High Protein Banana Pudding
Dessert with benefits! This easy high protein banana pudding made with cottage cheese is good for your body and absolutely delicious.
As a dietitian, I love a good dessert. And I don’t love a “healthier” alternative unless it actually tastes just as delicious as the real deal.
This protein banana pudding is it, my friends. It tastes AMAZING (my picky husband agreed). It’s made with only five ingredients. And it’s high protein and low sugar so you’ll feel amazing after eating it.
Why you’ll love it
- High protein: This smooth pudding contains 15 grams of protein per serving, without using a drop of protein powder.
- Lower sugar: This dessert is sweetened with maple syrup, and you can use as much or as little as you like to support your goals.
- Filling: I love a dessert that actually leaves me full and satisfied, and this is one of those!
- Quick: All you need is 5 minutes and a blender to make this simple and tasty pudding.
- Delicious: This recipe isn’t just “good for a healthy dessert”… it’s just GOOD! It has the consistency of a tasty pudding or custard, and it’s made even more satisfying by the texture of some add-ins.
Want a dairy-free option instead? Try my dairy-free banana pudding!
Key ingredients
- Cottage cheese — I use 2% but use whatever fat percentage you like (and try to pick one with less sodium)
- Ripe banana — this is blended into the pudding and layered in slices
- Crushed graham crackers — sub for vanilla wafer cookies if preferred
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and detailed recipe.
Dietary restrictions
- No added sugar: omit the maple syrup and graham crackers, and use a super ripe banana.
- Lactose-free: use lactose-free cottage cheese.
- Higher protein: omit the maple syrup and vanilla extract, and add half a scoop of vanilla protein powder.
More topping ideas
- Nilla wafer cookies
- Caramelized banana slices
- Whipped cream or whipped topping
- Crushed walnuts or pecans
- Sliced strawberries
- Cinnamon
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Blend banana with cottage cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Step 2: Chill, then enjoy! Add toppings like sliced banana, graham crackers, and vanilla greek yogurt before serving.
Top tips
- Make it sweeter: Use a super ripe banana for extra sweetness.
- For thicker pudding: The pudding thickens as it sits in the fridge, so make sure to cool it for at least an hour.
- The best texture: Leave some texture in your graham cracker crumbs for a nice bite in your pudding.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes! I prefer this recipe with cottage cheese because it’s less tart, but you can use Greek yogurt if you’d like. I’d recommend using vanilla greek yogurt, and omitting the vanilla extract and maple syrup from the recipe. You can mash the banana and greek yogurt together in a bowl instead of blending.
The amount of salt in this high protein banana pudding depends on the brand of your cottage cheese. I use Nordica 2%, and I find the final pudding very well balanced. If possible, opt for a cottage cheese with less sodium for this recipe.
Yes, you can make this without a blender! Simply mash your banana and mix it with the other ingredients in a bowl. The pudding will have more texture and won’t be smooth, but it still delicious.
If you’re using a large blender, it may work better to double the recipe so there’s enough contents to blend properly. Or, if you’re not using a particularly large blender, you may just need to shake your cup between pulses to get the blender going. If needed, you could add a splash of milk.
More healthy desserts
Chocolate peanut butter protein bars
No-bake cheesecake bowls
Date caramel apple slices
Healthy apple nachos
High protein chocolate pudding
3-Ingredient peanut butter bites
Leave a rating and review!
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High Protein Banana Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese, I use 2%
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup, adjust to taste
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
To Assemble
- crushed graham crackers
- banana slices
- whipped cream or vanilla greek yogurt
Equipment
- 2 small glass jars
Instructions
- To the blender, add cottage cheese, banana, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Blend until completely smooth, shaking the blender or pulsing as needed. Taste, and add more maple syrup as desired.
- Pour pudding evenly into 2 glass jars.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-hour before serving. When you’re ready to eat, top with Greek yogurt or whipped cream, fresh banana slices, and crushed graham crackers. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a classic banana pudding feel, layer your toppings before chilling your pudding. Divide half the pudding into your two jars. Then, add banana slices, crushed graham cracker, and yogurt/whipped cream. Add remaining pudding, cover, and chill. Top with fresh banana slices and graham cracker crumbs right before serving.
- Blending cottage cheese can be tricky. If needed, pulse or shake your blender to make sure the ingredients stay close to the blades.
- Make sure your banana is slightly browned and spotty for the most sweetness.
- To minimize tart flavors in the cottage cheese, use 2% or whole milk cottage cheese. This will also produce a smoother texture compared to non-fat.
- To make graham crackers crumbs, add 1-2 crackers to a sealed bag. Use the back of a spoon to break them up — leave some chunks for the best texture.
Really yummy!! I topped with granola instead of graham crackers.
This was so good! I used Cascadian Farm Graham crunch cereal instead of graham crackers and also drizzled peanut butter on top! I’m always skeptical about the cottage cheese recipes, but this was so good!!!
Honest question….does this taste like cottage cheese?! I hate cottage cheese but I need more protein and healthier options so I’m trying to be optimistic.😂
I don’t think so, but I also love cottage cheese so I may not be the best judge! Perhaps start with more maple syrup the first round just in case 🙂
I made this and froze in popsicle molds. Instead of graham cracker crumbs, I pushed a few mini vanilla wafers down inside the molds before putting them in the freezer. They were SO good!!
Starting with this recipe I also added two teaspoons of chia seeds a tablespoon of hemp heart seeds and a heaping spoonful of creamy peanut butter. I did have to add some coconut milk but my immersion blender did just fine and to top it off I used chopper walnuts. I did admit the maple syrup as I don’t like sweetness. But it makes a very good morning shake
Quick, easy, delicious and I don’t feel guilty having dessert or a snack! My kids have been loving this too!!!
Delicious, healthy dessert. I will 100% be making this again!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks so much for your review.