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Banana Coconut Chia Pudding Parfaits

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I would pretty much never choose a banana dessert over a chocolate dessert.

Banana Coconut Chia Pudding // hummuspien.com

I mean there aren’t many things I prefer to chocolate. Lavender body wash maybe? Northstar’s village salad? Cotton scented candles? No dessert contenders there.

As much as I love a juicy hunk of dark chocolate after dinner, I love me some banana-flavored breakfasts and snacks. This kind of banana flavoring comes from a legit banana, not those icky fake flavorings that have taken over the processed food world. Have you ever seen the label of instant banana cream pudding? Sugar, modified food starch, artificial flavor, disodium phosphate, preservatives, yellow #5, more fake colors and a bunch of other crap I can’t pronounce. Um, ew. Maybe that’s why I never liked banana pudding. IT’S NANNERLESS.

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Since real nanners are naturally sweet, I don’t have to jack up this chia gunk with a bunch of added sugar.  Instant pudding has 18 grams of sugar per serving–that’s over four teaspoons! I did add a couple dates for sweetness to this version because you know how much I adore those little guys.

Banana Coconut Chia Pudding // hummuspien.com

I’m sure you know by now if you’re into the texture of chia pudding or not. It’s not for the faint hearted. It’s gelly and mushy and weird and fantastic. Since each tablespoon of chia packs a whopped five grams of filling plant-based fiber, these parfaits have well over ten grams of fiber each! That’s like two big apples. Kind of a big deal!

I always get asked about healthy snacks and I often tell people to think of them more like mini meals rather than “snacks” because that word shifts people’s minds to crackers, pretzels, chips and other refined, high-carb, nutritionally void foods. Chia pudding may be perfect for breakfast, but you could also cut back on the portion and call it a snack. Veggie chili for dinner? Snack on half a cup the next afternoon with some sliced peppers and hummus.  Beet and green bean salad for lunch? Nosh on a bowl mid-morning and call it a sexy snack!

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Chia seeds are one of the easiest ways to add fiber to your diet because they don’t even taste like anything. Fiber pushes all the yuckies out, combats cholesterol and helps solve your bathroom woes. Yeah, I said it. You want it in your life. Often. I like to keep a batch of chia pudding (remember my chocolate covered strawberry version?) in the fridge for those days when I’m running around like a madwoman and need a quick snack that’s uber nutritious. Ya know those days where you sleep through breakfast and want eggs and toast for lunch? Maybe you skipped your fiberlicious morning smoothie? Enter the chia pudding life saver. You’ve got your fruit, your healthy fats, fiber and plant-powered protein. You could even blend in a handful of baby spinach. WOAH THERE, SISTER.

Go crazy!

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Banana Coconut Chia Pudding Parfaits

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Alexis
  • Prep Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours
  • Yield: 2
  • Cuisine: Breakfast
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Description

This vegan and gluten-free snack has all the goodness of banana pudding without all the funky ingredients and added sugar!

Ingredients

For the chia pudding:

  • 1 medium ripe banana
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds

For the parfaits:

  • 1 medium ripe banana, sliced
  • Old fashioned rolled oats
  • Chopped walnuts
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

  1. Combine banana, coconut, dates, vanilla, cinnamon and almond milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the chia seeds.
  2. Place mixture in a tupperware and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  3. To assemble the parfaits, layer the chia pudding, sliced banana, oats, walnuts and coconut.

 

Comments

  1. Hi Alexis! A friend of mine told me about your blog and I’m so glad she did! I love it and I love your recipe ideas! I’ve never eaten chia pudding before but you’ve convinced me that I have to try it. 🙂

    Reply

  3. Ummmm these sound and look AMAZE. Love this flavor combo, toooooo. I must say, though –Your pics, girlllll! I want to eat it through the screen. Rocking the new photog skills! You fancy, huh?! Awesome job. Def making this ASAP. Always love new ideas for brekkie and snacks! I want one right meow. And big ups to chia seeds in all of their weird and fabulous glory. #everybodypoops

    Reply

  5. Somebody’s been practicing with her new camera- great shots! I just ate a slice of banana bread and actually thought to myself how can anyone NOT love bananas….fahhh-reaks!

    Reply

  6. I loveee chia pudding! It’s such a good snack, totally agree… once I stopped looking at it as dessert… which it is also good at being 🙂

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  7. I’ve been wanting to try making a chia pudding for so long, but I’m nervous about the texture. It sounds so healthy and delicious (and your pictures are soooo yummy looking). I gotta get over the texture issue haha!

    Reply

  10. I love nanners! I have my moments with them, where I’ll purchase some at Costco, then take a couple week break and then be reunited…They’re the bomb and make any snack of breakfast DELISH! 🙂

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  14. I’m tempted to say that something looks a little different around here, and I hope this change didn’t happen forever ago without me noticing it. Either way… looks great, lady!

    And I’m obsessed with all things banana… unless we’re talking extremely green bananas. There’s no way you can get me to eat one of those. Blech.

    Reply

  15. My nutritionist, Denise at OSU, gave me your website at my session (I believe you know her…). She was touting how wonderful your site is and how great your ideas are and she did not lie! Love the Chia pudding! My toddler daughter is in a heavy banana phase, so we have nanners a plenty in our household. I will be making this tomorrow. Keep up the great work, and I can’t wait for the new center to open! 🙂

    Reply

  22. So my fiance cringes when I bring up the topic of my love of Chia seeds- where as I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I love them!

    I thought this recipe might just convert him into a chia pudding lover- and I am so pleased to tell you IT DID, he ate my version of your recipe this morning and loved it (he isn’t majorly into sweets, so used one less date to take a bit of the sugar out of it).

    Mission, accomplished!

    Chia pudding for dinner, anyone?!

    xx

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  23. This is my new favorite breakfast! I prepared it last night and it’s amazing today. Super easy and filling!

    Thank you Alexis!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  24. Since eating clean and cutting processed sugars I have missed pudding. Oh my..I made this and it was AMAZING! I have tried making Chia pudding before and it was runny. I think the coconut and dates must help to thicken it. This is a keeper! And it was so easy to make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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