Dessert

Guilt-Free Banana Pudding (No Dairy or Gluten)

By Jess

5 from 2 ratings

This dessert is not only dairy free and gluten free, but also acts as a sweet treat that is completely guilt free. I have to admit that banana pudding was a difficult recipe for me to figure out. It took several tries before I got a satisfying and delicious pudding. I definitely recommend this as an occasional treat rather than a regular dessert. But it turns out so much better than a mix from a box, perhaps because it is made from scratch. It’s the real deal.

Guilt-Free Banana Pudding- my favorite healthy dessert! It is completely dairy free and gluten free.

Guilt-Free Banana Pudding- my favorite healthy dessert! It is completely dairy free and gluten free.



To prepare for the recipe, mash two bananas in a small bowl and set aside. You can either blend them with a hand blender or just mash them with a fork, depending on what consistency you would like the pudding to end up as.

The first actual step in the recipe is to whisk together egg yolks, honey, and arrowroot powder. Arrowroot powder is white and powdery and acts in the same way as cornstarch. It helps to thicken the mixture into a pudding-like consistency, along with the egg yolks. (Need ideas for what to do with the leftover egg whites? They are great for Paleo biscuits or Paleo tortillas.)

mixing the pudding

In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk is best, since it will make the pudding creamier. Warm the coconut milk, and then slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. You should be whisking the entire time. Then add everything back into the saucepan. Heat the whole mixture together (over low heat) until it gets thick – you still have to whisk regularly so that the eggs do not scramble.

Once the mixture is nice and quite thick, remove it from the stove. This is the point I kept screwing up; I didn’t let the mixture get thick like a pudding and would remove it from the stove too early. So have patience. Then you can stir in the mashed banana and vanilla for flavoring. Taste and adjust the sweetness, and refrigerate for an hour to cool down.

gluten free banana pudding

To serve the delicious banana pudding, spoon it into small glasses. I like to top the pudding with walnuts for crunch and extra banana slices. Toasted coconut flakes or shortbread cookies would also taste wonderful. This healthy dessert recipe keeps wonderfully in the refrigerator. You can make it ahead of time and then enjoy it after dinner, or perhaps the next day as an after school snack.


Ingredients

    • 4 egg yolks
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
    • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 cups full-fat coconut milk
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 ripe banana, sliced
    • Walnuts, optional

Directions

  1. Whisk together the egg yolks, honey, and arrowroot powder in a medium glass bowl. Set aside.
  2. Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Slowly pour the coconut milk into the egg mix, whisking constantly. Transfer the entire mixture back into the saucepan and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir regularly until thickened, making sure it does not boil.
  3. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and whisk in the vanilla and the mashed bananas. Chill for one hour.
  4. To serve, spoon the pudding into a glass. Top with sliced banana and walnuts if desired. Serve immediately.

Servings

Serving Size

1

Servings/Recipe

4

Time

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17 Comments

Ask a Question 

  1. This banana pudding recipe was indeed delicious. However, mine didn’t gel like I think pudding should. Is it supposed to be a soupy pudding? Or did I do something wrong? I had to cook it much longer than just 2-3 minutes to get it to thicken, and even after several hours of chilling in the fridge it’s still not even the slightest bit firm.

    • I’m not the author, but I know Juli from PaleOMG would say yes, you can. I would sub in maple syrup.

  2. My pudding is currently in the fridge. Although it’s been in there almost an hour, there’s no sign of it setting. The pudding mixture was thick prior to adding banana and vanilla. I made sure not to overheat the arrowroot because I have made that mistake before. My only guess is that if it never sets it’s because my bananas were bigger. Do you know the banana measurement in cups?

  3. Just made this and had no problems. It’s cooling in the refrigerator now and seems to be thickening up. The only suggestions I have is use large bananas and make sure to use full fat coconut milk.

  4. Mine also did not thicken (as some other commentors stated). It tastes good, but it is kind of soupy. I even left the “arrowroot stew” on heat for a 10-12 minutes, and then turned the heat on super low (like a stew). Hopefully this second batch tastes really good.

  5. I’d love to know if anyone has converted this into a thermomix recipe and how you did it. I’m not a desert person but this looks yummy and we have dinner guests tomorrow night

  6. Greetings from Australia. I used a 400ml can of coconut cream and it worked out perfectly. A delicious recipe that the grandchildren love.

  7. Arrowroot is a substitute for flour; it aids in thickening, but it does not respond well to over nor re-heating. My guess is that this is the reason the recipe is designated as “hard”.

  8. So this tasted great. I got mine to thicken by treating it like custard, carefully heating and constantly stirring at ~170°F until thick. Instead of worrying about how long to cook it and hoping it sets in the fridge.

    Really tastes like banana pudding!

  9. Thank you for this recipe! I’ve made it for my southern husband (and in-laws) twice & he licked the bowl clean lol. I am allergic to bananas so I was very relieved it was such a hit since I couldn’t taste test! Now I have a bowl chilling in the fridge just for me with no bananas in sight. This recipe is a keeper!

    Rating: 5

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