This is another dish inspired by our time in Oslo, Norway.
For only spending 24 hours there, I’m still a little perplexed as to how I managed to gain two completely different ideas for the blog. I’m not complaining, and neither are my taste buds. Let’s make some simple, healthy dessert, shall we?
When we’re traveling, it’s often difficult to find anything sweet outside of dairy-free chocolate at the grocery store. So when we stumbled upon a local cafe that had some vegan options, I was thrilled.
Because of the language gap, I wasn’t quite sure what I was ordering. But I knew it was “dairy-free” and a “pudding” and it had “berries.” Good enough for me.
This recipe is quite basic and simple, requiring just 6 ingredients and 1 bowl (food processor).
The idea is simple: Kind of like a thicker banana berry-based smoothie with hemp seeds and chia seeds. The result is a naturally-sweet “pudding” that’s perfect for snacking or a lighter dessert.
It almost goes without saying, but this dessert is packed with free-radical fighting antioxidants thanks to the berries, potassium from the bananas, Omega 3 fatty acids and protein from the chia seeds, and all 20 amino acids (including the 9 amino acids our bodies can’t produce) from the hemp seeds. Thanks hemp seeds!
Oh, and cinnamon helps stabilize blood sugar levels. Thanks cinnamon!
I hope you all love this pudding! It’s:
Creamy
Cool
Naturally sweet
Loaded with healthy ingredients
Easy to make
& Satisfying
This is the perfect treat to have around when you need something quick for breakfast or a snack or you’re craving a healthier dessert. I enjoyed mine after dishing on some chana masala and it was the perfect sweet ending to my night.
If you give this recipe a try, let us know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you came up with. Cheers, friends!
Banana & Berry Hemp Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 just ripe (not overripe) bananas, (peeled // if too ripe, the flavor can be overwhelming)
- 2 cups organic berries* (fresh or, if frozen, thawed)
- 2 Tbsp light coconut milk* (or almond milk)
- maple syrup or pitted dates (optional // to taste)
- 2 Tbsp hemp seeds*
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add bananas, berries, and coconut milk to a food processor and mix to combine. Then taste and adjust sweetness if needed, adding either maple syrup or pitted dates (optional) and blending to combine.
- Next, add hemp seeds, chia seeds, and cinnamon (see photo), and pulse to combine. Transfer to 3-4 serving dishes (I love these ones from World Market // use fewer or more serving dishes if altering batch size).
- Cover and refrigerate to chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Notes
*If nut-free, we’d recommend replacing the coconut/almond milk with oat milk.
*Hemp seeds can be difficult to digest for some people. If you have trouble tolerating them, sub an additional 1-2 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) chia seeds or flaxseed meal.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without additional toppings.
molly says
Texture a little weird…
Carly says
Love this! It is such a quick, simple, and delicious snack. I enjoy eating this as a nice and refreshing treat and will sometimes even randomly take a bite here and there throughout the day. So good!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Carly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Nicole says
This tasted like a delicious cross between a smoothie and chia pudding. I used thawed frozen strawberries, and my banana was pretty ripe but I didn’t find it overpowering. I added a splash of maple syrup and vanilla. Yum!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing!
Cherise says
Would this be okay without the chia seeds?
I think so! Just double the amount of hemp seeds.
Michelle says
Can I use ground hemp seed powder instead of seeds?
Yes!
Keisha says
Is there any other fruit instead of bananas I could use in this smoothie and perhaps your other ones (I personally just can’t stand them)
Hi! You could try adding unsweetened applesauce!
Gabrielle Gueron says
I haven’t tried it yet (and I have no problem at all with the bananas), but if substituting, would consider using cooked sweet potatoes instead of bananas. It adds sweetness and texture.
Paula says
I’m allergic to nuts so I was excited to see a sweet recipe that didn’t include a nut milk. This pudding was very easy to make. I have a tiny food processor so I halved the recipe and filled two small ramakins. I used fresh strawberries and blackberries and since I am not vegan, added a little honey to the mix. Tasted a bit like a fantastic, seedier and softer sorbet. Fresh and just the right amount of sweetness. Thanks for the recipe.
julie mott says
I just invested in a vitamix and was looking for pudding or smoothie recipes. So glad I saw this. I made the pudding this morning… delish! I used a mixture of frozen raspberries and blueberries that we picked over the summer at the farm down the street. I did not thaw them first as recommended, but it turned out fine. I also used maple syrup rather than the dates. Consistency was great and the sweetness was just right. Will definitely make this again. It’s perfect because I can make it the night before and then grab & go the next morning.
Emily says
Made these on a whim and they are SO YUMMY! My parents absolutely loved them; I wish I had made more, they ate the ones I meant to save for my breakfast this morning!!
Debs @ Wilde Orchard says
Beautiful recipe, Dana. I threw in some left over avocado that I had from the night before and it was super duper creamy perfection. Thanks.
