This recipe for keto banana pudding is so delicious that no one will ever guess it's low carb and gluten free! It's got everything a good banana pudding should have, minus the excess sugar.
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I've been considering creating this recipe for quite a while but hesitated because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do it justice. Banana pudding is one of my all time favorites and I didn't want to make it unless I could make it right.
My goal is to make good recipes, not recipes that are just good for being keto or
All the recipes I share here have to pass the ultimate test - my kids! Particularly my 15-year-old son Eli, AKA my pickiest eater. When he told me that he LOVED my banana pudding recipe, I knew I had a winner.
Wait, real bananas on Keto?
Before I go any further I want to address the use of bananas in this recipe. I opted to use a real banana which some of you may take issue with. I understand that this is controversial, but I am of the firm belief that no foods are 'keto' or 'not keto.'
By slicing the bananas super thin, you can really maximize the flavor of the banana in each and every bite, without using any of the artificial stuff.
This recipe calls for a medium banana, which is about 7". There are 12 servings in this recipe and so you are only getting a little more than ½ of an inch of a banana. In fact, the majority of the carbs in this recipe come from the heavy cream - not the banana!
In the right proportions, most foods can be enjoyed on a ketogenic diet. With that said, you can remove the banana and simply add some banana extract to the pudding.
Preparation & Ingredients
Admittedly, this banana pudding is a little more labor intensive
The first step for making this Keto Banana Pudding is making the 'Nilla Wafer' layer. I tried several different techniques for this step. I piped individual wafers, I tried baking them in batches and also rolling out perfect 8x8 squares to fit the baking dish.
Then I realized, no one is going to see this layer. It gets buried under pudding and bananas, so there is really no need to make it perfect or pretty. Trust me, it was hard for me to wrap my perfectionist brain around this - but if I can do it, so can you 🙂
I decided the easiest way to accomplish this layer, was to just spread the batter out on a parchment-lined baking sheet in roughly (and I do mean roughly) an 8"x16" rectangle.
You can prepare the pudding layer while the cookie layer is baking. You will need to temper the egg yolks to prevent them from turning to scrambled eggs when added to the hot cream. If this is unfamiliar territory to you, be sure to check out this video for a quick demo.
Be sure to stir your cream constantly after you add the egg yolks, using a rubber spatula to prevent the bottom from scorching, and so that you can remove it from the heat the second that it begins to thicken.
If you overheat the pudding, you will notice large clumps like the ones pictured below, from when I overheated my pudding 😅. If this happens to you, don't fret - you can salvage it by simply hitting it with your immersion blender or regular blender until smooth. And remember, just like with the cookie layer - this one is going to be buried too!
The last note before I give you the recipe is to sweeten to suit your taste. You will probably notice that as you get further along in your ketogenic diet, foods will begin tasting sweeter and sweeter.
Also, keep in mind that the bananas add a ton of sweetness to the overall dish and that the sweetness from the bananas will intensify the longer the banana pudding sits.
Be sure to check out these other great recipes:
- Banana Bread Bottom Cheesecake | Keto, Instant Pot
- Keto Banana Bread
- Keto Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
📖 Recipe
Keto Banana Pudding
Ingredients
For the cookie layer:
- 2 tablespoon Butter softened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 egg
- ½ cup Super Fine Almond Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ cup Confectioners Erythritol
For the pudding layer:
- 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 cup Unsweetened Almond or Coconut milk
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 6 Egg Yolks
- ½ cup Confectioners Erythritol or to taste
- 1 Medium Banana very thinly sliced
For the whipped cream layer:
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Confectioners Erythritol or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, vanilla, and egg with an electric mixer. Next, add in the Erythritol, Almond flour, and baking powder and mix well.
