High Protein Banana Pudding

This keto high protein banana pudding is a healthy recipe that you can eat as a keto sweet snack, dessert or even for breakfast! It’s high protein (25.8g), high fiber (4.5g) and sugar free with only a few ingredients. It’s also low calorie with only 182 calories per serving and just 0.4g net carbs! Great for keto meal planning.

You might also like this keto banana peanut butter protein fudge!

Way back in the day I was on the Ideal Protein diet. It was one of those packaged food diets but it really worked for me at the time. One thing I really liked was this low calorie, high protein pudding you ate as a snack at night. It was something to look forward to and perfect for an after dinner dessert.

So I’ve finally made a version that I really like and it’s this keto high protein banana pudding. I originally made this with peanut butter too because I love the flavor combination but you don’t need to add that. Also originally I use glucomannan to thicken the dish but I’ve also added a way to make it with gelatin too.

One serving of the pudding made with glucomannan powder has 0.4g net carbs and 25.8g! It’s also high in fiber from the glucomannan (4.5g) which is helpful to me and only has 182 calories.

Is store bought pudding keto friendly?

While the sugar free pudding you buy in the grocery stores are sugar free they are not all that low in carbs. Jello brand sugar free banana pudding mix has 5g total carbs per serving whereas this keto pudding recipe has only 0.4g net carbs.

Commercial sugar free pudding uses cornstarch and other artificial ingredients to thicken the pudding and that is where the carbs come from. In this recipe we are using glucomannan powder to thicken our pudding. It’s made from the konjac root which is a natural thickener and has zero net carbs due to the high natural fiber content. 

Recipe ingredients and substitutions.

The ingredients I used in this protein pudding was vanilla protein powder, glucomannan powder, heavy whipping cream, almond milk and sweetener. Optionally you can use peanut butter powder and gelatin instead for a thickener. Below are the specific brands and substitutions.

• Banana Protein Powder – I love IsoPure Zerocarb banana protein powder because it has no carbs and I like the taste. You can use any banana flavored brand you want. This Syntax powder has 2g carbs but I use this too sometimes as it’s less expensive. OR you can use vanilla protein powder and use banana extract for flavoring. And if you don’t care about carbs you can use ripe banana slices with vanilla protein powder.
• Glucomannan powder – Glucomannan is used to naturally thicken this pudding and other foods. It’s made from the konjac root and considered a dietary fiber. You can find this online or in a health food store. You can also use unflavored gelatin to thicken the pudding and will show you how below.
• Heavy Whipping Cream – This gives the pudding a bit of creamy feel to the tongue and offsets the glucomannan powder.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk – I use unsweetened to keep the carbs down. You can use other nondairy milk substitutes but you will have to account for the carbs. Coconut milk and coconut cream would also work well with this recipe.
• Sweetener (optional) – I like Swerve sweeteners but you can use any regular granulated sweetener you want. I like my desserts very sweet. You might not need any sweetener at all because of the flavored protein powder. So keep that in mind when you make this recipe.

Optional Ingredients

• If you want to use gelatin instead of the glucomannan you can use Knorr unflavored gelatin which you can get in the grocery store. I use Great Lake gelatin because it’s a healthy food I’ve been using for years.
• Originally I also used PBFit peanut butter powder in this recipe but today remade this recipe without it. If you want to add a bit more protein and like that flavor combination you can add it easily to the recipe but it’s completely optional. It has less fat and carbs than peanut butter, however you can substitute with natural no added sugar peanut butter as well.
• Other low carb mix ins to add to hthis recipe is unsweetened cocoa powder, keto friendly chocolate chips, candied nuts, regular nuts and seeds, toasted coconut, etc.

How to make high protein banana pudding with glucomannan powder.

This is a very simple recipe and you can whip it up in minutes but it has to set in the refrigerator for a couple hours. 

1. Add all of the ingredients except the glucomannan powder to a high speed blender. Blend on a high for a minute. (Note if using the PBFit powder add it now too.)
2. Slowly add the glucomannan powder in as the blender is running. Keep the blender on the lowest setting to do this.
3. Once the powder has been added, turn up the speed and blend on high for a few seconds.
4. Taste the pudding and if you wish it to be sweeter add a little sweetener. Start with ½ to 1 tablespoon of granulated sweetener and then add more if you think it needs it.
5. Pour into small bowls and put in the fridge for a couple of hours until it thickens completely. This can take up to 4 hours.

You can add some whipped cream or cool whip to this protein packed pudding to make this more of a keto dessert than a snack. You can also sprinkle some peanut butter powder on top too.

Store leftovers or portions in an airtight container (see custard containers below). Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.

How to make this low carb pudding with gelatin.

Using unflavored gelatin is another way to make pudding without cornstarch or the glucomannan which may be hard to find. You make this recipe a little differently in that you need to heat the liquids to dissolve the gelatin. And you have mix it vigorously after it has gelled.

1. Get out two mixing bowls. In one, add ¼ cup of almond milk and sprinkle the gelatin over all of the surface of the milk to bloom for 5 minutes.
2. Next take the other bowl and add the rest of the almond milk. Heat this bowl in the microwave for 1 minute (or on the stove) to heat it up. Then pour over the gelatin mixture and whisk to combine and dissolve the gelatin.
3. Next add the heavy cream, protein powder and sweetener. Whisk and mix together well. You can even put this in the blender to make sure there are no lumps.
4. Refrigerate the mixture for a few hours. When it’s completely gelled it will be more like jello than pudding. All you have to do is vigorously whisk the mixture until smooth and creamy (see pics below). I kept the mixture in a bigger bowl because it was easier to mix. Then after I whisked it smooth I poured it into two smaller container.

Great containers for meal prep recipes like these.

I recently bought these custard cups for my low carb omelet jars because for that recipe I need single serving dishes that you could use in the oven and also store in the refrigerator. Turns out I use these containers for everything.

They come with lids so they are perfect for a recipe like this where you make a batch that you can portion out for a few days. 

Recipe Tips And Notes

• You can use any brand and flavor of protein powder you like. I personally like IsoPure protein powders because most of them have no carbs and taste good to me. 
• If you want peanut butter banana flavored pudding you can add peanut butter powder. It will add flavor and a bit more protein and even a bit of thickness. If using, try 1 tablespoon of the PBFit per serving.
• Other thickeners you can use are unflavored gelatin (see how in the recipe card) or chia seeds. The chia seeds will work but but the texture will be totally different. You will have play around with the amount. Check out chia protein pudding post for more information.
• If you want more banana flavor you can try adding some banana extract.

I hope you give this keto high protein banana pudding a try. It’s perfect for a keto snack, healthy dessert  or even a high protein breakfast. I love it because it has the added protein and fiber and satisfies my sweet tooth. Enjoy!

You can find most of these ingredients in my Amazon shop.

The nutritional information for 1 serving with the glucomannan is: 182 cals / 7.3g fat / 4.9g carbs / 4.5g fiber / 25.8g protein = 0.4g net carbs

The nutritional information for 1 serving with the gelatin is: 132 cals/ 7.4g fat/ 1g carbs/ 0.6g fiber / 15.3g protein = 0.4g net carbs

You might also like this keto eggnog pudding!