Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding
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This chocolate banana chia pudding tastes sinfully rich, but it’s completely healthy. Try this easy budget recipe for your next breakfast meal prep! (vegan, gluten-free)
This chocolate banana chia pudding is healthy enough for breakfast and decadent enough for dessert. Chia seeds are full of nutrients, including fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium.
I love how this pudding thickens up just like traditional pudding, but it only takes a few minutes to make. There’s no need to stand over the stove stirring and stirring – the chia seeds do the work for you!
If you like my chia coconut pudding, I think you’ll love this recipe, too. It will take you five minutes to make, and the return on investment is huge. It’s so delicious!
Recipe for Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bananas – The bananas should be nice and ripe for the best sweetness in this pudding.
- Coconut Milk – Use canned full-fat coconut milk for the richest, thickest chocolate banana chia pudding. Thinner boxed coconut milk or homemade coconut milk work well, too.
- Cocoa Powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – Vanilla gives this chocolate chia pudding a little extra flavor.
- Pure Maple Syrup – I use the maple syrup from Costco, but any pure maple syrup will do. You can even skip the syrup if you’re happy with the sweetness from the ripe bananas.
- Chia Seeds – Chia seeds can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. When combined with the other ingredients, they thicken the mixture to a pudding texture.
How to Make Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding
Mash the Bananas
Using a food processor or blender, mash the bananas to a smooth consistency. Add the coconut milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract to the food processor and process until smooth.
Taste the mixture, and add maple syrup one teaspoon at a time if needed. You may not need any sweetener at all if the bananas are very ripe.
Combine the Chocolate Chia Pudding Ingredients
Place the chia seeds in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture over the chia seeds and whisk.
The pudding will start to thicken right away, but for the best results, cover the bowl and let the pudding thicken in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Banana Chocolate Chia Pudding Topping Ideas
There are so many different toppings you can use in addition to banana slices and mini chocolate chips. Try walnuts, almonds, pecans, or other nuts, peanut butter or almond butter, cacao nibs, or fresh raspberries.
Chocolate Banana Chia Seed Pudding Tips and FAQ
How to Store this Chocolate Chia Pudding
Place the chia pudding in a covered container such as a mason jar in the fridge for a couple hours to let it thicken. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or they can be frozen for later.
When Should I Eat Chia Pudding?
Chia pudding is great for breakfast meal prep, and it’s also a delicious make-ahead snack. This chocolate chia pudding is even decadent enough for dessert. You can’t go wrong eating it any time of day.
Recipe Modifications
You can substitute unsweetened almond milk or another dairy-free milk for the coconut milk if you’d like. Leave out the maple syrup if the mixture is sweet enough from the bananas.
If you don’t like the texture of chia seeds, you can blend them in the food processor along with the other ingredients.
More Chia Seed Recipes
- Chia Coconut Pudding
- Chia Seed Oatmeal
- Mango Chia Pudding
- Pumpkin Chia Pudding
- Blueberry Chia Seed Muffins
- 10 Minute Chia Jam
- Strawberry Mango Chia Pudding
- Chocolate Raspberry Chia Pudding
Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (2 medium bananas)
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk or other milk
- 3 tbs cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp maple syrup or to taste
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Using a food processor or blender, mash the banana to a smooth consistency. Add the coconut milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract to the food processor and process until smooth.
- Taste the mixture, and add maple syrup one teaspoon at a time if needed. You may not need any at all if the bananas are very ripe.
- Place the chia seeds in a medium bowl. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture over the chia seeds and whisk. The pudding will start to thicken right away when you stir it, but for the best results, cover the bowl and let the pudding thicken in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Approximate Nutrition Info
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Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding Recipe Price Breakdown
This recipe costs a total of $2.65 to make, or $.88 per serving. Chocolate Banana Chia pudding is a delicious, healthy recipe that tastes like an indulgence.
Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2014, and it was updated in 2024.
I added pomegranate seeds mixed in the pudding! Delicious as a dessert!
This is the best chia pudding I’ve ever had! I actually blend the chia seeds with everything else, the texture is so creamy (which I personally prefer). The flavor is so delicious and just sweet enough to be satisfying (not overly sweet). I have mine for breakfast with granola sprinkled on top. I’ve been making this for 2 weeks straight now.
I came across the photo of your Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding, it looks yummy! I fell in love with the mug that your pudding is photographed in. Would you be able to tell me where I can find more like it please? 🙂
I love that mug too, Davinia. It was a gift years ago, and I don’t know where it came from.
What a wonderful gift! And such a beautiful photograph. Thank you for your response.
Great recipe! I added 1/4 C of collagen powder and upped the cacao to 4 TBSP. I also put everything into the blender because I prefer my chia puddings smooth (first did it without the chia seeds so I could adjust flavors). Thanks for dessert tonight! 😉
What a wonderful combination with chocolate and chia to make a beautiful pudding. Yummy!
Guess I know what I am making for tomorrow’s breakfast! Delicious!
This looks delicious, so thick and creamy!
Think there’s such a thing as eating too much Chia? I hope not! This looks delish.
I just love the flavors you have here. This looks fabulous. I bet it would even be amazing in a pie shell I am going to try making this for mothers day! thank you!
That looks completely decadent! I love bananas and chocolate together!
I can’t stand the texture of chia seeds, so I tossed this all in my ninja blender. I’m waiting for it to chill now but preliminary taste tests are fantastic.
Great idea! I hope it turned out well. This pudding does thicken quickly with the chia seeds, and hopefully the blender helped with the texture.
My new addiction, thanks for the recipe.
Thanks! Glad you like it.
I made this using my vita-mix, substituting vanilla almond milk and agave for milk, vanilla and maple syrup. It delicious! I also added coconut sugar and mulberries on top. absolute perfection.
Sounds delicious, Hilary! Thanks for sharing.
You don’t have to grind the chia seeds? They dissolve to thicken?
You don’t have to grind the seeds, Mary. They thicken the mixture when combined with the liquid. They don’t actually dissolve, so there’s a little texture from the seeds in the pudding.
Oh wow – so simple, and it looks SO delicious! Love how that thick pudding texture is achieved so easily… the magic of chia:D
Thank you! I think this one comes out even thicker than usual because of the bananas. It’s perfect. 🙂
This looks SO good! I *will* be trying soon…and pinning! Yum!
Thanks, LeAnn! You’ll love it. 🙂