- Once this mixture is well combined, spread it into an even layer approximately 8" x 16" on the prepared baking sheet. (Don't spend a ton of time making this perfect, once it is done baking it will be cut apart anyway 🙂 )
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- While the cookie layer is baking, start working on your pudding. Add the Heavy cream, almond milk, vanilla, and erythritol to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the egg yolks to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Heat the cream mixture over medium heat stirring frequently. As soon as the cream mixture begins to steam, remove it from the heat.
- Slowly whisk approximately 1 ½ cups of the warm cream in with the yolks until it's smooth and uniform.
- Now, slowly whisk this cream/egg yolk mixture back into the remaining cream (still in the heavy-bottomed pan.)
- Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly using a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan.
- As you are stirring you will notice the mixture gradually beginning to thicken. As soon as it is able to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat and set aside, allowing it to cool slightly. ((Note: If your cream looks lumpy, hit it with an immersion blender for a second or two to smooth it out))
- While the pudding is cooling, slice the banana into very thin slices. Then, cut the cookies into approximately 1" cubes.
- Using a 2-quart, 8"x8" dish, add ½ cup of the pudding to the bottom of the dish and spread to cover the bottom. Next, use ½ of the cookies to form an even layer on top of the pudding, then add a layer using ½ of the sliced bananas, then ½ of the remaining pudding.
- Repeat this layer (cookies, banana, pudding), then loosely cover the dish and place in the fridge until it is completely cool, at least 2 hours but overnight is best!
- Once the banana pudding is completely cool, make the whipped cream. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream, erythritol, xanthan gum, and vanilla in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Spread this over the top of the banana pudding and enjoy!
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
Robin Abernethy says
I have a question. I'm new to Keto (and newly diagnosed T2 Diabetic). I've tried a few recipes with Swerve and find that there's a cooling effect that I find off putting. Do you notice it in this recipe?
Sabra says
Hi Robin! Welcome to the Keto diet 🙂 I don't notice it much at all in this recipe. Since it uses real bananas it doesn't require nearly as much Swerve as other keto desserts. You could also substitute the Swerve for any sugar substitute that you like. Hope that helps!
McDonna says
Hi Robyn ~ I have the same cooling effect when I use erythritol, too. There are some sweeteners that don't produce that, though. When erythritol is combined with a different sweetener - such as stevia and erythritol - the two ingredients seem to bring out the best in each other. The cooling effect goes away in the erythritol and the bitterness that stevia has sometimes is neutralized.
Walmart sells Pyure, which is organic stevia and erythritol. It tastes fantastic and is sweeter than sugar. You will not need as much to match the sweetness of sugar, and it has a similar mouth-feel as sugar.
Suzie Clary says
I like the combo of erythritol, stevia, and monkfruit. Great synergistic effect. So much so, that I should've only used 1/8 cup in the whipped cream topping. It was way too sweet. The amounts worked well with the rest, but not in raw form on top.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Sabra says
Hi Vanessa! It will easily keep for up to five days, and in my opinion, it gets better the longer that it sits!
Kari says
This sounds amazing! Can I use half and half in the pudding in place of the heavy cream?
Sabra says
Hi Kari! I haven't tried it with half and half so I am not 100% certain, but I think it would work! You may need to cook it a little longer or add an additional egg yolk in order to get it to thicken up. Hope that helps!
CactusHeart says
Hi,
My trick to get the most banana flavor possible out of so little actually came from a mistake:
I was seeking to follow “America’s Test Kitchen’s” banana pudding recipe. Theirs looked like a clear winner as they observed the same problem that I have noticed: when sliced, bananas render A LOT of liquid and can make the product watery and runny. Their remedy was to infuse the banana flavor directly into the cream as it simmered by adding the banana into the cream, whisk for a couple of minutes, then remove the banana pulp. Well, somewhere between my overzealous whisking and losing track of time, the banana became one with the cream. The pieces became too small to pick out. I didn’t have more ingredient to start over so I decided to play through. I whisked the banana into the simmering cream until it became sort of a thickened sauce, then followed through with the rest of the recipe as directed. It amped up the banana flavor so well, in fact that’s the only way I do it now haha. I’d even go as far as to say it turned out better flavorwise.
