I apologize for teasing you with this ‘Nana Puddin’ recipe for so long. I had some type of “digestive distress” for about 2 weeks which was less than fun on top of chasing after 2 little guys.. well, they keep me busy! As you can see in one of the pictures, my Hunter loves to “help” me take pictures because he can’t wait to taste my new creations! I am also working on more recipes for my 2nd cookbook coming out in September and I just received the 3rd printing of my first cookbook, Satisfying Eats! WOW!! I am very excited… it may sound silly to some but this is my calling! I love creating recipes and helping people live healthier lives without being deprived! This is so much fun, well everything except all the dirty dishes! Thank you so much for your support and kind words over the past year and a half. You give me the motivation to keep going! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
- Connor 3 months and Hunter 2 years old
The boys are growing SO Fast!! Connor will be 4 months tomorrow and Hunter turned 2 one month ago! I am amazed how smart my little Hunter is! Everyday there are new words coming out of his mouth and I get to witness his abstract thinking! Amazing! And my BIG little Connor, is growing so quickly. I am so proud of every one of his little rolls! I could just eat him up (and in a few years I will probably wish I had)! HA! There is nothing better than when my boys look at me with their beautiful smiles…it melts my heart every time… motherhood is wonderful, tiring but so Wonderful!
‘Nana Pudding, the REAL Deal!
Nothing says Comfort Food like Banana Pudding! Can anyone remember that people actually used to make pudding from scratch and not buy the instant stuff in a box??? Homemade pudding is not hard at all, even when making it grain and sugar-free!
Ingredients: Modified Food Starch, Maltodextrin, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate and Disodium Phosphate (for Thickening), Contains Less than 2% of Nonfat Milk, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Mono- and Diglycerides (Prevent Foaming), Aspartame (Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine) and Acesulfame Potassium (Sweeteners), Tetrapotassium Pyrophosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Artificial Color.
I can’t believe I used to eat this stuff… Oh, it’s Kosher…. like that really helps! And I know many diabetics that eat this thinking they are better off! NOT!!! Just because something is advertised as SUGAR FREE doesn’t mean it is a Godsend! I have never seen an ingredient list with NOTHING that I would put in my body.. oh, except salt and I am sure it’s not the preferred kind either! About 18 ingredients and my Pudding recipe contains 6! Real food and REAL ingredients, oh and LOVE…that is what makes a good recipe and I hope you enjoy this one!
This recipe is definitely a recipe of Love! I have been making puddings, on and off for almost a year and I FINALLY have the right consistency! This recipe reminds me of the Banana Pudding that a sweet lady from my church in Georgia used to bring to church once a month. This is as Old Fashioned as you can get!
Carrageenan hiding in your Dairy!
In case you haven’t checked your heavy whipping cream that you purchased from the grocery store, even Whole Foods, you should get it out of the fridge now (even if you have organic). Does it contain something called carrageenan. What is this stuff doing in heavy cream or other foods for that matter??? Carrageenan is a food additive that is extracted from red seaweed. Carrageenan is an inexpensive way to add thickness and texture to products – it has no nutritional value. The same “mouthfeel” can be achieved by simply shaking a product. (SOURCE) And yes, organic food contains it too!
So what’s wrong with a little seaweed?
“Although derived from a natural source, carrageenan appears to be particularly destructive to the digestive system, triggering an immune response similar to that your body has when invaded by pathogens like Salmonella. The result is inflammation, and potentially chronic inflammation if you regularly eat or drink products containing carrageenan.” SOURCE
Back when I was drinking coffee and using store bough heavy cream, I noticed that immediately after drinking my coffee (less than 1/2 cup), I would be forced to go to the “facilities.” This didn’t happen when I drank my coffee with coconut milk. This also didn’t happen when I used dairy from our local Farmer’s Market. Then I began reading the labels, I found Carrageenan as an ingredient and the side effects are gastrointestinal problems. I don’t know about you, I would like to avoid unnecessary trips to the bathroom!
