Banana Pudding

4.7 (3)

I was recently asked to provide meals for someone going through cancer treatment.  And one of her requests was for pudding.  Cancer patients need to watch their sugar intake so finding a healthier pudding was a challenge.  But I ran across a Banana Pudding recipe that had very little sugar and relied on the sweetness from roasting the bananas.  That way, a lot of the banana’s natural sugar come out.  It was good, and I will likely incorporate roasted bananas in my banana pudding from now on.

You will need 4 bananas, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of corn starch, 2 ½ cups of milk, 4 egg yolks, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and 12 shortbread cookies.  This will make 7 – 8 individual servings and here is how you make it:

• Roast 2 bananas in their skins in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until the skins have burst. Remove the bananas from their skins, mash and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Gradually whisk in the milk and make sure the mixture is smooth.  Whisk in the egg yolks.  Place the pan over medium heat and stir constantly until thickened – about 15 minutes or so.  You will know it is ready when the custard coats the back of a spoon.  Turn the heat down to low and heat one more minute.  Off the heat stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract.
• Dice the other 2 not-so-ripe bananas and place in a dish. Crumble the shortbread cookies and place in a dish.
• When the pudding has cooled slightly, it is time to start layering. In 7-8 small dishes, layer the pudding, a few banana pieces, and a few short bread crumbles.  Repeat the layers ending with a little pudding on top and a few banana pieces and short bread crumbles.  Cover and cool in the refrigerator for one hour.

This was a big hit with the cancer patient, and I hope it will be a big hit with you too.