Who doesn’t love chocolate pudding? It is one of our favorite desserts but the problem with most chocolate pudding, especially when it’s store-bought, is that it doesn’t contain the healthiest ingredients.
Just because something it’s tasty it doesn’t mean it has to be junk food. In fact, sweet treats are a great way to sneak in veggies, superfoods and fruits in kids’ snacks! If you don’t believe me, check out our healthy homemade popsicles.
We love sweets so we’re constantly experimenting and finding healthier versions. That’s how we came up with this delicious chocolate banana chia pudding.
The great thing about chia seeds is that they can turn pretty much anything into pudding and they have a great texture. Not only that, but they’re considered a superfood!
Chia seeds are rich in antioxidants. They’re also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and they provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein.
According to Medical News Today:
Eating once ounce of chia seeds each day would provide 18 percent of daily calcium needs, 27 percent of phosphorus, 30 percent of manganese, and smaller amounts of potassium and copper.
According to Dr. Drake, Chia seeds are so good that they should be consumed by women during their pregnancy because they’re are packed with nutrients, fiber and are not a high caloric food.
Bottom line, they are great for your health, for your kids’ health and for everyone around you. So this recipe is not only delicious but is actually healthy!
If your kids don’t eat a lot of sweet things, I would cut the maple syrup quantity in half. My kids have eaten this pudding without any maple syrup at all and they still love it.
We have also added these chocolate chips on top on those days we want it to be extra sweet!
I hope you love this simple recipe as much as we do!
Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding Recipe
This recipe makes two servings.
Ingredients:
If possible, stick to organic ingredients for this recipe.
- 1 banana – split in half
- 1 cup almond milk (or whatever milk you have available)
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons Maple syrup – separate 2 and 1
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Directions:
In a powerful blender, add half the banana, cacao powder, vanilla extract and two tablespoons of Maple syrup. Pour in the almond milk.
Blend until smooth.
Then pour the mixture into a bowl and whisk in all the chia seeds.
You can leave it on that small or transfer it to small mason jars. My kids prefer to eat them in the small jars.
Let it sit in the fridge for four to six hours. This allows the seeds to absorb the mixture and thicken resulting in a pudding like consistency.
Once it looks like pudding, it’s ready to eat!
For extra sweetness, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of maple syrup on top of the pudding and mix it in. Chop the second half of the banana in small pieces and decorate your pudding with it. You can also add some shredded coconut for a prettier looking pudding.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding
A deliciously simple chocolate banana chia pudding!
Ingredients
- 1 banana - split in half
- 1 cup almond milk or whatever milk you have available
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons Maple syrup - separate 2 and 1
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
- In a powerful blender, add half the banana, cacao powder, vanilla extract and two tablespoons of Maple syrup. Pour in the almond milk.
- Blend until smooth.
- Then pour the mixture into a bowl and whisk in all the chia seeds.
- You can leave it on that small or transfer it to small mason jars.
- Let it sit in the fridge for four to six hours. This allows the seeds to absorb the mixture and thicken, resulting in a pudding like consistency.
- Once it looks like pudding, it’s ready to eat!
Notes
For extra sweetness, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of maple syrup on top of the pudding and mix it in. Chop the second half of the banana in small pieces and decorate your pudding with it. You can also add some shredded coconut for a prettier looking pudding.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 2 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 328Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 75mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 8gSugar: 29gProtein: 10g
Please keep in mind that these nutritional values are estimates, based on the ingredients, and it might not be accurate.
Want to make this recipe? Save it for later by pinning this image:
Leave a Reply