Though I certainly appreciate all desserts, you won’t ever catch me choosing a creamy dessert over a dense, cakey one, and I rarely choose fruity desserts over chocolate. My husband is the opposite: he never met a cream filled doughnut, a cannoli, or a bowl of pudding he didn’t like. So, for him and all the creamy, fruity dessert lovers out there: this one’s for you. It’s a thick, creamy, sweet and cinnamon-y banana pudding that I only really made as an excuse to use up some frozen bananas that were taking up valuable freezer space (on that note, if you use fresh bananas, your pudding will probably be more yellow). It was something different from what I usually make, and Bryan seemed excited about the idea. I wish I had a more riveting story for you, but sometimes necessity (of freezer space) is the mother of… well not invention, because I am hardly the first person to make this dish.
Oh ok, fine, I didn’t want to give it away, but I had an ulterior motive in making this pudding, and no, it wasn’t to bribe Bryan to take out the garbage (though… note to self). It was pie! Remember this sneak peak I shared on Instagram over the weekend? It was pretty outrageous, even by my very exacting cream pie standards. And yup, this delicious, simple pudding was the base. I’ll share a slice if you can guess what kind of pie it is.
But wait! Let’s not get distracted by pie just yet (I know, I brought it up). First, let’s give this pudding its due. Is it just me, or does pudding get kind of overlooked in the pantheon of desserts? In my experience, pudding is hospital food, a sad, low-cal excuse for dessert, or an afterthought on a high school cafeteria tray. It’s always overly sweet, cringe-worthily goopy, and artificially flavored. Just say no.
Seriously, why bother with that gross pudding-like product, when you can have real, honest-to-goodness pudding without the hassle of cooking egg yolks and all that nonsense? There are only 6 ingredients in this pudding, no cooking required, and it’s thickened with gut-friendly gelatin instead of eggs and cream that require a persnickety cooking process that I am sure I would mess up anyway. This version is not only faster and less fussy, but it is also sweetened and flavored with bananas and bananas alone (ok, and cinnamon). Banana pudding that’s flavored with nothing but bananas? What a revelation!
Cinnamon Banana Pudding
Dairy and Egg Free, Paleo and No-Cook
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons flavorless gelatin, or equivalent agar (for vegan)
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir the gelatin into the almond milk until mostly dissolved. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the "s" blade, puree the banana until smooth. Add the gelatin and almond milk mixture, plus the salt, vanilla and cinnamon to the bowl. Puree until smooth and completely combined.
- Transfer to a covered container and let sit at least an hour until thickened.
Notes
This is the gelatin I use, and get great results from: http://amzn.to/1DNWJnN
I like a pronounced cinnamon flavor, so if you want the banana flavor to be more prominent, reduce or eliminate the cinnamon. Or, add more if you want!
If, after your pudding thickens, it's too thick for you, simply puree it in the food processor again with a little more almond milk until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring back to room temperature before serving (unless you want extra sturdy pudding!).
Taylor says
I feel like some of the best recipes come from cleaning out the freezer to make room for new things! My freezer sounds pretty much like yours – packed to the brim! & it’s not just you- I think pudding is so under-appreciated. Love that you used gelatin instead of egg yolks and didn’t add any extra sugar, such a great idea!
PS- I love the colors of the towel? tablecloth? in the first picture! So bright and cheery!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
That’s definitely how it happens in my house anyway. Lately, I’ve been trying to clean out the freezer, and it’s kind of fun – like a home-cook version of Chopped 🙂 Having a packed freezer comes in handy, except when you need to fit more in!!
PS: The tea towel thingie was a gift, but I think it is from TJ Maxx. Isn’t it festive? 🙂
Marisa @ Uproot from Oregon says
I absolutely love the sprinkle touch on top 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks, Marisa!
Julia says
Stop.it! You cracked the paleo pudding code?!!!! I’m just in envy of this tasty dessert! I’ve been wanting to use gelatin in my desserts because I’ve heard great things about the health benefits, so this recipe is definitely lighting a fire under my bootaaay! I once tried making paleo pudding with tapioca starch and it didn’t work out so well for me, so I bet the gelatin’s a winner! Love this! And now I’m craving cinnamon banana pudding pie!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
HAHA I guess so! It was totally inadvertent because I didn’t know it was locked! Gelatin is super good for gut healing and health so I try to use it whenever I can. Plus, I’d probably mess up cooking the eggs anyway if I tried to do it the traditional way. Give this one a shot!
PS: I’ve got that pie craving covered too; just hang tight!!
Justine | Cooking and Beer says
Haha… I tend to like a little creaminess with the denseness when it comes to desserts. 😉 I continue to be amazed at the “good for you” spins you put on desserts. You’re my hero.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Aw, thanks, Justine!
Selena @ The Nutritious Kitchen says
You are seriously speaking my language right now. I am usually not a crave-pudding person but this is calling my name. LOVE!!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Yay! I’m so glad! Maybe we are both pudding people if it’s the right pudding!
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
This looks awesome, Nora! I have that same kind of gelatin and love using it in panna cotta. I’m trying this next!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Oh, panna cotta! That’s an awesome idea!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
This pudding looks great and love those cute sprinkles 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks, Medha!
Allie | Baking a Moment says
Amazing! Only six ingredients, and it looks like such a sinful treat! So creative. I can’t wait to see the pie!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
And I can’t wait to show it to you! Thanks Allie! The short ingredient list is one of the best parts 🙂
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Delicious, Nora! The cinnamon and banana combo is fabulous… I wonder if arrowroot would work, as a thickening agent?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hm, good question about the arrowroot! I’d be concerned that it might make the pudding too heavy and gummy, but I’d be curious to know how it turns out if you end up trying it!
Joanne says
I’m pretty sure I love all desserts equally…which means I wouldn’t pass down a few servings of this! Cinnamon is my absolute favorite ever, so this would hit the spot.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Perfect! I’m glad it’s right up your alley!
Monica says
Wowowww I love this and I can’t wait to find out what this mysterious delicious-looking pie is. I definitely consider myself a chocolate cake kind of girl, but when it comes to bananas (and strawberries)…<3 What a bonus that it's no-bake, no-cook as well! (:
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Believe me, you’re going to LOVE the pie! You’ll know why when you see it 😉
Christina @ Bake with Christina says
That banana pudding looks so yummy, and I’m loving the sprinkles on top!! 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks, Christina!
Lynn says
Banana!!! This looks really good!
Could I also make it with water instead of the milk? (A friend of mine can’t have anything that’s milk, dairy nor non-dairy. Some recipes work fine with water instead of milk, but some don’t…)
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi Lynn! Yes, you can absolutely use water instead of milk. It might have a bit less flavor, so you might want to add an extra drop or two of vanilla extract to make up for it. But I think it will work just fine!
Rachel says
We loved this! I used 4 bananas, 2 c water, 1/4 c almonds, 5 small dates, vanilla, a pinch of salt, 3 T gelatin and a tablespoon of cinnamon. Blend. Makes about 6 one cup servings. So so loved it. Thank you for sharing!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thank you!