It seems innocent but carrageenan can wreak havoc on your tummy and I didn’t even realize that I was a victim of this deceptive seaweed. ” The concern over food-grade carrageenan isn’t new. Beginning in the 1960s, researchers started linking the ingredient to gastrointestinal disease in lab animals, including ulcerative colitis, intestinal lesions, and colon cancer.” (SOURCE)
Foods purchased that MAY contain Carrageenan (depending on brand so READ labels):
- Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Sour Cream
- Ice Cream
- Yogurt
- Almond Milk
- Coconut milk
- Deli Meats
And this is just to name a FEW! Click HERE is a Complete list of purchased foods that do and DO NOT contain Carrageenan.
This seeming “simple” food additive can be sabotaging your weight lose by causing abdominal bloating…. No thank you! Since I don’t get to the Farmer’s Market every week, I haven’t been using nearly as much heavy cream and I have been using coconut milk as much as I can!
Back to this WONDERFUL Recipe:
- Feel free to make the Lady Fingers in advance and store them in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Use whatever combo of dairy you would like. If you have heavy cream on hand, using 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 cups of milk will give the pudding extra richness but is not necessary.
- The Whipped Cream Topping is optional. You may also choose to go Old School and make a meringue topping out of the extra egg whites.
- Or use the leftover egg whites to make these INCREDIBLE Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- I chose to use whole cows milk that I purchase from a local farmer. Everyone has their on thoughts on dairy but here is mine: Raw is best, then minimally pasteurized and unhomogenized is next best…. any other cow’s milk, I will not drink nor give my son. This is after lots of research and practical experience. Organic Milk in the grocery store is some of the most processed milk out there! No wonder most people don’t’ tolerate dairy well! If you choose not to drink cow’s milk, that is fine, just be sure to use a high quality coconut milk or almond milk (without carrageenan). You can make the pudding with coconut milk or almond, but lets face it, it will not taste as good or be as authentic. For more information on real milk click HERE.
- UPDATE: I made this with my Homemade Coconut milk. It has a hint of coconut which is delicious… like a coconut cream pie!
- I only use Great Lakes Brand gelatin. Check out THIS blog post for more information. Not all gelatin is created equal and most should be avoided!
- There may be a few extra Lady Fingers.. these are great to eat by themselves!
- The Vanilla Pudding also makes a GREAT vanilla ice cream base! Just add the cooled mixture (still liquid) to your ice cream maker.
- Read directions in FULL before you start to prepare the recipe!
You can’t have Banana Pudding without Cookies!
I have seen a few recipes for Banana Pudding posted but none of them have wafers. A Banana Pudding without wafers is called Pudding with Bananas! lol The trick to the “Wafer” is using my Lady Finger recipe that I used for my yummy Tiramisu (If you haven’t made the Tiramisu, it is one of my Fav’s)! Sounds crazy but the texture of the Lady Finger with the pudding (after it sets up) reminds me of day old Banana Pudding that has created softened cookies (not soggy). I promise, it works! Just be sure not to pour the hot (or warm) pudding over the lady fingers, it must be cold and partially congealed to avoid soggy cookies.
Looking for a nut-free version?? Simple substitute ground sunflower seeds in the place of almond f lour!
I hope you enjoy and this recipe brings back great memories!
Old Fashioned ‘Nana Puddin’
Serves 10 (see full nutrition info at the bottom of post)
Vanilla Pudding Recipe (see below)
Lady Fingers Recipe (see below)
1-2 small, green tipped bananas, sliced into ½ inch slices
Sweetened Whipped Cream Recipe (see below)
Directions
Prepare pudding and place in refrigerator for 4-6 hours until cooled but not 100% congealed. While pudding is cooling, prepare Lady Fingers and allow to cool.
Assembly
In an 8 inch serving dish, layer 1/2 of Lady Fingers followed by 1/2 of banana slices followed by half of the prepared Vanilla Pudding and top with half of the banana slices. Repeat.
Prepare Sweetened Whipped Cream. Top pudding layer with Whipped Cream and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving or until pudding is completely congealed.
