A recipe for banana chia pudding that is gluten-free, Paleo and Whole30-compliant. A great option for a healthy make ahead breakfast!
I owe chia pudding an apology. Two years ago I tried it, hated it and bashed it right here in this very same space. Luckily, one food mantra I’ve always adhered to is, “always give it another chance.” To this day I will still take a bite of foods that I haven’t liked since childhood to see if somehow my taste buds have evolved or changed. (Minus raw onion and garlic. I’m clear on those two!) This is how I’ve come to tolerate capers after years of being a caper hater and most recently overcame my disdain for chia pudding.
Overnight Banana Chia Pudding
I was kind of forced into trying chia pudding again when I started Whole30. Once I realized that eggs were going to be a no go for me as a regular breakfast option, I started seeking out other ideas. A quick Pinterest search yielded a lot of paleo oatmeal and chia pudding results. I’m still too terrified to try paleo oatmeal (anyone? thoughts?) but I did decide that chia pudding was enough like my beloved overnight oats to give another shot.
On day 3 of Whole30 I went to ALDI to stock up on Whole30 supplies (they have great prices on things like nuts and seeds, fruit and other pantry staples). I have been making my own almond milk since starting Whole30 and I credit that to GREATLY improving the taste and texture of my chia pudding. I’m going to post a recipe and video tutorial for you in the coming days on almond milk.
Most chia pudding recipes call for added sweetener like maple syrup or honey but since those things are a no go on Whole30, I used the same method I do with my oatmeal to naturally sweeten it, mashed banana! Into the bowl went half of a mashed banana, almond milk, chia seeds, cinnamon and a sprinkle of salt.
I make it at night before bed and let it sit overnight. In the morning the mixture is set and then it’s time to get creative with the toppings.
I’ve been loving fresh berries, sliced banana, almond or sunflower butter, shredded coconut and cacao nibs. I can honestly say that I have totally changed my opinion on chia pudding and it’s now become my go-to Whole30 approved breakfast…and I will most definitely be eating it after Whole30 too! This breakfast keeps me satisfied until lunch time rolls around. I did the calorie count for the recipe and with the toppings added, it comes in around 400-450 calories, which is just where I like to be for breakfast.
Here’s the recipe!
Overnight Banana Chia Pudding
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Overnight Banana Chia Pudding
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
A recipe for banana chia pudding that is gluten-free, Paleo and Whole30-compliant. A great option for a healthy make ahead breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium banana, mashed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- Ground cinnamon, to taste (I just give it a good shake)
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- Almond or sunflower seed butter
- Sliced banana
- Fresh berries
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Cacao nibs
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together mashed banana, almond milk, cinnamon and salt until the banana is well combined.
- Add chia seeds and stir.
Cover and let sit in fridge overnight. - In the morning, add toppings of choice and enjoy!
The only times I’ve made chia pudding the texture was way off for me. I need to give it a go again because I can only eat so many eggs!
It’s tough to get it just right! I hope this helps!
Try blending it the Vitamix if you don’t like the texture.
I’ve done both ways and it’s nice to have just a change in consistency.
Love your blog!
I read your post last night knowing you would post recipe today and winged my own chia pudding based on what you said you used! I haven’t tried yet as it’s still early but you inspired me to give it another try as my first attempt years ago was not a success. Can’t wait for the almond milk recipe as well. Also have made that a few times and while I do enjoy the taste–the effort that I put into making it was not worth it–maybe your version will be better! THANKS!
It is a lot of work when you can get it at the grocery store, but I think homemade is so much better!
Try the paleo “oatmeal”! It is very similar to cream of wheat!
I need to! I might be surprised and really like it.
I noticed the paleo oatmeal has eggs so that’s not allowed anyway, right?
Eggs are allowed! I just typically don’t want eggs early in the morning.
Hi Jen–thanks for sharing this recipe! Do you you have any estimate on calories per serving of your chia pudding?
It’s included in the text above, but with toppings probably around 400-450, without 200ish.
Hi Jen! I’ve always been a huge fan of your blog and have enjoyed following your Whole30 thus far. I’ve tried chia pudding a couple of times and found that it doesn’t really sustain me until lunch. Can you tell me the calorie count without toppings added because I’m guessing it can’t be more than 200 calories? Just curious so I can plan accordingly with the toppings!
Hi Alexandra,
Thanks for reading! 🙂
Chia pudding definitely wouldn’t sustain me without the toppings! Chia seeds are about 60 calories per tablespoon and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk is somewhere around 35 calories so yeah, around 200 is a safe bet.
I’m not a black coffee fan at all, so homemade cashew milk has been a lifesaver on the whole30 this month! I should try mixing it into some chia pudding!
Mmmm…I need to do a batch with cashews!
Definitely making this for breakfast tomorrow! I can do eggs after about 8am but when I start work at 6.30am it is so hard to eat eggs! Definitely going to take a portable chia seed pudding instead 🙂
Yay! Let me know how it goes and what you think!
It was delicious – I had to sub almond for coconut milk and added some cacao and mesquite. The banana made it so delicious and sweet – I was surprised at no need for a normal sweetener like maple syrup. I think our tastebuds will get sensitive to sweetness which is a good thing!
Yum! I have been intimidated to try Chia Pudding but your version looks so easy 🙂 Pinning to try it ASAP.
Let me know what you think! 🙂
I made chia pudding last night and topped mine with strawberries and used Chocolate Power Fuel Nuttzo…I cannot wait to DIG IN…Thanks for the inspiration! XOXO
Yum! Love the chocolate and strawberry combo!
Tina at Carrots N Cake has a delicious, super easy Paleo oatmeal recipe. It’s pretty close to the real deal in my opinion!
Oh I love Tina! I’ll check it out. I do remember seeing her eat it all the time!
Paleo oatmeal’s texture totally turned me off, personally. I would recommend a banana pancake if you do want to get eggs in the morning without it tasting like eggs. It’s just 1/2 a banana mashed, combined with 2 eggs & then cooked like a pancake. I always add some ground flax & cinnamon too, but chia seeds & other add-ins work as well!
Yum! Thanks for the suggestion.
I’m sorry, did I miss that eggs aren’t whole 30 friendly? I thought they were the staple of whole 30? I’m proud of your efforts. I just try to eat as healthily and unprocessed as possible. I can’t stand trying to keep up with reading ingredients on everything. Kudos to you!!
This recipe was so easy and so tasty! I used a little bit of vanilla bean paste in the mixture. I can’t wait to try lots and lots of variations! I don’t eat dairy anymore but I miss yogurt, this is a wonderful substitute 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it! 🙂
Just tried this this morning–I’m usually a smoothie girl but needed a breakfast I could pack before 6am swim practice that would last in my bag until 8ish. This was perfect! Topped with Barney Butter and more banana. Thank you for helping me overcome my fear of chia pudding / avoid resorting to unhealthy breakfast tacos in my office cafe!
Yes! This makes me happy. Glad it turned out well for you!
So glad I stumbled upon this recipe! I’m on day 9 of the Whole30 and I’ve been struggling with egg-based breakfasts… Will definitely give this a try, thanks!
So I found this recipe yesterday, because I was also on day 9 and struggling to try something different. I am not a breakfast person normally and a girl can only eat so many eggs. THANK YOU for sharing, this was a life saver for me this morning. I have been raving about your recipe all day and will continue this yumminess after my 30 days!