Banana Pudding (Gluten Free and Low Sugar) + A Family Update!
I’ve been following a mostly carnivore diet for about a month now and feel amazing. I wish I were one of those people who could eat two or three items forever and not miss the treats of the “good old days,” but alas, I am not one of those people. I still like dessert, I still like French fries, I still like pizza. I am happy with carnivore and feel great, but I do need a treat from time to time.
I’m picky about the artificial sweeteners I consume, preferring stevia over all others by far, but occasionally I’ll make an exception for a real indulgence. Enter this banana pudding. Not only does this recipe contain artificial sweeteners, but it also uses a boxed pudding mix. Gasp! If you’ve been following along here for a while, then you know that I prefer to make everything from scratch. I still think that’s best. The quality is better, the flavor is better and likely you will feel better eating the end result. But I am certainly willing to admit that there is something to be said for quick and easy (or instant gratification!).
I had a craving for banana pudding and when I saw that Highkey makes a vanilla wafer in their gluten free, low sugar cookie line, I had to make this happen. I had a hard time finding those vanilla wafers, but I ultimately found them at Walmart online. I placed my order at 8:00 Saturday night and by Sunday at 1:00 the following afternoon, I was in the kitchen making banana pudding. This is not an advertisement for Walmart or their membership program (I am not a member), but they do seem to have some items I can’t find elsewhere, and the free or very low cost shipping to my door, often within 24 hours, is hard to beat.
Before I show you the banana pudding recipe, which is hardly a recipe at all, a little life update for you.
Some of you may remember the days when my kids would show up on my YouTube channel and cook with me – not often, but occasionally. Well, that biggest one has now graduated and is headed off to college in the fall. I write this here for a few reasons: 1. Just to update those of you who have been with me for a long time, 2. To brag a little because I’m super proud of him and proud of me too (we have homeschooled since the beginning), and 3. Maybe most importantly, to encourage those of you in the trenches whether that’s with homeschooling or traditional schooling…you can make it. No, it is not always easy, but if we made it, you can make it. It took a village, as they say, a lot of hard work, and a lot of prayer. We are very, very thankful!
Go back and watch this video if you want a little blast from the past with my favorite kitchen helpers.
And now, the banana pudding recipe. You can whip this up in about 10 minutes, put it in the fridge to chill, go do something fun, then enjoy a low sugar treat!
Thanks for being here. Thanks for reading and thanks for caring about my family. 🙂
Banana Pudding (Gluten Free and Low Sugar)
Ingredients
- 1 1.5 oz. Box Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding Mix
- 3 cups Whole Milk I use A2 Milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ~10 drops liquid stevia
- 2 bags Highkey Vanilla Wafer Cookies
- 3-4 medium bananas
Instructions
- Make the pudding according to package directions, except I prefer to use whole milk over skim because it tastes better and has fewer carbs. Refrigerate.
- Whip cream with liquid stevia until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Slice bananas pretty thin, like 1/8 inch or less.
- Choose your banana pudding vessel. You can use a square baking dish, a deep dish pie plate, mini mason jars, really whatever you like. For layered desserts like these, most people use something made of clear glass so the layers can be seen, but it's entirely up to you. The full recipe will fit well in a standard 8×8 baking dish so use that as a size guide.
- Begin layering! They way you do this is really up do you, but here's what I do: vanilla wafers, 2/3 of the pudding, bananas, thin layer of whipped cream, 1/3 of the pudding, more bananas, whipped cream, top with either whole or crushed wafers.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Really, you can eat this right away, but traditionally, the wafers need to soften a bit, which takes a little time in the fridge.
- Enjoy!
Notes
