BANANA PUDDING WITH PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE CRUMBS –Sweet, silky banana pudding layered with slices of fresh banana and homemade peanut butter cookie crumbs. Four ingredient, flourless peanut butter cookies.
The pudding is from scratch and infused with banana purée. Don’t be scared. I know making pudding may seem intimidating to some of you but it doesn’t have to. It’s as easy as whisking milk, sugar and eggs together in a saucepan until it thickens.
Taking a few minutes of extra time to strain it through a wire mesh makes it super creamy and smooth and gets out any lumps that might form. Because lumps happen. To all of us.
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Every bite carries the sweet flavor of banana followed by raging peanut butter. Thanks to the cookies made almost solely of peanut butter. No flour to get in its way. Just peanut butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. One of the easiest and fastest cookies I ever met.
No dessert is more underrated than pudding. Never, ever did I think pudding could satisfy my humongous sweet tooth. I was wrong. Now it’s whittled a way into my heart and my dessert-making will never be the same.
Banana pudding + peanut butter cookies = best friends. Forever.
BANANA PUDDING WITH PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE CRUMBS
Ingredients
- pudding:
- 7 large very ripe lightly speckled bananas, divided
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 large egg yolks
- cookies:
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel 4 of the bananas and purée using an immersion, stand blender or food processor.
- In a large, heavy-duty saucepan over set medium heat whisk together the milk, cream, sugar,cornstarch and salt. Continue whisking until it comes to a simmer and begins to thicken.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in banana purée then the butter and lastly the egg yolks. Return to the heat, continue whisking and bring back up to a simmer. Cook 3 to 5 minutes longer.
- Optional but recommended step for super creamy pudding: Strain the pudding in batches through a wire strainer into a bowl set inside a larger bowl filled with ice.
- Once all the pudding is strained add vanilla and whisk 2 minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment on top of the pudding (touching) and refrigerate 3 hours or until well chilled.
Meanwhile make the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or silpats.
- In a medium bowl beat the peanut butter and sugar together on medium speed (the mixture will be thick) 2 - 3 minutes until well combined.
- Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough up and roll into a ball. Place on baking sheets about 1-inch apart and press down with a fork twice to make a criss cross pattern.
- Bake 10 - 11 minutes. Cool on pan 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Assemble the pudding:
- Crush 3/4 of the cookies up with your hands into big crumbs or pulse in batches in the food processor.
- Slice the remaining 3 bananas.
- You can use a large trifle bowl or a bunch of smaller, individual dessert cups or ramekins.
- Sprinkle a layer of crumbs on the bottom followed by pudding, then banana slices then repeat again ending with cookie crumbs and whole cookies on the top to decorate. To make it look pretty you can stand banana slices or cookies up against the sides of the glass.
- You can also add freshly whipped cream to the layers or for garnishing the top but it's not necessary.