chia seed pudding with yogurt — Makes: *1 Serving*
Per Serving: 36g Protein | 380 Cal

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Chia pudding is one of my favorite easy and versatile weekday breakfasts. Made in advance, packed with fiber, healthy fats, and high in protein, my chia pudding recipes are just what you want for a delicious, filling, and healthy breakfast.

This version takes its inspiration from banana bread and is sweet and filled with warm baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. With extra protein from protein powder and the addition of Greek yogurt, and a meal prep dream, this recipe is one you’ll want to make—and riff on—over and over again.

Just mix, chill, and enjoy.

Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread Chia Pudding Recipe

Great for meal prepping: Because chia pudding needs time to sit, this recipe is ideal for your weekly meal prep. Make one serving or a big batch and pop individual jars in the fridge to hang out until you’re ready to eat. A healthy, ready-to-go breakfast whenever you need one.
Packed with protein: Each serving of this chia seed pudding with yogurt is packed with 36 grams of protein, so it’ll keep you full all day long.
Tastes like dessert: With plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweet banana, this chia pudding really can do double duty as dessert.
Easily customizable for those with dietary restrictions: If you have allergies or intolerances, you can easily make this pudding dairy-free with a vegan protein powder and dairy-free yogurt.

Ingredients

1/2 banana (about 60g, divided)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder – I use Clean Simple Eats Vanilla (use code PROTEINSNACKQUEEN for a discount!)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1.5 tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, or oat milk (you can even use dairy milk if that's what you prefer)
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
Optional: 1–2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
Optional Toppings: Banana slices, slivered almonds, a drizzle of nut butter, hemp seeds, wild blueberries (or any of your other favorite toppings - I love fresh berries)

Instructions

Prep the banana: Slice the banana and add 50g of it to a medium bowl. Put the other 10g of slices (just a few slices) aside so that you can put them on top of the pudding when it’s done. Mash the banana in the bowl with a fork.
Mix the chia seed pudding base: Add the yogurt, milk, chia seeds, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a drizzle of maple syrup to the bowl with the banana. Mix with the fork you used to mash the banana. Give it a good stir and make sure everything is evenly combined.
Add the protein powder: Stir the protein powder into the pudding until mixed well.
Chill: Transfer the pudding to a jar or airtight container with a lid. Cover it and put it in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) until the pudding thickens.
Garnish: When you’re ready to eat, add your toppings (if you’d like), then enjoy!

Nutrition Information - Per Serving (Makes 1 Serving)

Calories: 380
Protein: 36g
Carbs: 35g
Fat: 11g

Swaps & Substitutions

Make it dairy-free: Instead of the Greek yogurt, use a thick vegan yogurt like almond or coconut yogurt. You’ll also need to use a dairy-free or vegan protein powder.
Change up the nutty garnish: Swap out the slivered almonds for toasted walnuts or pecans for even more of a banana bread feel.
Add chocolate: Banana and chocolate go so well together. Make chocolate chia pudding instead of the original recipe by adding a little unsweetened cocoa powder (a little goes a long way), using chocolate protein powder, or topping with a few mini chocolate chips.
Meal prep it: Chia pudding is always the best the next day, after it’s had plenty of time to sit and thicken in the fridge. Make a batch for the whole week (store in individual containers) and you won’t have to worry about breakfast!

FAQs

Your chia pudding should stay good for up to 4 days in the fridge, so long as you keep it tightly covered. Make sure you wait to add any desired toppings or garnishes just before you dig in.
If you don’t want to use the Clean Simple Eats vanilla protein powder I recommend, you can use any vanilla-flavored protein powder you enjoy. Make sure you like eating it and it blends in well. If you want to put a twist on the flavor of your pudding, try chocolate, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, or any other flavor of protein powder that sounds good to you.
Don’t have or don’t like nutmeg? No problem! You can always just leave it out. Instead, add a little extra cinnamon or a bit of pumpkin spice seasoning (or just make it a little less spiced).
Of course! Make sure you thaw the frozen bananas so that you can easily mash them to add them to the recipe. Because frozen bananas are often riper and sweeter than fresh bananas, you might even find you like them better.
It sure is! It’s naturally sweetened and packed with tons of nutrients. If you’re planning to make it for kids, however, you might want to leave out the protein powder or use one that’s specifically formulated for kids to eat.
Not a fan of the texture of chia seeds? No problem. Instead of making a chia pudding, go for an overnight oats situation and use rolled oats in place of chia seeds. If you’re gluten-free, make sure you’re using gluten-free oats so they’re safe for you to eat. The nutrition content of the overnight oats variation will be a bit different than chia pudding, so if you’re strictly counting macros, you should take that into consideration as well.

This banana bread chia seed pudding with yogurt feels rich and indulgent, but doesn’t sacrifice a single goal. Creamy, sweet, and packed with protein, it’s the perfect way to start your day.