Make a healthy banana split with this banana split chia seed pudding recipe with bananas, berries, toasted coconut flakes and cacao nibs!
I love chia seed pudding but for some reason it fell off my radar for a couple of months. I was still adding chia seeds to my protein overnight oats but rarely making a big batch of chia pudding to snack on throughout the week like I used to do.
Last week, for whatever reason, I had an intense craving for chia pudding. I whipped up a quick version with almond milk and greek yogurt. The next morning (after letting it set up overnight) I started looking around the kitchen for toppings. That’s when the idea for a healthy banana split chia pudding was born.
It turned out to be delicious — probably the best chia seed pudding I’ve ever made.
And it turned out to be quite photogenic as well. <— Chia pudding is like oatmeal and soup. Sometimes it’s hard to capture a beautiful photo of it.
To make this a banana split I just used a bunch of fun toppings. Bananas and berries, obviously. Then I got fancy and added toasted coconut flakes and topped it off with cacao nibs for good measure. You can’t have a banana split without a little chocolate in there.
Banana split for breakfast… why not?
Banana Split Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 2%)
- 11/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 banana, sliced into thin slices
- 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
- 2 Tablespoons cacao nibs
Instructions
- Stir together almond milk, yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk in the chia seeds. Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you’re in a rush, less time will do — I’d recommend at least 3-4 hours. You’ll want to wait until you’re ready to serve the chia pudding before preparing your toppings.
- Toast your coconut — Preheat a sauté pan to medium heat. Add coconut flakes and stir constantly until they turn a golden color (this will take about 1-3 minutes). Remove the coconut flakes from the pan and allow to cool.
- Stir the chia seed pudding to make sure there aren’t any big clumps and then spoon into four serving dishes and top with banana slices, strawberries, blueberries, coconut flakes and cacao nibs, using a quarter of each topping for every serving.
- If you’re not planning to eat all four servings at one time. Simply leave the toppings and chia seed pudding in separate air-tight containers in the fridge until ready to serve. The chia seed pudding should last 4-5 days in the fridge so you can make a batch at the beginning of the week and have it for breakfast or a snack on multiple days.
This looks absolutely delicious and super pretty too! Definitely agree about chocolate being a non-negotiable part of a banana split 🙂
Right! You can’t have a banana split without chocolate — no way.
I LOVE this idea! Almost everyone makes their chia pudding with coconut milk, which is a bummer because I can’t do coconut milk any more. I’m going to make this straight away!
Yay! I hope you love it, Julia.
I also eat chia seeds regularly in overnight oats, but I’ve never made chia seed pudding. Looks delicious. I need to switch up my daily breakfast, so I just may give this one a try. Thanks!
Let me know if you do end up trying it. I’d love to hear what you think. 🙂
Yum! I’ve had chia pudding on the brain lately but seem to always forget to pick up the necessary ingredients when I’m shopping. Your version looks delicious.
Thanks Sarah!
I have yet to actually make and taste chia pudding… but it really intrigues me! Your photos did turn out beautifully! My mouth is watering and I have a plan to make this pudding very soon. Thanks!
Oh man, you have to try chia pudding soon. I’m sure you’ll love it!
It´s a good idea. You don´t have to cook alone. I have to try this. Thanks for sharing. Congrats on the hub of the day.
This looks amazing!! Such a lovely blog! New follower:)
Thank you Brittney! And welcome to EBF. 🙂
I love chia pudding! This looks amazing!
Great recipe. I was surprised by how little it yielded, but I was using older chia seeds. Do you think this could make them expand less?
I need to try this! I have been wanting to make chia seed pudding for a while now – thank you for the inspiration! 🙂
Yummo! Just pinned for a breakfast idea.
thanks for sharing this chia pudding recipe! I have a question, Do you need to use yogurt to make the pudding? or what other type of yogurt can I use. I avoid eating dairy
The yogurt helps thicken it up. Coconut or almond yogurt would work!
Hey Brittany, this is one of my favorite recipes! It’s so easy, delicious, and nutritious! I also wanted to let you know that I am a huge fan of your blog and I have been for a couple years now. Do you have any advise for someone (me!) who is just starting to blog? Thank you 🙂
Gound chia?…black or white??
Either will work!
Thank you for this recipe Brittany!had this for breakfast on Monday & Tuesday tipped with pumpkin seeds, goji berries & shredded coconut!! It was really filling and reminded me of tapioca! I’m making another batch for breakfast tomorrow & Friday! I’m hooked!