There aren’t many things I love more than an afternoon spent baking in the kitchen. There’s something nostalgic about baking, especially during the holidays. It reminds me of memories I have cooking with my parents and brother growing up. One of my favorite nostalgic desserts that we’d make was chocolate pudding. It’s surprisingly easy to make at home and tastes so much better than any box. I love this chocolate pudding on its own, but with whipped cream and bananas it seems a little more grown up. This would be a delicious choice for a dinner party, and a huge plus is that you can make it ahead of time!

I’ve talked before about my love for fairlife milk. We don’t drink any other brand at this point. I use it in my smoothies, my iced coffees, and I drink a glass with dinner each night! The thing I love most about fairlife is that their milk goes through an ultra-filtration process that allows it to have 50% more protein than other brands, along with less sugars. Plus, there’s no lactose, so it’s really easy on your stomach, yet, somehow it still tastes exactly like you’d expect. Matthew prefers the whole milk, but I like the 2% or nonfat best. However, the whole milk is perfect to cook and bake with! I used it in this recipe and the fact that there’s more protein and calcium makes me feel a little better about indulging! I felt like using fairlife helped the pudding be a little more dense in consistency but it was equally rich and creamy, if not more so!

Easy Homemade Chocolate Pudding with Bananas

Makes two 6 ounce servings, or four 3 ounce servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole milk, divided {I love fairlife’s whole milk the best!}

½ cup sugar + 1/2 tablespoon, divided

1/3 cup natural cocoa powder

4 teaspoons cornstarch

3 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract + 1 teaspoon, divided

¼ teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 banana, sliced

dark chocolate, for shaving on top

DIRECTIONS

Pour 1 ½ cups of the milk, ½ cup sugar, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, over medium-high heat and then remove from burner.

Whisk the remaining ½ cup of the milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl. Add a little bit of the hot milk into the egg mixture and stir. Then add the rest of the hot milk. Return to the saucepan and bring to a full boil, whisking constantly. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue whisking until thick, about 2 more minutes.

Pour the pudding into the serving cups and cover directly with the plastic wrap to prevent a film forming on top. Refrigerate for 6 hours-to overnight.

Before serving, whip the cream in a blender with the ½ tablespoon of sugar and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whip until soft peaks form, being careful not to overbeat. Add a dollop of whipped cream to each pudding cup, and add sliced bananas around the edges. Add a little shaving of chocolate on top!

So there you have it! An easy homemade chocolate pudding with bananas! If you make this recipe let me know what you think! It would be a great choice for a holiday dinner party. I guarantee you everyone will absolutely love it!!

xox

photos by Jordan Zobrist