Banana Chia Pudding with Maple Roasted Coconut

This simple 4-ingredient chia pudding is sweetened entirely with bananas, extra creamy thanks to coconut milk, and topped with the most satisfyingly crunchy-toasty-sweet coconut on top for a super fun breakfast option.

Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Banana Chia Pudding with Maple Roasted Coconut
I’ve left the original blog post in tact below, for the sake of nostalgia. Feel free to scroll straight to the bottom to get the recipe, if you’ve already read this old blog post!

**MARCH 2020 UPDATE**

This recipe was originally posted in March of 2016 and is one of my favorite breakfasts to make when I’m low on pantry ingredients. Despite being one of my most-used recipes, I was never in love with the photos, so today I’m re-posting the recipe with a fresh set of photos, more streamlined recipe instructions, and a few photobombs by Peanut who can’t help but stick her nose into everything I do. I’ve left the original blog post in tact below, for the sake of nostalgia. Feel free to scroll straight to the bottom to get the recipe, if you’ve already read this old blog post!

Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Banana Chia Pudding with Maple Roasted Coconut

Have you had chia pudding before?

It’s a little weird, only because the seed that formerly grew an Afro on your favorite terra-cotta pet is now your breakfast.

It’s fine though, because chia pudding is totally delicious and super healthy and we can absolutely just forget about the fact that they grow into the fuzziest, cutest little green sprouts to give your pals extra pizzaz.

These days chia seeds do a lot more than just transform into childhood friends; they’re full of calcium, omega-3s, protein, fiber, so they’re not only friendly, they’re healthy, too. They are also super absorbent and turn into a gel when mixed with any liquid (like here, where we use coconut milk to turn them into pudding) that is great making hearty breakfast bowls such as this one.

Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Banana Chia Pudding with Maple Roasted Coconut
Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Banana Chia Pudding with Maple Roasted Coconut

If you’re new to chia seeds, here’s what you need to know: they are flavorless, so make sure you load them up with all the things you love. I flavored mine with coconut milk, vanilla, and mashed banana for sweetness. Chocolate and peanut butter would naturally be a close second for my favorite flavor combos.

Chia seeds might seem like a very expensive health food purchase, but considering a serving is only a few tablespoons, you’re getting a lot of mileage out of a single bag of chia seeds. It often takes me months to go through a single $10 bag, and they last in the pantry forever, so they’re great to keep around!

Chia pudding is a great alternative to yogurt (don’t worry yogurt- I still love you) and despite its dessert-y name, it’s perfect for breakfast. It can be loaded up however you like your oatmeal or yogurt, and can easily be made days in advance for a quick breakfast on-the go.

The only thing some people are wary of is the texture. Your chia seeds are going to plump up and become little black pearls suspended in a thick, creamy liquid. If you’ve ever eaten tapioca before, it has a very similar mouth feel. I love it, but if textures freak you out, go ahead and puree the pudding in your food processor or blender before you eat it to make it a more smooth, creamy consistency. 

Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Banana Chia Pudding with Maple Roasted Coconut

My favorite part about this breakfast, though, is the crispy, salty-sweet, ultra toasty maple roasted coconut.

Hands down.

The fact that I didn’t eat the entire pan of it before I took the photos is truly a miracle. (2020 update: I very nearly did eat the entire pan of them in the process of taking these new photos, and highly, highly recommend doubling the recipe and keeping them in the pantry at all times).

The best part? These coconut toasted dream chips are made with literally three ingredients: extra large flaked coconut (sometimes just called coconut flakes or coconut chips), maple syrup, and sea salt.

Nothing about them seems special, but they are absolutely the best thing I’ve eaten all week. Crunchy, buttery toasted coconut with a concentrated caramel sweetness from maple syrup, and a slight salty finish from the sea salt? I die.

I could- and often do- just eat them plain as a snack, but when piled high atop this vanilla-banana-chia pudding bowl and eaten for breakfast, well…it’s just a dreamy situation all around.

Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Banana Chia Pudding with Maple Roasted Coconut

Trust me, you need this recipe in your life. If you try it out, be sure to leave a comment below letting me know what you think, or take a picture of your banana chia pudding and share it with me on Instagram so I can see!

Banana Chia Pudding with Maple Roasted Coconut

Time: 20 minutes of prep + 2 hours of inactive time
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Chia Pudding

  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 2 cups coconut milk (or other milk of choice)
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Maple Roasted Coconut

  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut chips or flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • a generous pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Place all chia pudding ingredients in a large bowl (or storage container with a lid) and stir well to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then stir once more and transfer to the refrigerator.
  2. Allow chia seeds to soak for at least 2 hours before serving. Extra pudding lasts for 3-4 days in the fridge, so this can be made well in advance, if needed.
  3. While chia pudding soaks, preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  4. Spread the coconut flakes out on the baking sheet, drizzle with maple syrup, and sprinkle on salt. Toss to combine, getting all the coconut coated in maple syrup, then spread back out in a thin layer.
  5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Watch them closely, as they will go from perfect to burnt in just a few minutes. Mine were nicely toasted at 12 minutes.
  6. Allow coconut to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
  7. When ready to serve, divide chia pudding into 2 bowls (or spoon into 16oz mason jars) and top with as much coconut as you’d like. If you’re packing this to-go, keep the coconut in a separate container so it doesn’t get soggy before you eat!

NOTES: Banana is the only sweetener in this chia pudding, so be sure to use a ripe, spotty banana! This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, etc, to feed a large family or if you’d like to prep it in advance to grab before work in the morning. This recipe makes more coconut than you need for 2 servings, but I have never in the history of making it been upset to have leftovers, and more often than not wish I had made extra for snacking on.

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