This banana pudding from scratch is layered over a gluten free "crust" and topped with homemade whipped cream.
For some reason, I just absolutely love banana pudding. I love the combination of the sweet vanilla flavor with layers of sliced banana. But many recipes that you'll find will call for a boxed vanilla pudding mix, which isn't ideal for corn allergies (most mixes contain cornstarch). A lot of the banana pudding recipes out there also involve Nilla wafers, which I actually LOVE, but sadly those aren't gluten free OR eggless.
Enter: my banana pudding from scratch! Not only is the vanilla custard completely homemade, so is the gluten free "crust," AND the whipped cream. I simply use arrowroot to thicken the pudding. I promise that this homemade pudding is just as easy and Just As Tasty 😉
While the crust admittedly doesn't taste or feel like Nilla wafers, it's a sweet and crunchy base that is delicious in its own right -- somehow it just works perfectly with the vanilla custard and bananas.
Why I Love This Banana Pudding From Scratch...
- It's a quick dessert or snack to whip up, and you likely have most (if not all) the ingredients on hand already.
- The single-serving cups make for a super cute presentation -- very impressive with minimal effort 🙂
- What's not to love about vanilla and bananas paired together??
How To Make...
To make the vanilla pudding, you'll want to heat whole milk, sugar, arrowroot (you can use cornstarch here instead as a 1-to-1 replacement), salt, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency, remove from heat and add the butter, mixing until it melts. Chill in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours.
For the crust, simply mix gluten free rice cereal with brown sugar and melted butter. If you happen to have gluten free graham crackers on hand, I think that would also be really good here! I didn't, so I wanted to offer up an alternate idea.
And for the homemade whipped cream, all it takes is beating heavy whipping cream using the whisk attachment until you have stiff peaks. You can add sugar, as most people often do, but I chose not to because I felt the pudding and crust are both sweet enough.
Then you just arrange your cups! Start with the cereal on the bottom, then spoon a layer of pudding, top with banana slices, then add another layer of pudding. I like to finish with another layer of banana slices and then the whipped cream -- but you can totally get creative with the presentation!
Banana Pudding From Scratch - Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 bananas
For the crust layer:
- ¾ cup gluten free rice cereal
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together milk, sugar, arrowroot, salt, and vanilla until mixture thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add butter. Mix until melted. Chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
For the crust layer:
- Mix together the rice cereal, brown sugar, and melted butter until fully combined.
For the whipped cream:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
To arrange pudding cups:
- Pour crust into serving glass. Add layer of pudding, followed by a layer of sliced bananas, another layer of pudding, another layer of sliced bananas. Finish with whipped cream.
Notes
- If you don't have arrowroot, you should be able to simply swap it out for cornstarch.
Did you make my banana pudding from scratch? Tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog.
I'm lovin' it! I actually just read like three of your posts today. So that means you better keep writing more, because I am going through these like they're going out of style.
Thank you Brian, that means so much to me! Glad you are enjoying the posts. I also have an email list, if you'd like to be notified each time a new one goes up 🙂