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A healthy chia seed pudding, with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners, that even Elvis would have enjoyed. Minus the bacon. Banana Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding is the sweet treat you need when you’re trying to eat right.
Banana Chia Seed Pudding
I have a tremendous sweet tooth. It’s so bad that when I am trying to eat right I feel insanely deprived if I can’t have a sweet treat. I become angry….ravenous…even if I just ate something. Like Godzilla, kinda. The health nuts say to eat a piece of fruit to satisfy a sweet craving. They are truly….nuts. A piece of fruit isn’t even disguised as dessert. An apple is just an apple, unless you bake it with something…like sugar, and butter, and pastry. Mmmmm, pie. See, it’s a problem.
This Banana Peanut Butter Chia Seed pudding is healthy power food….disguised as dessert. It’s not chocolate (already did that…one of my most pinned recipes!) but it certainly will satisfy that sweet tooth.
And the peanut butter adds a little protein so this creamy snack isn’t so bad after a workout. I held back and didn’t add any sweeteners…instead, I used an almost overripe banana. The sugars become more intense the riper the banana gets so let’s go with that…let nature help us out a bit. If you use a firmer, less ripe banana you may want to add a little honey or agave nectar to your recipe.
What is Chia Seed Pudding?
If you never tried chia pudding before you’re in for a real treat! I think it has a similar consistency to tapioca pudding which is one of my favorites. The chia seeds are soft and chewy much like tapioca but chia seeds are so much healthier.
Chia seeds (this is the brand I use and love) are high in protein, calcium, fiber, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids. They are extremely easy to add to your diet…you can sprinkle them on cereal, yogurt, or salads. You can also use them in various recipes such as the one here.
Chia seeds are also super high in fiber, 11 grams of fiber per ounce, which aids in weight loss. Dessert that helps you lose weight, sign me up!
One of the things that makes these seeds unique is their ability to expand when mixed with a liquid. Some think that when they are eaten they expand and make you feel full. Sort of like a natural appetite suppressant.
How To Make Chia Pudding
Chia Pudding is super simple to make.
- Blend together the milk, banana and peanut butter. Whisk the chia seeds into the milk mixutre.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir vigorously because the chia seeds will begin to plump up at this point and stick together.
- Cover and return to the refrigerator for another 30 minutes or overnight.
- Stir your chia pudding again and enjoy.
You can substitute the milk for almond milk, rice milk or any other milk product you like such as oat milk. I used low fat milk because that’s what I had when I decided to create this recipe and have been making it this way ever since.
The best part….the Banana Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding takes about 5 minutes of prep time. That’s it. And it’s so easy, your kids can handle it! And while they’re at it, have them whip up this spiced coconut chia seed pudding, too! It’s simply spectacular!
Is Chia Pudding healthy?
This chia pudding recipe is super healthy clocking in under 200 calories and loaded with protein, fiber and omega-3s. It’s a great pre or post workout snack or just a light dessert.
And I love that you can totally make this a Breakfast Chia Pudding by simply adding your favorite fruit and layering with some greek yogurt for added protein.
Ratio of Chia Seeds to Liquid
No matter what liquid you decide to use, coconut milk, almond milk, regular milk, oat milk….the ratio of chia seeds to milk will be the same. You will need 3 tablespoons of chia seeds to 1 cup of milk.
This recipe makes a double batch because I like to have it ready to go all week.
If you want to make it even more dessert-like, top it with a little dollop of freshly made whipped cream!
More Chia Seed Recipes
Want to see what else we’re cooking up? Follow us on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!
And if you’re looking for something more tropical but just as dessert-worthy….but for breakfast, try my Pina Colada Chia Seed Smoothie! It’s totally a vacation in your mouth!
Banana Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 1 1/2 cups low fat milk, I used 2%
- 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds, I used Bob’s Red Mill
Instructions
- In a blender, puree the banana, milk and peanut butter.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the chia seeds.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
- Stir the mixture before serving. Can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Kellie,
I live in Asia and I’ve been wanting to try making a chia seed pudding ever since I spotted the ‘pudding’ word in one of the many chia seed recipes online (yours included).
Love your recipes and great photos – they inspired me to try making my own peanut butter banana chia seed pudding too. I tried it out recently with a topping of blueberries for breakfast and it sure tasted good!
If you’re interested, I wrote down my experience here at this blogpost (https://stickynotecreations.wordpress.com/2016/07/15/peanut-butter-banana-chia-pudding/). Hope you can check it out 🙂
Hey, I tried this last night but my chia seeds didn’t absorb the liquid and expand, even after 12 hours. As far as I know, I followed the recipe exactly as written, so I’m confused.
Hi Joseph, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you. Could there be a chance your chia seeds were old? I’m not sure why they wouldn’t create the gel that thickens the pudding, otherwise.
Does anyone know the nutritional information on this recipe? I am counting calories and carbs. This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!
Do you think this could be frozen and eaten later?
Do you think you could make this with powdered peanut butter, to lower the calories?
I think the powdered peanut butter would work well, actually! Great suggestion!
Please ignore me! I just reread the instructions 🙂
Do you think this will last in the fridge for several days? I’d like to make this on Sunday night to eat as breakfast the first half of the week. Thanks!
🙂 Thanks so much for visiting!
This was absolutely delicious and filled the gap that my sweet tooth was craviNG!! Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it! I created it to fill that gap. LOL!
I am making this tonight! With my new year’s resolutions, I’ve been struggling to satisfy my sweet tooth. Will be substituting for almond milk. How large in a container should I store it in overnight?
Has anyone tried it with almond butter instead of peanut butter (I am allergic), but this recipe sounds amazing! 🙂
Hi Kenise! I tried it with almond butter too and it’s equally amazing. 🙂
I can relate to the sweet tooth….it gets bad some times, ya just want to spoon into something:) …thanks for the recipe…its great!
Thanks, Beth! This is a lifesaver in those moments!