Nutella Chia Parfait

I do realize that I am sharing a silly chia pudding recipe during peak veggie season. I get it. This wasn’t planned, but now that I am home I am missing a little taste of Europe. And what’s more European than Nutella, right? I gave up Nutella years ago when I changed my diet, but I still adore the combination of chocolate and hazelnut. If you are also a fan, you’ll find this recipe an easy fix for your cravings.

It’s been crazy hot here in Texas since my return, so I’ve been playing with some no-bake treats to get us through the long afternoons spent indoors. This one won the prize. I hope it does at your home as well.

Ingredients

Pudding

• 1 cup almond milk + 1 cup coconut milk (or 2 cups of any of the richer plant-based milks, such as cashew or oat)
• 8 slightly rounded tablespoons of chia seeds
• 2 level tablespoons of raw cacao powder
• 2 heaping tablespoons of organic hazelnut butter (or replace with any other nut butter of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, date syrup or honey (more or less depending on taste) 
• 1 tea of vanilla or a pinch of vanilla powder

Fruit topping

• 2-3 bananas
• Ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of the sweetener of your choice above
• Coconut oil or coconut butter

Directions

Mix all ingredients for pudding in a large bowl with a whisk, or shake well in a wide mouth mason jar. Let stand in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to hydrate the chia seeds. Overnight works well too.

Then, 15 minutes before assembling the parfait, heat coconut oil or coconut butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add peeled and sliced bananas, sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with sweetener. Gently mix as bananas soften. You will want to cook the bananas just until they soften, yet still hold a bit of their shape. Set aside to cool.

When the banana topping is cooled, layer with chia pudding in small glasses and enjoy!