Kati says
This is so delicious! I made it twice this week :) I love to mix it in with a serving of oats for a filling meal. Thank you for the recipe!
Nick Kelly says
I’ve saved this one to recommend to my clients! (I work as a personal trainer in Dubai.)
Ophélie says
This was super simple and delicious, thanks!
Amy | Lemon and Coconut says
Wow everything you do feels like stepping into a sun-drenched world where everything is clear and so so good. Gorgeous :)
Ashlyn // Dollop Of Yum says
This pudding looks absolutely fantastic! It is definitely a healthier sweet treat and the berries make it a perfect spring recipe. :)
Brittany says
I’m addicted to hemp seeds right now so I love this pudding idea. Can’t wait to try it!
Maria says
Made these straight away for dessert and they are so perfect and satisfying. I could have berry smoothies for breakfast, lunch and dinner so this is a fantastic compromise.
alk says
Cool! Will try this tomorrow morning.
Cassie says
This looks just to die for–so refreshing and fruity!
Alexandra says
I just tried this and this was amazing!! Perfect nighttime snack!! :)
Emily @ Robust Recipes says
Looks delicious. I have never thought to put hemp seeds in my pudding! I will have to give this one a try! :)
Amberley says
These are currently chilling in the fridge! Only 1 hour more to go until I get to try the finished product :) Of course, some of the… batter(?) was already licked off of the spatula. As is always called for in a good recipe! I was so excited to see a new recipe today. Thank you!! I’ll report back on how it is.
My only question is in your pictures it looks like the pudding fills the jars? Did you use the pint jars in the link? Obviously, I’m guessing that’s an artistic thing at this point. Let’s just say I’m a volume eater haha. My recipe filled 3 pint jars maybe 1/3 full each.
This may sound crazy but I’ve never made any kind of pudding before. Non vegan, vegan, chia seed, anything… so this’ll be great!
Amberley says
Update: Delicious! So good, thanks <3
janice says
Hi Dana. What a delicious sounding recipe. As a diabetic I am very interested in your comment that “cinnamon helps stabilize blood sugar levels”. Could you please describe the physiological mechanism by which cinnamon does stabilize blood sugar levels? Does it act like insulin? And by stabilize do you mean raise if blood sugar is low or lower if blood sugar is high. Many thanks for the information. I am sure I will find it very helpful.
Amberley says
Hi Janice! Sorry to butt in, I know you are writing to Dana, but I thought I’d offer my two cents :) I love cinnamon soo much, and eat way more than 1/2 tsp a day (the often tossed around amount for recommended effects). There are many articles I briefly skimmed on the health effects of cinnamon for diabetics, but this one on npr I thoughts was really nicely done: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/12/30/255778250/cinnamon-can-help-lower-blood-sugar-but-one-variety-may-be-best.
Basically, it has definitely been proven that it can, over time, reduce elevated blood sugar levels (among other things!), and is overall good for you. But, it hasn’t been researched enough to state by how much, or if it’s really overall that effective. What the article is saying, and many other articles agreed, is that it’s not very effective for those who are already diabetic. Especially compared to modern medicine. Rather that it’s a good thing to keep in mind for those who are pre-diabetic – almost 1/4th of the country!
This is my completely unprofessional research, just thought I’d lend a hand. I have a final tomorrow and I’m in full procrastination mode!
I’ll be interested to see if anyone else has input.
David Bickel says
Janice, I think you should use Stevia instead of sugar. You use 1\2 the stevia to sugar.
Donna says
Delicious! Perfect for a grab and go breakfast!
Yay! Thanks, Donna!
Alison says
This looks yummy!
I am surprised you came across any type of language barrier in Norway, especially in Oslo. I have visited friends and family there many times, and everyone, even the older folks, speak English. I am not a Norwegian speaker and have never run across difficulty understanding a Norwegian, nor have they not understood me.
Amberley Powell says
This looks amazing! I will definitely be trying this (hopefully today), but for sure soon! Thanks for everything Dana!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
Like chia pudding but with a little more seedy variety! This is a really neat idea, yay for travel inspiration :)
Katrina says
So many wonderful seeds!!! This smoothie sounds amazing!
Celeste | The Whole Serving says
I love hemp seed, I think it is a very underused seed. I add them to my smoothies all the time, but never thought about putting it in a pudding. Thanks for this awesome use of hemp seed.
Ellie | Hungry by Nature says
This looks like the perfect snack for that 3pm slump!
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
And every slump before and after! Slump all day I say if I can snack on this!
Thrilled with the cinnamon, hypoglymcemic here and blood sugar easily gets out of whack. Terrible feeling! And my skin is begging for all the anti-oxidents it can get! Reached the point where it’s like, great, I’m getting acne and wrinkles…c’mon!
Donna says
It is delicious. It looks like the portions are small, but they’re actually not. The pudding is dense.
I don’t normally add the optional sweetener to a recipe, but I added the maple syrup and I’m glad I did.