Makes 3 cups; 1/2 cup serving; 125 calories, 9 g Fat; 6 g Carbs
- 2.5 tsp. gelatin (I use Great Lakes Brand- the orange or red can)
- 1/2 tsp. Stevia Select Stevia or sweetener of choice, to taste**
- 3 cup raw or unhomogenized whole milk (or any dairy combination. I used whole cow's milk)
- 4 pastured egg yolks
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp salted butter (preferably from grass-fed cows)
**Coconut sugar or raw honey can also be used or your sweetener of choice.
Dairy Free Version: Use Homemade Coconut Milk instead of regular dairy. Use 1 tbsp gelatin and 5 egg yolks. (If using canned coconut milk, use 1.5 cups of coconut milk and 1.5 cup water)
In medium sauce pan, add gelatin then whisk in milk. Next, add sweetener, egg yolks and vanilla. Whisk well to incorporate gelatin and yolks into milk. Taste for sweetness and adjust if necessary. Turn on heat to medium-low. Continue to whisk until bubbles start to form on the side and the mixture thickens slightly. This should take about 10 minutes, depending on the amount of heat you use.
NOTE: It will not thicken like regular pudding that uses corn starch or flour. The remaining thickening occurs when the mixture is completely chilled.
Once slightly thickened, turn off heat and whisk in butter until melted and well blended. Pour into large glass bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and cool in the fridge. (You can delay putting lid or plastic wrap on until the pudding cools off just a little and stops creating steam.) It should take about 5-6 hours to cool and slightly congeal (depending on size of bowl you cool it in. The bigger the bowl, the quicker it will cool).
NOTE: You don't want it to set up completely but it should be very cold and "giggly" so that the "wafers" don't get soggy. As soon as the pudding is very cold and "giggly," whisk the pudding and it is ready use. If you leave it over night you can still mix it with a whisk but it will be lumpy but still taste good! The reason the timing matters is so that the pudding is pourable and so the Lady Fingers don't get soggy.
While pudding is cooling, prepare Lady Fingers.
Lady Fingers
Makes about 20-25 (depending on size); <1 Net Carb per cookie
3 large eggs (divided)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Scant 1/2 cup almond flour (I use Honeyville)
1/2 tsp. Stevia Select Stevia OR 3 tbsp fine coconut sugar** or sweetener of choice (to taste)
1/4 tsp of baking powder
**If using coconut sugar, place it in coffee grinder to make more of a powder.
Directions
Preheat oven 400° F and place parchment paper on 2 cookie sheets. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In separate bowl, beat egg yolks with Stevia until pale yellow (3-4 minutes). Mix in vanilla.
Fold almond flour and baking powder into the bowl containing the creamed egg yolks. Carefully fold in the whipped egg whites to egg yolk batter making sure not to over-mix the batter. Taste for sweetness.
Put the batter into a zip lock bag and snip off corner of bag (opening will be about 1 inch) and pipe the batter into lady finger shapes, 4 inches long 1 inch wide and 2 inches apart. Should make around 20-25 fingers. Bake for 12-14 minutes until they are slight golden. Transfer to cooling rack.
While cooling, prepare Whipped Cream Topping.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
(Optional)
1/2 cup (carrageenan free) heavy whipping cream
3-4 servings Stevia Select Stevia or sweetener of choice (to taste)
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp gelatin (I use Great Lakes) (optional but if piping on top of pudding like I did, the cream will hold it’s shape better)
Add all ingredients to medium bowl, sprinkling the gelatin over the top of the cream. Whip with beaters until whipping cream has formed medium to stiff peaks. Place in refrigerator until ready to top pie.
Final Assembly
In an 8 inch serving dish (or any small to medium bowl), layer 1/2 of Lady Fingers followed by 1/2 of banana slices followed by half of the prepared Vanilla Pudding and top with half of the banana slices. Repeat. If desired, place some of the Lady Fingers along the outside of the bowl.
Prepare Sweetened Whipped Cream. Top pudding layer with Sweetened Whipped Cream and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving or until pudding is completely congealed.
Total Carbohydrates: 9.7g; Net Carbs: 8.6 g;
Sugars: 6.5g; Protein: 6.9g
