Banana chia pudding with caramelized banana and coconut is like banana bread in chia pudding form! Such an easy, satisfying vegan breakfast recipe. (gluten-free and soy-free with nut-free option. 9 grams protein, 14 grams fiber per serving.)

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, Vegan

Ingredients

For the Chia Pudding

  • 1 1/2 cup non dairy milk (such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, etc.)
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon + nutmeg)
  • sugar (or sweetener of choice, as needed)
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons chia seeds

For the Caramelized Bananas

  • 2 ripe bananas (sliced)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or vegan brown sugar)
  • 2 tablespoons non dairy milk
  • good pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg

For Topping

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (Use pumpkin seeds for nut-free.)
  • 2 tablespoons flaked coconut

Method

Make the chia pudding.

  1. Blend all the chia pudding ingredients, except chia seeds, until smooth. Or mash the banana and mix in with the rest of the ingredients. Optionally, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then take off heat. I like to cook the mixture so the banana flavor intensifies and adds a more baked/caramelized banana bread flavor.
  2. Mix the chia seeds into the hot mixture, and let sit for 5 minutes. Mix again, then chill for at least 15 minutes before layering. Chia seeds can be mixed into the mixture without boiling as well. Mix in, refrigerate and mix after 15 mins to distribute the seeds well. Chill for a few hours to hydrate before layering.

Caramelize the bananas.

  1. Combine banana slices, sugar, non dairy milk, nutmeg and a pinch of salt in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. about 5 minutes.

Assemble the banana chia pudding.

  1. Optionally, toast the walnuts or pecans on a skillet until fragrant (2 to 3 minutes).
  2. Layer the banana chia pudding in jars with toasted walnuts, caramelized bananas and flaked coconut. Top with some coconut flakes and a sprinkle of cinnamon or cardamom.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.