Banana Chia Seed Pudding

You only need a handful of ingredients for this simple breakfast or snack. This Banana Chia Seed Pudding includes a touch of cinnamon for the perfect flavor, maple sweetened and so simple to whip up. Did I mention you only need 5 minutes to prep?

This recipe was originally published July 2015 and updated July 2020.

Who would have thought I would ever come to enjoy chia seeds?! The little seeds that brought us the Ch-Ch-Chia! tune for Chia Pets are actually really amazing in the kitchen.

I am a big fan of chia seeds and turning them into a thick, creamy pudding. I was the kid who actually loved tapioca pudding on my school lunch tray--those little balls didn't bother me at all.

This Banana Chia Seed Pudding is SO SO simple to whip up. It has a nice cinnamon flavor, sweetened with maple and a great way to use up very ripe bananas.

I feel like our bananas are ripening way to quickly lately and I am in need of things to make with them more and more. Smoothies are a big go to, and then there is banana bread, and also Banana Bread Overnight Oats!

This chia pudding is another way not to waste food. A snack, breakfast--you name it! It's so delicious and easy to make!

Why You Will Love This Banana Chia Pudding:

• It's easy to make. Mash the banana and then a bit of whisking--that's it. Chia pudding is so simple to make and also a great way to get kids in the kitchen to help. It's fun to see the chia seeds change and the mixture thicken over time.
• You only need a few ingredients. A few basic ingredients is all you will need to make this banana chia pudding. I always have every ingredients in the house. We don't go through chia seeds too quickly so there are typically some in the pantry on any given day.
• An easy way to use up ripe bananas. Sure, banana bread or banana muffins are a great option when it comes to those brown bananas. Sometimes you want something different, though. Whisk them into some chia pudding and easily use them up in no time.

What you will need:

• chia seeds: the only issue I have with this recipe is that the color can look a little blah. It is a grayish brown when all whipped up and that may not look the most appetizing. You can use white chia seeds instead of the typical black chia seeds for a slightly more appealing look!
• banana: If you want your banana chia seed pudding to look a littler prettier, I have heard you can find white chia seeds. The black chia seeds mixed with cinnamon for sure have a not so pretty look. But they taste great!
• milk: regular or dairy free, whatever you have on hand or your favorite will be great in this banana chia seed pudding. I love vanilla almond milk personally in mine.
• cinnamon: this gives it that banana bread flavor that I love.
• vanilla: vanilla extract to round out the flavor
• sweetener: I opt for maple syrup. Any sweetener should work well. You can wait until serving to sweeten the chia pudding as everyone has differing likes when it comes to sweetness.

How to make this recipe:

• Place banana in a medium bowl. Mash well. Make it as smooth or lumpy as you prefer. If you don't want banana chunks, mash it as smooth as possible. (steps 1 and 2)
• Add the milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla. If you would like you could also add a pinch of sea salt during this step as well. (step 3)

• Stir the mixture well to incorporate the banana and cinnamon well with the milk. The cinnamon will likely spend a lot of time on the top of the milk, but don't worry. It mixes in much better once the chia seeds are added. (step 4)
• Before you add the chia seeds, make sure you are READY TO STIR. If you don't stir or whisk this mixture right away. Chia seeds can clump up in a major way if you don't get the seeds moving immediately. Pour the chia seeds into the bowl and whisk well to combine. (step 5)
• Cover the bowl and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight if possible. For best results, stir the mixture once or twice after it has been chilling for an hour and then again after a little while longer. This will help keep the chia seed pudding from clumping up. (step 6)
• Serve it up with some chopped pecans, a dollop of yogurt, extra banana slices and a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Notes:

• If you don't love the texture of chia seeds, blend this banana chia seed pudding. If you are worried that the texture of chia seeds, you can make your Banana Chia Seed Pudding smooth by putting the mixture in a high powered blender and blending until smooth. Do this before step 6 when everything is already mixed together for best results.
• Chia seeds can clump up very easily. When adding them into the bowl of milk and banana, whisk right away to keep from any clumping. Stir the mixture a couple of times after chilling to keep any new clumps from forming.
• Sweeten to your liking--the banana will already bring some natural sweetness. If you don't like things too sweet, you can even sweeten the pudding before serving.

How to Store Your Banana Chia Pudding:

Chia pudding can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container typically up to 5 days. However, with the addition of the ripe bananas in this recipe, I find that 3 days is really the max.

If you want to store it longer than 3 days, wait to add the mashed banana until you are ready to serve. This way the banana won't get really brown in the container when storing.

Possible Add-Ins:

Lots of fun things to add in to your banana chia pudding. Here are a few ideas:

• shredded coconut
• chocolate chips--dark chocolate, white chocolate and anything in between!
• chopped pecans or walnuts
• raisins or chopped dates
• fresh berries when serving
• a drizzle of peanut butter or your favorite nut or seed butter

If you are new to chia seeds, this article may help you learn a bit more about the little guys: Chia Seed Benefits: 10 Reasons To Add Chia To Your Diet.

Try these other chia seed recipes:

• Coconut Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding with Strawberries
• Creamy Coconut Chocolate Chip Chia Pudding
• Maple Cinnamon Overnight Chia Rice Pudding
• Strawberry Chia Jam
• Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Overnight Oats
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Layered Chia Pudding

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