The Better Banana Pudding
A healthy, protein-filled twist on the classic backyard bbq dessert!
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- Blender/Food Processor
- Mixer
- Single-serving size plastic cups
Ingredients
- 2 bananas They should be spotty.
"Crust"
- 1 1/4 cup raw walnuts
- 8 whole fresh pitted dates Heated in the microwave for 1 minute to make them soft.
Main Pudding
- 2 cups plain greek yogurt I used 0% plain. You could use any other fat percentage or even try a vanilla flavor. But don't use a flavor other than vanilla.
- 2 tbsp maple syrup Add more or less depending on your sweetness preferences.
- 2 tbsp honey Add more or less depending on your sweetness preferences.
- 3-4 tsp vanilla Taste and add more or less depending on your tasebuds.
Coconut Fluff
- 1 can chilled full fat coconut cream Must be chilled! I chilled it overnight. I used Thai Kitchen brand, but as long as it is full fat the brand doesn't matter.
Instructions
"Crust"
- Pulse your microwaved dates in a blender or food processor until broken down
- Add walnuts to the blender or food processor and combine with dates
- You should end up with a "crust" constistency that is slightly crumbly and a little sticky
Coconut Fluff
- With a mixer (I used a simple hand held mixer) whip the coconut cream for 2-3 minutes until it forms a slightly liquidy "fluff"
- The cream will not end up being very airy, but as long as it is well combined and thickened you are great
Main Pudding
- Combine greek yogurt, honey, maple syrup, and vanilla in a new bowl
- Now take roughly 5 large spoonfulls of the coconut fluff and add it to this main pudding mixture (not all the fluff! you will need just fluff for the top layer as well!)
- Add more or less of the sweetners and vanilla based on your taste buds (for example, if you used vanilla greek yogurt you might need less vanilla and syrup to be sweet enough)
Layering in each cup
- Start with a layer of the crust about ¼ inch tall (vary based on your preference)
- Second, add a layer of sliced banana
- Add a layer of the main pudding
- Add another layer of crust and sliced banana
- Add another layer of main pudding
- Finish with a layer of the coconut fluff and a sprinkle of any remaining crust
Notes
- I prefer this recipe in single serving cups because the "crust" is very crumbly and does not hold up as well in a large dish
- Most of the parts can be adjusted based on preferences. Don't be afraid to alter or experiment!
- You will have some coconut fluff left over, at least I did, so you can make the top layer larger or simply save the coconut fluff and add it to your morning coffee.