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Yep – another slightly odd flavor combination – but this time it wasn’t really my fault! One of my readers asked me to consider coming up with a healthy version of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey Ice Cream, so I jotted down the idea for later. Meanwhile, my brain was thinking of chia seeds for some odd reason (probably because my sister had just bought some and kept making yummy-looking puddings with them), so two ideas merged in my head and wouldn’t leave. Why not make a Chunky Monkey Chia Pudding? Challenge accepted.
I think Ben and Jerry’s actually uses walnuts, not peanuts, but close enough. Chocolate and peanut butter + banana sounded like a win to me because if you don’t like all three, you can have either chocolate and peanut butter or peanut butter and banana – both classic combos.
Since Trim Healthy Mama advocates keeping fats and carbs separated for weight loss, there is no actual banana in this chia pudding, just banana extract. If you’re at goal weight or want a special treat, feel free to omit the banana extract and add some sliced banana right before serving for a yummy crossover!
This recipe makes a big bowl of very thick, very filling chia pudding with a unique mix of flavors and textures. There are lots of different ways you can make this pudding your own; be sure to check out the Notes section of the recipe for some suggestions to make sure this pudding fits your tastebuds!
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission to help defray the costs of running this blog (at no extra charge to you). Thanks for your help!
You may also enjoy:
- Starting THM
- my recipe index
- my recipes grouped by fuel type, allergy info, and theme
- all my chocolate recipes
- all my peanut butter recipes
- 1 c. unsweetened almond milk
- ½ c. water
- 3 T. chia seeds
- 1 tsp. banana flavoring*
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/32 tsp. (3 doonks) THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
- 1/16 tsp. salt
- -
- ½ c. cottage cheese**
- 1½ T. natural peanut butter***
- Sprinkling of sugar-free chocolate chips
- Whisk the first set of ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the cottage cheese and peanut butter. Sprinkle with some sugar-free chocolate chips. Enjoy warm for a thinner consistency, or cover and refrigerate overnight for a very thick pudding.
**The cottage cheese adds some texture to the pudding, so you can substitute with Greek yogurt if you prefer. I prefer the flavor of cottage cheese to Greek yogurt, personally. Another option is to mash the cottage cheese with a fork before stirring it into the pudding to remove most of the lumps.
***To decrease calories, I like to use pretty dry natural peanut butter for this. We buy Smucker's from Walmart, and if the bottom of the jar doesn't get stirred well, it ends up dry without much oil. This works perfectly in this pudding because the peanut butter stays in chunks. Using peanut butter without the extra oil cuts back on the fats and keeps the pudding on the lighter side. You can use defatted peanut flour instead of the peanut butter for an even lighter option. (The pudding would still be THM:S because of the chia seeds.)
Suggested products:
Since I have an allergic reaction to cottage cheese and yogurt but not ricotta cheese could I substitute with it? Low-fat or full fat? Trader Joe’s has a 10 calories difference between the two in 1/2 cup. (LF – 70, FF – 80).
Thank you!
That would probably work! Either low fat or full fat would be fine.
Thank you Briana! Really liked the flavor combinations and another way to use up my bounty of chia seeds!
This is one of mine and my daughters FAVORITE snacks-we have it once a week! The only thing I do differently is make it with peanut powder instead of peanut butter. Easy to make and delicious to eat!
I made this recipe and cut back on the chia seeds- as was suggested for letting it refrigerate overnight to avoid a pudding that might be too thick. I did 2 Tbsp of chia. The next morning the mixture was just as soupy and runny as it was when I put it in the fridge – nothing had solidified. There was no mention of cutting back on any liquid. Any thoughts as to what might of gone wrong? I was really looking forward to eating it. 🙁
Hmmm…I’m sorry you had trouble with it! Did you cook the pudding before refrigerating it overnight?
Making this recipe for the second time because I can’t stop thinking about it. I ate half warm the night I cooked it. And the other half 2 days later. Not sure which way I prefer. Both ways were delicious!
Btw…I omitted the banana extract so it was just peanut butter and chocolate yumminess.
Mine totally did not thicken up during the night and does not look like the photos. Was I supposed to let it boil longer? The chai seeds did not absorb any of the liquid..?
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, Laura! I didn’t let mine boil long at all. I’m guessing the issue is with your chia seeds. Maybe they’re old?
Thanks Briana! My chai seeds were from Aldi’s a couple of months ago. I just bought some new ones today. It looks so good that I am going to try again. Thank you!
Would it be the same amount of PB powder as real, natural peanut butter?
I’ve personally found that defatted peanut flour isn’t quite as strong as natural peanut butter, so you may need a little more.
Brianna, I was so excited to get your cookbook. It is beautifully done. I was a bit disappointed though as I’ve been on THM since Mother’s Day and I still really don’t have it down to where I look at my plate and say it’s an s or an e. You refer to THM so much I just assumed I’d be able to use your book right along with theirs but you don’t have the recipes marked s or e. So I have no idea what I’m making.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to use the THM labels because of trademark issues, so I had to come up with my own categories:
Since S meals focus on fats, that would be the Healthy Fats category.
“Foundation Fats” is compatible with THM: Deep S recipes.
Since E meals focus on carbs, that would be the Healthy Carbs category.
Not including many carbs or fats in a recipe gives you a Fuel Pull (Low Carb/Low Fat).
Including both carbs and fats in the same recipe gives you a crossover (Healthy Carbs & Healthy Fats).
I hope this clears things up for you. 🙂 My labeling system follows the same principles as theirs does, just with different names.
I need to try this!