Overnight Banana Bread Chia Pudding

Overnight Chia Pudding that tastes just like banana bread! The perfect dairy-free, gluten-free choice for breakfast, a snack or dessert. High protein, made with oatmilk, then infused with the comforting spices of nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom, this Banana Bread Chia Pudding is topped with caramelized bananas and crunchy walnuts toasted in sesame oil. It’s a chia pudding recipe that purportedly supports weight loss and practically makes itself.

The old adage that good things come in small packages surely applies to the main ingredient in this amazing Banana Bread Chia Pudding: chia seeds. An excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, this powerful superfood helps fight free radicals that cause oxidative stress and cell damage in our bodies.

Love bananas, try my Vegan Banana Bread Muffins or my Vegan Banana Pancakes.

Purporters of these widely recognized, nutrient dense seeds claim they help improve blood sugar, reduce inflammation, promote weight loss, and lower blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

This banana bread chia pudding was inspired by my Banana Bread Oatmeal Breakfast Bars and pairs well with this amazing Banana Peel Bacon and Skinny Vanilla Latte.

🌟 WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Diet-friendly – naturally gluten-free, this chia seed pudding is also vegan and dairy-free (perfect if you’re lactose intolerant). Check out more gluten-free recipes!
• Budget-friendly – uses common ingredients of which many may already be in your pantry or refrigerator.
• Easy to make – a few simple steps and overnight refrigeration makes this recipe a breeze to whip up.
• Versatile – allows for many substitutions if the exact ingredients listed are unavailable.

🍌 INGREDIENTS

📋 INGREDIENT NOTES

• Oat milk – my favorite plant milk in the whole world is this Oat Milk by Planet Oat, however, any plant milk will work.
• Chia seeds – I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Chia Seeds. If you love chia seed pudding, try my Cranberry Chia Pudding.
• Bananas – it’s preferable to use over-ripe bananas in this recipe.
• Walnuts – I use a touch of sesame oil to toast the walnuts, as it greatly enhances the flavor of the nuts. But this is optional.
• Maple syrup – If a recipe calls for it, I always use 100% pure maple syrup that’s also organic.
• Coconut sugar – used to caramelize the bananas. I use Better Body Foods Organic Coconut Sugar.
• Pure vanilla extract – adds a delicious richness to the recipe.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom – traditionally, I use these spices when I bake banana bread and if you add them to the recipe, it will taste just like it.
• Sea salt – just a pinch will do, or omit if on a sodium-free diet.

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mash bananas with a fork in a medium bowl.

2. Add maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and sea salt.

3. Stir until ingredients are well-incorporated.

4. Add oatmilk and whisk thoroughly.

5. Add chia seeds.

6. Whisk all ingredients together for overnight chia pudding for 1-2 minutes. Cover and place in refrigerator. After 5 minutes, stir and place back in the refrigerator for 30 more minutes. Stir again. Cover and allow to chill overnight.

Hint: if chia seeds settle to the bottom of the bowl during refrigeration, simply stir with a fork until smooth prior to adding to glasses. I like to use these glass jars for serving.

🍯 HOW TO CARAMELIZE THE BANANAS

7. To a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add bananas, coconut sugar and a touch of oat milk.

8. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed and bananas are sticky and gooey.

♨️ HOW TO TOAST THE WALNUTS

9. Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a small non-stick skillet over medium heat.

10. Add chopped walnuts and stir. Toast for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, tossing to ensure all sides are toasty. Remove from heat and allow to cool prior to adding to chia pudding parfait.

11. In the morning, add to glasses by alternating layers of caramelized bananas, toasted walnuts and chia pudding. Top with more bananas, nuts and a sprinkle of coconut.

💭 FAQS

👩🏻‍🍳 EXPERT TIPS

• For best results, use over-ripe bananas in this recipe. This is especially important for the caramelizing process as they turn out more flavorful.
• If Chia Seed Pudding Parfait is too runny after refrigerating overnight, simply add more chia seeds, stir and place back in refrigerator for a couple of hours. If too thick, add some oatmilk, a little at a time, until you reach the desired level of consistency. Stir thoroughly. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.
• Be sure to stir overnight chia pudding about 5 minutes into the refrigeration process, and then again after 30 minutes. This will prevent the seeds from clumping together and sinking to the bottom.
• Chia seeds soaked in liquid are easier to digest as this allows them fully to expand. You can also grind them prior to adding them to a recipe. Some folks report eating dry, whole chia seeds and/or over-consumption of soaked chia seeds can lead to digestive problems, including bloating, cramping, constipation, and stomach pain.
• If you love banana bread, serve with these Banana Bread Oatmeal Breakfast Bars.

🍓 SUBSTITUTIONS

Readers enjoy overnight chia seed pudding with oatmilk chilled, but warm pudding is also a treat. This recipe can also be adapted to suit your taste and lifestyle in the following ways:

• Other fruit – not into bananas? Consider substituting with other types of fruit, such as plantains (follow the same caramelizing process), or fresh fruits such as berries or melon (skip the caramelizing).
• Sweetener – this Chia Seed Parfait can be sweetened with anything you have on hand. Think agave nectar, coconut sugar or any kind of vegan sugar (the darker the better). Better yet, use a natural sweetener such as dates or raisins.
• Nuts – not nuts for walnuts? Try pecans, slivered almonds or cashews following the same toasting instructions as per the walnuts.
• Nut-free – the sky is the limit when it comes to toppings, so if you despise nuts, substitute with coconut flakes, dairy-free chocolate chips, or cacao nibs.
• Non-vegan – if you’re not ready to make this vegan, or you have family members that still drink milk, simply substitute oatmilk for regular milk in this recipe.

🍮 VARIATIONS

• Overnight oats – a friend told me yesterday she’s not a fan of chia seeds, but that she loves the idea behind the recipe. My advice: make this recipe with overnight oats, instead. Learn how to make Easy Vegan Overnight Oats and Blood Orange Overnight Oats.
• Kid-friendly – top with vegan whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream) sprinkled with vegan chocolate chips to make this recipe more kid-friendly.
• Quick version – no time to wait until tomorrow for this banana bread chia pudding to chill in the refrigerator? Speed up the process by placing chia pudding in the freezer for 15 minutes. After the time is up, remove from freezer and place in the refrigerator for another hour.

Hint: You can also add chia seeds to overnight oats like these Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats from Broke Bank Vegan.

🌡️ STORAGE

Store oatmilk chia pudding (without toppings) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store left-over toppings individually in separate containers.

Freezing is NOT RECOMMENDED for this overnight chia pudding as these ingredients don’t fare well in freezing temperatures.

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