I think every winter should involve chocolate drizzles.
… and a taste of the Tropics.
You too?
These individually portioned pudding cups feature a toasted pecan ‘crust’ with a banana coconut cream middle and a whipped coconut topping. For the arts & crafts portion of the show we’re making chocolate drizzles! (get to that in a sec).
The inspiration for this recipe comes from my friend MJ who recently posted a very tempting banana pudding that got my imagination going… Thank you Mj!
The Base/Crust
Toasting the pecans only takes a couple of minutes and it really brings out the nut’s rich buttery flavor – it makes a noticeable difference, and is definitely worthwhile. Helping bind the nuts and spices for the base is a touch of maple syrup which also brings a little sweetness. In my original trials for the crust, I had also added coconut oil but found that it solidified too much (got hard) in the refrigerator — great flavor though. Other nuts: walnut or almond would work well — or, if you’d like to try something a little different and in keeping with the tropical twist, try macadamia (delicious!).
The Pudding Center
I’ve combined ripe banana with creamy coconut milk and added tapioca starch as a thickening agent — I do like working with tapioca, you’ll come across it over and over again in my recipes (nb: I am not referring to tapioca pearls, but rather a starch that looks just like a flour and is easy to find in store or online) — tapioca starch is very light in density (almost weightless) and tasteless, and it thickens at a lower heat temperature than cornstarch. You can experiment using other starches for this dessert but the recipe instructions have been developed using tapioca.
The Coconut Cream Topping
Have you made whipped cream using coconut milk? It’s really simple to make your own but there is one cardinal rule: the coconut milk needs to be refrigerated for at least 24 hours beforehand (and it should be full fat. Two rules).
The Chocolate Garnish
I mean, it’s all about the drizzles. Bring out your inner child and scribble to your heart’s content. No rules here (really), just freehand fun.
Make-Ahead
With the exception of the slice of fresh banana for garnish, every element of this dessert can be made the day before – including the coconut cream (just be sure to store the cream in an airtight container in fridge until ready to assemble).
- For the Base:
- 175g (1¾ cup) pecans, toasted
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- pinch salt
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- For the Banana Pudding Filling:
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2-4 Tbsp maple syrup (depending on personal pref/ripeness of bananas)
- 200 mL (1 cup) full fat coconut milk (make sure it is well blended as fat and water separate, I use hand mixer to blend)
- 3 Tbsp tapioca starch (not pearls! the starch looks just like flour)
- *nb: this will make 2 cups of banana cream pudding to be divided between 4 servings (1/4 cup each) -- a 2 cup capacity serving glass/stemware is ideal to accommodate the layers.*
- For the Coconut Cream:
- 1 can (400 mL/ 14 oz) full fat coconut milk, refrigerate for at least 24 hours beforehand
- optional: 1 tsp vanilla, 1 Tbsp, or to taste, maple syrup
- For the Chocolate Garnish:
- 3 oz chocolate of choice (nut/fruit free will create a smoother appearance) -- I am using a dark chocolate bar - but any chocolate of preference, including chocolate chips, works.
- For the chocolate garnish line a small baking sheet (or similar) with parchment paper. Melt about 3 oz of chocolate of choice in a sturdy pot over lowest heat on the stovetop, stirring constantly and being careful not to burn. Once melted, use a spoon to create 4 (or more) drizzle designs on the parchment. You do not need any special equipment (piping bag etc) -- this is just a freehand drizzle. Tip: try moving in two directions -- up and down and then across, working fairly quickly to keep the chocolate moving along (avoiding large globs of chocolate). Slide the tray with your drizzles into the freezer until serving time.
- To make the pecan base: toast pecans dry (no oil needed) in a roomy skillet over low-medium heat, shaking the pan now and then, just until they begin to deepen in color and become fragrant (taking care not to burn). Transfer to blender and add cinnamon, ginger and salt and blend until small crumbs appear. Add syrup and blend again to integrate. Divide pecan base among 4 serving glasses reserving about 1 Tbsp for garnish. You can tap down gently to flatten the base but avoid overly compressing as it will become too hard in the fridge -- or simply leave loose crumbles for the base without pushing down (this creates a nice wave effect when banana filling is added).
