Banana Pudding

[The Peel Good Remix]

Creamy, dreamy banana pudding that tastes like the Southern classic your grandma made — minus the refined sugar, corn starch, and boxed pudding mix. Layers of silky allulose-sweetened custard, ripe bananas, and grain-free vanilla wafers come together into a make-ahead dessert that gets better the longer it sits, making it the ultimate crowd-pleaser for gatherings or a weeknight treat you’ll actually feel good about.

Ingredients

For the Custard:
2 cups (480ml) whole milk (grass-fed preferred)
1 cup (240ml) full-fat coconut cream
3/4 cup (150g) allulose
4 large egg yolks (pasture-raised preferred)
3 tbsp (24g) cassava flour
2 tbsp (16g) arrowroot powder
2 tbsp (28g) grass-fed unsalted butter
2 tsp (10ml) pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp (1.25g) fine pink Himalayan salt

For the Whipped Topping:
1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy whipping cream (grass-fed preferred)
3 tbsp (36g) allulose
1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract

For Assembly:
4 ripe bananas, sliced into 1/4 inch (6mm) rounds
1 tsp (5ml) fresh lemon juice (to toss with bananas)
4 oz (113g) grain-free vanilla wafers or almond flour shortbread cookies, roughly broken

Optional Garnish:
1 banana, sliced, for topping
Crushed grain-free vanilla wafers

Steps

Prep Custard Base:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the whole milk, coconut cream, and allulose over medium heat until steaming and the allulose is fully dissolved — about 4-5 minutes. Do not boil. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks, cassava flour, arrowroot powder, and salt until completely smooth and pale, about 1 minute. The flour-yolk mixture should have no lumps before you proceed.

Temper:

Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup (120ml) of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk bowl, whisking constantly — this tempers the eggs so they don’t scramble. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan in a thin steady stream, whisking the whole time. Switch to a silicone spatula and stir continuously over medium heat, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan.

Cook Custard:

Continue stirring over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until the custard thickens noticeably and coats the back of the spatula — it should leave a clean line when you run your finger across. It will look lumpy for a moment before it smooths out; keep stirring. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the butter and vanilla extract until fully incorporated and glossy. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl to catch any cooked egg bits.

Cool:

Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard — this prevents a skin from forming. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours until fully chilled and set. The custard will firm up considerably as it cools; this is normal and correct.

Whip:

When the custard is fully chilled, make the whipped topping. In a cold bowl (chill it in the freezer for 10 minutes for best results), beat the heavy cream, allulose, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form — about 3-4 minutes. The cream should hold its shape but still look lush and slightly silky, not grainy or dry. Set aside.

Prep Bananas:

Slice the 4 bananas into 1/4 inch (6mm) rounds and toss immediately with the lemon juice — this slows browning significantly without affecting the flavor. Use bananas that are ripe with plenty of spots but not mushy; they should be sweet and fragrant but still hold their shape when sliced.

Layer:

In a 9×13 inch (23x33cm) dish or individual serving glasses, begin layering: a thin spread of custard on the bottom, then a single layer of broken grain-free wafers, then banana slices overlapping slightly, then a generous layer of custard. Repeat — wafers, bananas, custard — until you’ve used everything, finishing with a final custard layer. Spread the whipped topping over the top in swoops and peaks. Garnish with fresh banana slices and crushed wafers.

Chill and Serve:

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving — overnight is ideal. The wafers soften into the custard during this time, transforming into tender, cake-like layers that are the signature texture of great banana pudding. Serve cold directly from the dish.

---

Make it Good For The Gut

Bananas are one of the best natural sources of prebiotic fiber — specifically fructooligosaccharides and resistant starch (especially in slightly underripe bananas) that selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria. Use slightly underripe bananas (yellow with just a few spots) for maximum resistant starch content; they’ll still be sweet but their prebiotic value is significantly higher. The whole milk and egg yolks from grass-fed and pasture-raised sources provide fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2 that support gut lining integrity. Swap 1/2 cup (120ml) of the whole milk for plain kefir — whisk it in off heat after the custard is cooked — to add billions of live probiotic cultures and a subtle tang that actually complements the banana beautifully. The coconut cream contributes medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that provide anti-inflammatory support and are easily digested without stressing the gut.

Remix Options

Dairy-Free: Replace the whole milk with full-fat coconut milk and the heavy cream with chilled coconut cream (refrigerate cans overnight and scoop only the solid cream). Use coconut oil in place of butter. The result is a lush, tropical-leaning pudding that’s completely dairy-free. Chocolate Banana: Whisk 3 tbsp (18g) of unsweetened cacao powder into the custard base along with the allulose for a rich chocolate-banana layer situation. Garnish with cacao nibs for crunch and polyphenol punch. Bruleed Banana: Instead of folding raw banana slices into the layers, arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet, dust lightly with allulose, and torch or broil until caramelized and golden. The caramelized flavor adds incredible depth — allulose brulee’s beautifully without bitter notes. Individual Cups: Layer into 8 individual mason jars or wide-mouth glasses for a portable, make-ahead party dessert. Seal with lids and refrigerate; guests get their own perfect portion with no serving mess. Banana Foster Remix: Before layering, saute the banana slices in 1 tbsp (14g) grass-fed butter with 2 tbsp (24g) coconut sugar and a pinch of cinnamon for 2 minutes until caramelized. Let cool before layering — this version is deeply indulgent. Nut Crunch Layer: Add a layer of roughly chopped toasted pecans or walnuts between the custard and bananas for texture contrast and healthy fats that balance the natural sweetness.

Good To Know

Allulose in Custard: Allulose is the ideal sweetener here — it dissolves completely into the custard without any gritty texture or aftertaste, and its gel-like behavior when heated and cooled actually helps the custard set to a silkier, smoother consistency than sugar would. It browns faster than sugar so keep heat at medium, not medium-high. Cassava + Arrowroot Combo: Using both cassava flour and arrowroot powder gives the custard the best of both worlds — cassava adds body and a neutral starch structure while arrowroot creates that classic glossy, smooth pudding texture. Either alone produces a slightly different (still good) result; together they nail the classic consistency. The Skin Problem: Pressing plastic wrap directly onto the custard surface is non-negotiable. Even 20 minutes uncovered will form a rubbery skin that no amount of stirring will fully reincorporate. If a skin does form, strain the custard again through a fine-mesh sieve before layering. Wafer Softening: The transformation of the grain-free wafers from crunchy to tender-cakey is what makes banana pudding banana pudding — not just banana custard. This requires a minimum 2-hour chill after full assembly, and the texture is genuinely better at the 8-12 hour mark. This is an ideal make-ahead-the-night-before dessert. Banana Browning: The lemon juice toss slows oxidation significantly but won’t stop it indefinitely. For a presentation dish, add the fresh banana garnish on top no more than 1-2 hours before serving. Interior banana slices brown more slowly because they’re protected by the custard. Banana Ripeness: Overripe bananas (heavily spotted, nearly black) are too soft and release too much liquid into the custard, making it watery. Underripe bananas are starchy and bland. The sweet spot is yellow with plenty of brown spots — fragrant, sweet, and still structurally sound when sliced. Storage: Covered tightly, banana pudding keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The bananas will continue to soften and the flavor deepens. Do not freeze — the custard breaks and the bananas turn to mush when thawed. Scaling Up: This recipe doubles perfectly for a crowd. Use a deep 4-quart trifle bowl or two 9×13 dishes. The custard recipe scales linearly — no adjustments needed.