Chef and health coach Bailey Ruskus has combined her culinary expertise from Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco with her personal experience with chronic illness and endometriosis to create deeply flavorful, nutrient rich recipes.
Ruskus, aka Chef Bai online, shared a sweet morning treat with "Good Morning America" to help home cooks add an exciting dish to their morning routine.
Ingredients
1 cup chia seeds
3 1/2 cups favorite plant milk or homemade cashew milk
1 tablespoon brown coconut sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Coconut yogurt
Cashew butter
Cinnamon
For the glazed banana:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup brown coconut sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
3 very ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
First, add your chia seeds, plant milk, coconut sugar and vanilla extract into a large bowl or tall 32-ounce jar. Stir until everything is fully mixed. Let it set in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, but stir it every 5 minutes to prevent clumping.
Next is the glazed banana. Heat a large nonstick or stainless steel sauté pan on medium high heat with coconut oil.
When the coconut oil is completely melted, add the coconut sugar. Mix and soak up the hot oil with the sugar.
After about 60 seconds, add in your dark rum. Stir and reduce the liquid down for 1-2 minutes. Keep continuously stirring to prevent any burning.
When the rum is really bubbling and all the sugar is dissolved, add in your sliced banana and walnuts. Mix around for one minute and fully coat the bananas in the glaze, then remove from heat and let it cool slightly before using.
Once the chia is soft and ready, grab four 16-ounce mason jars, coconut yogurt, cashew butter, and the glazed banana mixture. Start to build your chia puddings.
Layer chia pudding: Start with a few spoonfuls of chia in the bottom of each jar, then a few generous spoonfuls of coconut yogurt. Next, add a big spoonful of cashew butter, a generous amount of the banana glaze mixture, and lastly garnish with a pinch of cinnamon over the top!
Enjoy immediately or meal prep for a delicious high-protein snack on the go.