Banana Pudding
Nostalgia on a spoon
I love sweets. I do. I try to avoid refined sugar, so at home I often use dates as a sweetener (see Date Caramel recipe). I love medjool dates – they are sweet, soft, slightly chewy and provide fiber and nutrients. When I was a kid, my mom gave them to us stuffed with a walnut half as a treat.
This recipe came together the other night when I was craving something sweet, and as I usually do, use items I already have to make something healthy. It came out SO good and it only contains 5 ingredients! Ingredients I always have in my kitchen. And it offers an added boost of protein from the tofu.
Of course the flavor makes me nostalgic for my mom’s banana pudding with Nilla wafers from my childhood. So my goal is to create a healthy version of the cookie to go with this!
Ingredients
2 ripe bananas
10-12 pitted medjool dates
1 container extra firm silken tofu
1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla
1 T coconut or cashew cream, or plant milk (for low fat)
I didn’t use, but it would be good with a squeeze of lemon as well!
Variations:
If you do not want to use tofu, you can omit and add more banana and cream/plant milk. I also think a can of drained white beans or chickpeas would work well – don’t wince! Beans are wonderful and healthy additions to desserts!
Another option is to add two baked and peeled Japanese sweet potatoes. They are one of my favorite dessert ingredients because they are sweet, rich, creamy and full of nutrients and fiber.
A more decadent and higher fat version (but still way lower than eggs or dairy!) would be a cup of soaked and drained raw cashews (soak in boiling water for 15 – 20 minutes OR soak in filtered water over night or at least 4 hours).
Instructions
Put everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Eat right away or chill in the fridge for an hour or more (it will get really thick – and stay delicious!).
