When I was a kid, I hated pudding. It was the only sweet treat I would ever turn down—until the most drool-worthy banana pudding was put in front of me at a family gathering. It turns out that it was the texture that bothered me about pudding. However, adding the glorious complexity of cookies, bananas and whipped cream was something I could get behind. This is an ode to the beauty of a classic banana pudding, and this plant-based version does not disappoint! To make this dessert even easier, feel free to use store-bought vegan whipped cream instead of making your own.
Serves: 4 to 6
2 cups (480 ml) cold soy or almond milk
3 tbsp (27 g) cornstarch
¼ cup (48 g) vegan granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 (14-oz [420-ml]) can full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream, chilled
¼ cup (33 g) vegan powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
8–10 vegan graham crackers
2 medium bananas, thinly sliced
To make the vanilla pudding, whisk together the milk and cornstarch in a small bowl, making sure the cornstarch has dissolved completely in the milk.
Transfer the milk mixture to a small saucepan. Add the sugar. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking to combine the ingredients. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking frequently, until the pudding is thick.
Remove the pudding from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Put the pudding in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes, or until the pudding is thick and firm. (If you chill the pudding for a long time, it will get really thick; just whisk it to make it smooth and fluffy again.)
When the pudding is ready, make the coconut whipped cream. Scoop out only the thick, creamy part of the coconut milk that is at the top of the can into the bowl of stand mixer or a large bowl. Reserve the liquid for another use.
Beat the coconut cream at high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until it starts to thicken. Sprinkle in the powdered sugar and salt. Whip until the mixture is thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
To make the pudding cups, crumble a graham cracker into the bottom of a serving cup. Then add a layer of sliced bananas, then a layer of vanilla pudding. Add more graham crackers and more bananas, then top the pudding cup with whipped coconut cream. Garnish the pudding cup with a slice of banana and a few more graham cracker crumbs.
Repeat the preceding steps to create as many pudding cups as you want.