It was one of those humid Southern evenings where dinner was light and dessert needed to be cold.
Banana pudding was my childhood favorite — that creamy custard, the soft cookies, the slices of ripe banana… total comfort. But traditional recipes are full of sugar, boxed mixes, and mystery ingredients.

So I got to work on a cleaned-up version: homemade vanilla pudding with almond milk, a touch of honey, fresh bananas, and some better-for-you vanilla wafers.

Y’all — it tastes just like the classic, but lighter, cleaner, and 100% no-bake.
It’s now one of my favorite make-ahead desserts, especially in the summer when you need something sweet, cool, and comforting. 🍌💛

🍌 Healthy Banana Pudding Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 2–3 hours
Total Time: ~3 hours
Serves: 6–8

Ingredients

For the pudding:

• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

• 2 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch

• 2 egg yolks

• ¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch of sea salt

For the layers:

• 3 ripe bananas, sliced

• 1 ½ cups clean vanilla wafers or grain-free cookies

• 1 cup whipped coconut cream or homemade whipped cream

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 🥣 Make the pudding: In a saucepan, whisk together almond milk, arrowroot, egg yolks, honey, and salt. Heat over medium, stirring constantly until it thickens (about 8–10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

2. ❄️ Chill pudding: Let it cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours until set.

3. 🍌 Assemble: In a glass dish or individual jars, layer vanilla wafers, banana slices, and pudding. Repeat layers until filled.

4. 🍦 Top with whipped cream and a few banana slices or crushed cookies.

5. 🧊 Chill 1 hour more before serving — best cold!

🍽️ Nutrition (per serving, based on 8 servings)

• Calories: 210

• Protein: 4g

• Carbs: 28g

• Sugar: 14g (mostly natural)

• Fat: 9g

• Fiber: 2g

💡 Sarah’s Tips

• Want it vegan? Replace egg yolks with 1 extra tbsp starch and use maple syrup.

• No clean wafers? Sub with grain-free cookies or crumbled oats.

• Extra creamy? Stir a spoonful of coconut cream into the pudding before chilling.

• Make ahead: Assemble the day before and chill overnight!

Why I Love It

This Banana Pudding brings back all the nostalgic Southern comfort, but it’s made with real ingredients that feel good in your body. It’s cool, creamy, and a no-bake lifesaver when it’s too hot to turn on the oven — the ultimate healthy summer dessert for picnics, potlucks, or lazy Sunday evenings. 🍌☀️