Banana Pudding

Are you ready for this?

I have been super excited to share this new recipe with you guys. I mentioned in a previous post that my grandma gave me a two-pound container of chia seeds for Christmas, so I have been having fun making loads and loads of chia pudding (like the one in this recent chocolate pudding recipe). One day while I was at school, I was thinking about my family's old banana pudding recipe (don't ask me why) and I decided to make it my mission that weekend to try to create a vegan recipe for banana pudding that tasted something like my family's version.

Once I finished making the pudding, I handed a couple of spoons to my mom and dad, who were eagerly waiting for a taste. Even though my mom is not crazy about chia seeds, she told me that she loved this recipe and that it tasted exactly like the banana pudding we're used to having. I sampled the pudding myself after my mom and dad did, and there's no denying that this recipe has some major yum going for it.

The coconut cream part makes it super soft and fluffy. The chia pudding part makes it super gooey. The bananas and the cookies add a delicious crunch that I totally love.

Let me know what you think.

Banana Pudding
(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of chia seeds
• 1 cup of vegan milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
• 1 sliced banana
• 1/4 cup of crushed vegan wafer cookies or graham crackers (I used animal crackers.)
• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight

Directions:

1. Combine 1 teaspoon of the the vanilla extract, all of the milk and the first 1/4 cup of maple syrup in a bowl. Stir in the chia seeds and let the mixture sit in a refrigerator for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk with the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and blend well. Leave this mixture to thicken in the refrigerator while the chia mixture congeals.
3. To assemble the pudding, fill a bowl with alternating layers of the chia pudding, banana slices, the crushed cookies and the coconut cream.