I wish more people knew that you can take a handful of simple ingredients, blend them together, and end up with the richest, creamiest chocolate banana pudding. No cooking, no dairy, no eggs, and about five minutes of actual work.
And here’s the best part: the exact same mixture can also become chocolate banana ice cream!
I’ve been making this both ways lately, and I genuinely can’t decide which one I like better.
The pudding is thick, smooth, and incredibly chocolatey. It’s the kind of thing I like to keep in the refrigerator so I can grab a few spoonfuls when I want something sweet. A little goes a long way because it’s so rich, which means one batch lasts me several days.
But if you’re in the mood for ice cream, you can take that same freshly blended mixture and pour it straight into your ice cream maker. No separate recipe required!
Pudding or Ice Cream? You Decide!
For chocolate banana pudding: Once everything is blended, transfer the mixture to a covered container and refrigerate for a couple of hours. As it chills, it thickens into a rich, creamy pudding.
For chocolate banana ice cream: Instead of putting the mixture in the refrigerator, pour it directly into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You’ll end up with a creamy, chocolatey frozen treat. If you prefer firmer ice cream, pop it into the freezer for a little longer….this also works really well in a Ninja Creami!
I love that I don’t have to change a single ingredient depending on which one I want to make.
A Few Tips
Use ripe bananas. The riper your bananas, the sweeter your pudding will be. This is a great way to use up bananas that are getting a little too ripe on the counter.
Blend thoroughly. You really want everything completely smooth. I use my immersion blender, but a regular blender works too.
Let the pudding chill. It’s delicious straight out of the blender, but the texture changes as it sits in the refrigerator. Give it a couple of hours to thicken.
Make it ahead. This is a great little dessert to prepare when you have five minutes in the kitchen. Make it now, put it in the refrigerator, and future you has chocolate pudding waiting!
Chocolate Banana Pudding (or Ice Cream!)
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Peel the bananas and place them in a tall container or mixing bowl suitable for an immersion blender.
- Add the coconut oil, cocoa powder, maple syrup, natural peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Using an immersion blender, blend everything together until completely smooth and creamy.
- For chocolate banana pudding: Transfer the mixture to a covered container and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours, or until chilled and thickened.
- For chocolate banana ice cream: Instead of refrigerating, pour the blended mixture directly into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until creamy and frozen.
- Serve and enjoy!