Easy Vegan Banana Pudding

Why We Love This Recipe

• Vegan twist on a classic: We took a classic, southern-style banana pudding, and made it vegan. It's just as creamy, sweet, and delicious as the original.
• Super smooth: Most recipes call for just mashing the bananas, but we add them to a blender before cooking the pudding, ensuring a super smooth and creamy pudding.
• Make ahead dessert: This is the type of recipe you can make up to a few days ahead of time, so it's a great option for holidays or dinner parties that require a lot of prep time.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan banana pudding:

Ingredient Notes

• Bananas: It's best to use ripe bananas for this vegan banana pudding. They don't have to be totally brown/spotty – just make sure they are fully yellow with no green spots. If the bananas aren't ripe enough, this pudding may end up tasting bitter and not sweet enough.
• Sweetener: We used maple syrup, but you could also try date syrup, stevia, or agave.
• Lemon juice: We add this to help prevent the bananas from browning - this is optional if you're okay with the color being less-than-perfect.
• Coconut milk: Be sure to use lite coconut milk (not full fat) in this recipe, as it will prevent the pudding from becoming too thick and heavy. You could also try almond milk, oat milk or soy milk.
• Cornstarch: This is the key ingredient to create a thick, pudding style texture. You can also use arrowroot starch.
• Wafer cookies: Completely optional – these are just for topping! If you want to keep this recipe gluten free, leave them out, or opt for a GF alternative. (Graham crackers work well, too.)

Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Add bananas, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon and cornstarch to a blender and blend for 20-30 seconds, until smooth.

(2) Add banana mixture to a medium sized saucepan and heat to medium high, whisking constantly. Once the mixture comes to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, whisking often.

(3) Remove the pan from heat and let cool, then transfer to refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours, until completely cooled. Serve topped with whipped cream and vanilla wafers. 

Expert Tips and FAQs

• The pudding will thicken after a few hours in the fridge, so don't be too concerned if it doesn't look thick enough when it comes off the stove.
• Blend thoroughly before cooking to make sure your vegan banana pudding is as smooth and creamy as possible!
• Add turmeric for color: Since bananas will oxidize during the cooking process and during cooling, if you want a yellower color in your pudding, you can add ¼ - ⅛ teaspoon of turmeric. Don't overdo it, otherwise it will alter the flavor.
• Use ripe bananas: These will be much easier to mash and will also create a creamier texture. Unripe bananas may also make this pudding taste bitter/not as sweet.
• Stir constantly: While the pudding is cooking on the stove, be sure to whisk frequently to prevent burning/clumping.

More Banana Recipes

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment with a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!