This Banana Chia Pudding is naturally sweetened, healthy, whole30 approved, and is seriously delicious! I hope you give it a try!
If you’re not familiar with cha-cha-cha-chia seeds (I couldn’t help myself, we sing that all the time around here!), they’re amazing. If you put them in liquid and let them set for a couple hours they soak up the liquid to make a thick, creamy, tapioca-like pudding. It’s a great way to get chia seeds into your diet.
whole30 and post workout
I’ve made chia seed puddings in the past but didn’t start making them regularly until starting the Whole30. The Whole30 book recommends eating right after you workout (or pretty close to it), which I never do. I usually wait at least an 1 1/2 or 2 hours then I’m STARVING and eat all the things I can find – totally not good. So I started making chia seed pudding as a post-workout snack.
Even though chia seeds don’t have tons of protein, which is needed after a workout, they have 3 grams per Tbsp which isn’t terrible. If you want more protein you could add some unflavored or vanilla collagen peptides (Whole30 approved, love it – an amazing protein powder with tons of health benefits) or other approved protein powder (I love Dr. Axe’s Bone Broth Protein Powder and I think it is compliant). Besides protein, they also have omega-3’s, calcium, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants – these little seeds pack a punch!
snack, breakfast, or treat
This isn’t just an after workout snack though! It can be made the night before for breakfast the next morning (my daughter’s favorite), eaten as a mid-day snack, or you could make it in the morning for a simple pre-made treat at the end of the day.
If you’re not a big fan of the chia texture, you can blend it into a creamy pudding, just add a bit of sweetener such as a date or maple syrup. I have absolutely no idea why, but it’s just not as sweet after it’s blended. But for those of you who like a little texture, just leave it!
It’s naturally sweetened, healthy, seriously delicious, and easy. I hope you give it a try!
It will last a couple of days in the fridge if you can leave it that long 🙂
Helpful Hint:
All you have to remember when making chia pudding is to use 3 Tbsp. of whole chia seeds per cup of liquid, then the sky’s the limit in terms of flavor options so experiment and have fun! You can add various sweeteners, extracts, cocoa powder, spices, fruit, nuts, seeds, and on and on. If you have any great flavor combos let me know in the comment section!
pin for later:
Looking for more pudding recipes? Check out The Detoxinista’s Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding. Or if you’re not into the chia pudding thing, you may enjoy my Paleo Vanilla Pudding or my Easy Paleo Chocolate Pudding – both are egg free 🙂
Banana Chia Seed Pudding {Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free}
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Ingredients
- 2 C Non-Dairy Milk I use unsweetened cashew milk but I've also subbed 1 Cup with full-fat canned coconut milk and it was extra creamy and delicious!
- 2 Ripe Bananas + more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon + more for garnish
- 1 Tsp. Pure Vanilla or vanilla powder for the Whole30 purist
- 1/3 C + 1 Tbsp Whole Chia Seeds
Instructions
- Place non-dairy milk, bananas, cinnamon, and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Blend until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a large mason jar.
- Add the chia seeds, put on the lid, and shake to combine. Make sure there are no lumps and the chia seeds are evenly distributed.
- Place in fridge for 2+ hours to overnight, or until thickened.
- If you prefer a smooth pudding, blend on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. Add additional sweetener such as a date or maple syrup as needed.
- Serve garnished with banana slices and cinnamon. Or garnish with bananas and toasted coconut for coconut cream pie flavor 🙂
- Store covered in fridge. Stays fresh up to two days.
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary.
this post is part of Real Food Friday
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Holly
March 7, 2018 at 3:41 pmThis pudding is soooo delicious! I thought I wouldn’t like the texture, but it doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve been looking for protein alternatives because I feel bad eating so much meat while on the whole30 and this recipe helps a lot! Thank you so much.
Marla
January 23, 2017 at 5:32 pmCassidy,
This banana pudding sound delicious. I love using chia seeds to make pudding – it such a wonderful super food. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!