Self-Saucing Banana Pudding

I’m a big advocate of small actions that bring big results, and this is exactly what my banana pudding is about. As a kid, I used to love self-saucing chocolate pudding because it was moist, warm, and saucy. That’s where my inspiration for this recipe came from.

Since I had ripe bananas sitting on the counter, I thought why not create a banana bread version of my childhood favorite? Instead of dark chocolate, I used mashed bananas, and to replace the chocolate sauce, I went with a delicious caramel sauce made from coconut sugar. Add a splash of vanilla extract for a fresh aroma and a generous pinch of cinnamon, and you are in for a treat!

My banana pudding is easy to make and creates its own sauce, there is no need to cook an extra sauce on the side. Actually, it doesn’t exactly make the sauce by itself. You still have to pour hot water into the baking dish prior to baking, but as the pudding cooks, the sauce transforms into a wonderful thick caramel sauce.

⭐️ Why You Will Love It

Made for banana (and caramel) lovers.

The texture of my pudding resembles that of a sticky toffee pudding but is a bit more tender. It has that gooey and moist texture and is slightly sticky. When it comes to the flavor, imagine a beautiful blend of fruity banana, caramel, vanilla, and a delicate cinnamon flavor!

This banana pudding cake makes the perfect weeknight dessert, especially at this time of the year. Vanilla ice cream melting over the warm and moist pudding is the best thing that has ever happened in the dessert world. And if you plan on having this for breakfast, please do so. I’m not judging!

Gluten-free and made with wholesome ingredients.

What I love about this dessert is that it only uses basic pantry ingredients and a few bananas. Bonus point: it’s gluten-free and refined sugar-free as it uses oat flour and coconut sugar.

This pudding comes together in a bit less than 40 minutes including prep time, which makes it a great last-minute dessert option. If you plan to serve it warm and still saucy, you can even make the batter ahead of time and bake it 30-40 minutes before serving.

Readers love it.

Janet, a reader said: “This is a beautiful desert and so easy to make. I took it to our friend’s house, reheated it for 10 mins, and served it with ice cream. The flavor was great, no sauce as I cooked it earlier in the day and reheated it later. It was lovely and moist though. Everyone had seconds so not so good for the waistline!”

🍌 Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients that you will need:

Oat flour

To keep this recipe gluten-free, I use the good old oat flour. I love using oats in baked goods, as they are rich in fiber and contain many antioxidants.

Please note that while oat flour is officially gluten-free, it can be contaminated with gluten, so if you have a gluten allergy, ensure you pick a flour that specifically mentions it is “uncontaminated.”

Note: You can make your own oat flour by adding rolled or quick oats to a high-speed blender and blending for 1-2 minutes or until it forms a very fine flour. Homemade oat flour is not as fine as store-bought but still works great for this recipe.

Almond flour

Almond flour adds richness and prevents the pudding from being overly sticky. It also brings extra moisture.

Coconut sugar

I use coconut sugar to sweeten both the pudding and the caramel sauce. I do not have a sweet tooth, and I believe the sweetness is on point. Obviously, depending on your taste and on the sweetness of your bananas, you might have to adjust the amount of sugar.

Substitute: Instead of coconut sugar, feel free to use light brown sugar. I do not recommend using granulated white sugar as it won’t give the sauce a caramel flavor.

Bananas

Just like for banana bread, you absolutely need to use ripe and spotty bananas for this recipe. I have tried making this pudding with yellow, non-spotty bananas before and was quite disappointed by the result. The pudding was not as sweet and had no banana flavor. So, if you have unripe bananas on the counter, please allow them to ripen for a few more days before using them.

Baking powder and baking soda

Both help the pudding rise, giving it a fluffier texture.

Coconut oil

Adding a couple of tablespoons of oil to the batter gives it a better mouthfeel. Although I used melted coconut oil, any neutral oil will work. If you are following an oil-free diet, feel free to omit the oil. Just remember that the pudding will be a bit more sticky.

Vanilla extract

To add extra sweetness and a fresher aroma. You can use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.

Quick tip: If you have leftover vanilla beans – from making vegan pastry cream or caramel flan, for example – place them in a jar with coconut sugar and let it sit for at least 3 weeks to make vanilla coconut sugar. You can then use this sugar to make the pudding!

Cinnamon

A generous amount of ground cinnamon brings warming notes to this pudding. You can even add a pinch of nutmeg for a hint of spiciness.

Note: If you are not a fan of cinnamon, feel free to omit it.

🥣 How to Make It

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

2. Mash the bananas. Using a fork, mash the bananas until smooth. Alternatively, you can add the bananas to a blender and blend until smooth. I generally use 2 and 1/2 bananas but the exact amount will depend on the size of your bananas. You want to end up with 1 cup of mashed bananas.
3. Incorporate the wet ingredients. Add the mashed bananas, almond milk, melted coconut oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined using a wooden spoon. The batter will be thick. It is normal.

4. Transfer to a baking dish. Transfer the batter to a 10×7-inch baking dish and spread it into an even layer using a spoon. Set aside.
5. Make the sauce. In a small saucepan, warm the water over medium heat. Once warm, remove from the heat and add the coconut sugar. Whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Note: if the sugar has trouble dissolving, place the saucepan back on the heat for a few minutes.

6. Pour it over the batter. Slowly pour the coconut sugar water over the pudding batter. I recommend pouring it over the back of a spoon. This way you won’t make holes in the batter and distribute it more evenly. Note: It will look a bit messy at first, with the sauce floating on top of the cake, but as it bakes, the cake will rise, and a sauce will form at the bottom.
7. Bake. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top looks cooked. Remove from the oven and allow the pudding to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. You will end up with a moist banana cake with a thick sauce at the bottom!

🍫 Variations

Looking for extras that you can add to this pudding? I have got you covered! Here are a few add-ins that I like to incorporate into this pudding:

• Stir in chocolate chips: Stir 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips into the batter for a chocolate chip banana pudding.
• Incorporate raisins: Stir 1/3 cup of raisins into the batter to add a chewier texture. You can even rehydrate the raisins in some rum or brandy before incorporating them into the batter for a bit of extra flavor.
• Add extra spices: Feel free to play with the spices! You can add ground cardamom, all-spice, or pumpkin spice.

🍨 How to Serve It

I like to serve this banana pudding warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream and shaved chocolate, but you can also serve it with a dollop of coconut cream or yogurt!

💬 FAQ

I hope you will love this banana pudding as much as we do. It’s gooey, saucy, and packed with plenty of banana flavor!

🧁 More Plant-Based Desserts

Semolina Pudding (with Caramel!)

Easy Plum Tart

Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

French Apple Tart

⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Note: This recipe was first released in August 2020 and was updated in May 2024 with new photos and process shots.