener to taste. If the banana is really sweet, you might not need any.
- Soak. For best results, give the chia seeds plenty of time to soak. I prefer overnight, at minimum, and sometimes a full 1-2 days.
- Blend or layer with yogurt. For extra creaminess. stir in some yogurt or blend with yogurt and more banana for a creamy banana pudding. A regular blender likely won't get it completely smooth, but it will still make it creamy. For completely smooth blended chia pudding, use a high power blender.
🎁Storage
- Banana chia pudding. Store in an airtight container or in individual jars in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Toppings. Store toppings in a separate container to keep them fresh and from getting soggy.
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📖 Recipe
Banana Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 mashed banana about ½ cup
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
- ½ - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or to taste (if the banana is really sweet, you might not need any)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
- pinch of salt optional
- Optional toppings/mix-ins: yogurt, nuts, granola, fruit, maple syrup, honey
Instructions
- Mash the banana in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Stir mixture again in 5-10 minutes (this keeps the chia seeds from clumping).
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- To serve, top with yogurt, fresh fruit or berries, nuts, granola, chocolate chips, and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. For blended banana chia pudding, blend it with ½ cup yogurt and 1 sliced banana to your desired consistency. Add toppings and enjoy!
Notes
-
- Stir. Give the mixture a good stir after 5-10 minutes to keep the chia seeds from clumping or settling on the bottom.
- Sweeten, as needed. Add sweetener to taste. If the banana is really sweet, you might not need any.
- Soak. For best results, give the chia seeds plenty of time to soak. I prefer overnight, at minimum, and sometimes a full 1-2 days.
- Thin/thicken as needed. If the mixture is too thick the next day, add a little milk. If it's too thin, stir in a little Greek yogurt or add more chia seeds and wait a few hours.
- Blend or layer with yogurt. For extra creaminess. stir in some yogurt or blend with yogurt and more banana for a creamy banana pudding. A regular blender likely won't get it completely smooth, but it will still make it creamy. For completely smooth blended chia pudding, use a high power blender.
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