Banana quinoa pudding is a creamy and delicious dessert, similar to tapioca or rice pudding. It is a simple and healthy treat with a distinctly nutty quinoa flavor.
A Healthy Treat
I love healthy desserts. They are perfect for guilt-free indulgences. Here are a few ways that quinoa pudding packs in a whole lot of nutrition.
- Quinoa is healthy: It’s full of fiber, protein and vitamins, and minerals.
- Prebiotic: Grains that are cooked and cooled are a great source of resistant starch. Quinoa is a particularly good prebiotic grain.
- Probiotic: Use cultured dairy for a probiotic treat! It’s that easy.
- Refined sugar-free: Bananas are a great way to make a naturally sweet, sugar-free treat.
Quinoa pudding flavors:
There are lots of different ways to flavor this simple quinoa pudding. Here are 6 of our favorite flavors. The additions are scaled for 1 batch of quinoa pudding.
- Vanilla bean: Follow the recipe, replacing the vanilla extract with a vanilla bean pod. Slice the pod in half, then scrape the seeds right into the pudding. The vanilla bean really adds a lot of flavor.
- Chocolate: Add two tablespoons of cocoa powder for a thick and rich chocolate pudding.
- Chai Spiced: This pudding naturally complements the warm flavor of chai spice. Either add 2 tsp of a chai spice blend, or 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of ginger, and 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom.
- Vegan Coconut: Replace the milk with coconut milk for a vegan treat. Serve with a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes.
- Vegan Chocolate Almond: Add 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder and replace the milk with almond milk or almond milk yogurt.
- Cinnamon Raisin: To add a bit more sweetness to this pudding, add 1/4 cup of raisins and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Top with toasted pistachios or walnuts.
For a caramel-flavored pudding, try my date-sweetened quinoa pudding recipe! It’s fairly similar, but dates require a bit more liquid than bananas.
Banana Quinoa Pudding
Banana quinoa pudding is a deliciously creamy dessert, similar to tapioca or rice pudding. This simple and healthy recipe can be flavored with chocolate, cinnamon spice, and more! See the section above for 6 flavor options.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (2/3 cup dry)
- 1 1/2 cups of milk or cultured dairy (see notes)
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
- 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Mix the milk into the cooked quinoa and allow it to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If you use cultured dairy, the quinoa can be left to soak and ferment overnight for a probiotic treat. Here’s more information on how to ferment cooked quinoa.
- Puree the bananas until smooth.
- Mix the melted butter, vanilla, and salt into the pureed banana. Then add it to the soaking quinoa along with any additional flavors. At this point, you can either leave the quinoa whole or puree it with a blender or immersion blender until smooth. See the section above for 6 flavor options.
- Taste, and feel free to add a bit of honey or maple syrup if you want it to be sweeter.
- Allow the pudding to rest for at least 30 minutes so the quinoa can soak in the liquid. Serve it either chilled or warm.
Notes
- To avoid any bitter residue, I recommend soaking quinoa prior to cooking.
- This recipe works well with yogurt, vegan yogurt, or cultured buttermilk. I have also tried it with milk kefir, and the results were quite sparkly, which wasn’t entirely pleasant in a pudding. So I recommend sticking with non-yeast cultures like buttermilk and yogurt.
Keywords: vegan, probiotic, prebiotic, sugar-free, healthy, chocolate, coconut, butterscotch, raisin spice, banana, simple, easy,
awesomeness!
★★★★★
Thanks!
Please confirm the butter measurement is 1/4 TABLESPOON?
Definitely a typo! 1/4 cup (or 4 tbsp…) Sorry!