- To make the Banana Pudding: combine bananas, vanilla, cinnamon and 2 Tbsp of maple syrup in blender and blend until smooth (there may still be little banana nipples which is fine). Taste and decide on more maple syrup. Add coconut milk and blend again and then add tapioca starch and blend to integrate.
- Transfer banana mixture to a pot on stove and heat over low-medium setting for about 1 minute -- nb: you will not be bringing mixture to a boil -- tapioca starch has a lower temperature set point than other starches -- you are merely heating until the mixture increases in volume as the starch expands, making sure you are mixing the whole time to avoid sticking/burning on the bottom, this should not take very long. You will know you have gone too far if the mixture drops in volume (falls) and the texture changes. If this happens, simply use a spoon to transfer banana mixture (it will likely be too thick to pour but it will still taste good).
- Top each of the pecan bases with the banana pudding dividing it among the 4 glasses (there should be about ¼ cup pudding in each). Allow the pudding to cool for 10 minutes or so before wrapping and refrigerating to set for about 2 hours (nb: variations in starch used/heating methods may affect time needed to set). You can also chill/set overnight.
- For the coconut cream topping you will need to refrigerate the can of coconut milk for at least 24 hours (there's really no shortcut here). When you're ready, open the can of coconut milk and invert the hard cream (it should be mostly hard, leave any liquid behind) into a bowl and then use hand mixer (or equivalent) to whip into cream - working out any hard bits to softness.
- Top each pudding with some cream and then sprinkle with reserved toasted pecans, as desired. Add a slice of banana and chocolate drizzle garnish from the freezer (it will come to room temp quickly). Enjoy!
Wow! that’s the best way you can give your children banana to eat. Nice Recipe. Will be trying it soon.
Kelly, only now, after a big break I notice why (apart from the food obviously!) I love coming here.. As soon as I open your website it feels so warm and relaxing…. Well, I always get hungry too, haha! The pudding looks and sounds extraordinary!
what a lovely compliment; I’m so glad you feel at home and relaxed here (my higher life ambition can be summarized as a desire to be cozy, haha!) welcome back Sissi, so nice to see you, x
Well you just took a simple coconut banana pudding up about ten levels! OMG Kelly! This is totally awesome! I absolutely love the pecan base, the use of coconut cream and of course, the chocolate. Can’t wait to make this. Just got 10 pounds of New Mexico pecans so no problem there. :) Thanks so much for the shout out. You’re the sweetest!
BTW – I just linked back to this page from my pudding post. Thanks again!
thank you! ♥
… and I want to try yours! you know I love simplicity but sometimes it’s fun to play; thank you for providing the inspiration for this recipe; appreciate your style, x.
10 pounds eh? that’s a lot of pecan goodness :))
Perfect timing! I’ve been thinking about a Valentine’s Day dessert and this seems perfect; it’s so pretty and that chocolate drizzle is so fun. I love that the crust is ground pecans, what about adding toasted coconut to it? I have worked with coconut whipped cream during my testing days, this looks like a wonderful application.
thank you Eva! I think toasted coconut would work well in the texture and taste super yummy – not sure if it would overwhelm the taste of the toasted pecan or not; it might harmonize nicely together and increase the bliss :=) I used ground flaxseed in some of my early trials with the pecan – the texture mimics crumbles well but I thought folks might find it a bridge too far in a dessert, haha. Happy experimenting!
Wow – This looks absolutely delicious! Love the combination of coconut cream and banana with that delightful chocolate garnish. I can almost taste it. Beautiful photos too!
ps: I came across your Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies last week and we’ve already finished the 2nd batch! A lovely recipe; makes for a healthy snack, a light breakfast or even a nice way to satisfy a sugar craving with this lightly sweetened treat. Thanks for sharing this treasure!
Hi Lynn! thanks so much for your nice note and kind words – I’m thrilled to hear you’ve been making the oatmeal cookies and that they’re a hit! we love them too; one is definitely not enough for breakfast ;=) perfect all day long, enjoy.