I don’t know, maybe I’m weird or just not southern: when I think of banana pudding, I think of banana flavored pudding and not pudding with banana pieces in it 🤷♀️ This really makes the difference. I usually add banana extract on top of it anyway, I’m all about intensity 😉 Thr only drawback I see here is super strict portion control is required, as this recipe is really playing with fire, uh, bananas....a real keto-buster as you know. Thanks for sharing your recipes, I’m having a good time so far.
Sabra says
That is such an awesome idea, next time I make this I am going to try it 🙂 thank you for sharing!
Della says
We made this keto banana pudding and it is delicious I didn't do any changing.
Kim says
I have everything on hand. Going to make this. Thanks for a great recipe!
Sherrie Frazier says
Great recipe I took the egg whites and beat them with a little sweetener until fluffy. ( Meringue) I then put it on the top and the broiled until the tips were nice and brown. Hmmm
Suzie Clary says
I wanted to do that, but wasn't sure how. What did you add to the egg whites? Did you bake it after it set in refrigerator for a few hours?
Suzie Clary says
I was thinking like cream of tartar in the egg whites.
Bea Sharp says
Hi,
I love the thought of this recipe.. unfortunately I'm allergic to almonds and it's by product as well as all nuts. Do yo have a suggestion for substitutions?
Sabra says
Hi Bea! You may be able to substitute sunflower seed flour. Just grind sunflower seeds in a food processor until they are a fine powder. I haven't tried it myself, but it should work. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!
MYALEANI says
Hi. Can I replace the baking powder with arrowroot?
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Do you use this cookie part in any other recipes?
Evie says
So since a medium size banana has about 25 grams of carbs wouldn’t eating this throw you out of ketosis? I’m somewhat new to the Keto World and that seems to be a pretty big deal. I got super excited when this recipe popped up in my feed because I love banana pudding/cakes. I’m gonna have to pass on this one. Just thinking 🤔 May have to use a ton of banana extract to get a really good bold taste huh?
Sabra says
As long as your daily total net carb intake stays low enough (usually around 20) Then you will still be in ketosis regardless of where those carbs come from. This recipe serves 12 - which means that you are only eating 1/12th of a medium banana - so around 2 carbs worth of banana. Even though it does use a real banana, it still only has 4 net carbs per serving which could easily fit into a full day of keto eating.
With that said, you certainly don't have to make it if you are uncomfortable eating bananas.
Renee Rutledge says
I can't get to the tempered egg video. It says it's private and won't play.
Sabra says
Hi Renee! Sorry that the video isn't working. Here is another similar video that should help: https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/videos/how-to-temper-eggs-0155711
Kellie says
Mine came out like soup. What happened?
Kellie says
Nevermind. I already talked to you on insta.
Lydia says
Mine is like soup too. Any remedy?? Thanks!
Kimberly says
I am making right now for my husbands bday and I can not get the cream to thicken! HELP!!!
Sabra says
Hi Kimberly,
The pudding itself doesn't get super thick. It should just be enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once it chills it will thicken more. I hope that helps!
Mi_lil_bella says
I just made this for the first time for my friend’s bday, but it’s not thick at all even after 3 hrs in the fridge. It’s more like a cream than a pudding 🙁 I’m surprised the recipe doesn’t call for Xanthan gum.
Crystal says
Can I substitute coconut cream for the heavy cream?
Sabra says
Hi Crystal! That should work fine 🙂
Caroline says
You can cut the cookies when they’re right out of the oven while it’s still soft - no breakage!
Elaine says
Excellent flavor! I only gave it 4 stars because my pudding was pretty runny dispite follwing followed the recipe exactly. I will make it again but I would add the Xanathan gum to the pudding and not the whipped topping. In fact I’d bump it up to ½ tsp.