Have you ever wanted something so bad, that you surrounded yourself with things that remind you of what you want, in the hopes that it will come true?
That’s how I feel right now about sunshine and warm weather. I mean, y’all, we knew what we signed up for when we moved to Portland (or at least we pretended to), and then this winter happened. From an unexpected snow storm that froze the city for over a week, to record rainfalls–EVEN seasoned Oregonians are pulling out their umbrellas, and you don’t do that around here unless you want to lose your reputation.
Seriously though, I have been whirling around my house, brightening where I can. Adding color and life and plants in all the corners. If you stalk me on Pinterest, I’ve been planning warm weather vacations and spring and summer clothes, even though both of those are still months away.
But, y’all. The day is going to come. And when it does, I will be here. And I will be R E A D Y. Ready with all the tropical delights and warm weather vibes to welcome and embrace it for as long as it lasts.
/// Enter coconut pudding///
I’ll be the first to tell you that I am not a dessert girl. I’m a—pass the pasta around one more time—girl. But I do have a husband and several friends with sweet tooths. You know what else I have? Beloved friends with allergies. Gluten, eggs, dairy. GUESS WHAT GOES IN DESSERTS???
Usually a combination of all three of those.
When I first dreamed up the idea for this dessert, I was putting together a menu for a styled shoot where all my dishes were a mixture of tropical and fancy. At this point I should probably clarify that the word fancy is not mutually exclusive with the word easy. Trust me, when it comes to making food I have to make for an event, I want to make something that’s going to be easy to cook and easy to assemble, so that I don’t have to stress out about time or intricacy. With this in mind, I challenged myself to make something with three ingredients–three allergy friendly ingredients: Coconut Milk, Powdered Sugar, Corn Starch. That’s all these babies have.
That having been said, this pudding is really easy to glam up and personalize. I added a raspberry reduction and fried bananas to give it a little more dimension and life.
Most of the time when I’m cooking, I’m chasing after two things: texture and contrast. In our house, we believe in flavor-packed foods, and that means mixing and matching textures and flavors. Not to overhaul your senses, but to have those eye-closed mmmmmm moments every couple bites.
Because I didn’t grow up eating a lot of sweets, I’m not always a huge fan of overwhelmingly sweet desserts. So I always want to make sure I offset any dessert with a little bit of tartness.
///Enter Raspberry Reduction///
Adding the raspberry reduction to the pudding, balances the sweet smoothness of the coconut. When it comes to glazes and fruit sauces, I’m an advocate of keeping things as simple as possible. Our reduction only has raspberries, water, and sugar. I usually mix a cup of berries, a cup of water, and half a cup of sugar together in a small pot, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
As an added plus, you can save the left over sauce and have some on your toast the next morning for breakfast.
///Enter Fried Bananas///
I don’t know about you, but if I’m ever eating something with a soft texture, I need to contrast that with something that’s crunchy (think yogurt and granola). To convince myself that I’m not eating baby food, I try to have an array of textures.
That’s why I added the fried bananas into the mix. They bring a smokey taste and a crunchy texture to this pudding that elevates the overall taste of this dessert. For me, it’s the cherry on top because both the flavor and the texture contrast well with the pudding, without being in competition with it.
Even as a non-dessert person, I can appreciate a nice big serving of this pudding! I like that it’s super easy to make, and that I can dress it up or down depending on how much time I have. And as a compulsive feeder, I love that it’s accessible and enjoyable for people with food allergies.
Don’t be surprised if these guys pop up in your news feeds from now until the beginning of summer, because these tropical delights are gonna hold us over till the sun is officially here to stay.
Love & Tropical Hopes,
Gluten Free, Vegan, Three-Ingredient Coconut Pudding
Ingredients
Coconut Pudding
- 2 Cups Coconut Milk
- 1.5 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Corn Starch
Raspberry Reduction
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Cup Raspberries
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
Fried Bananas
- 1 TBSP CocnutOil
- 1 Banana Sliced Diagonally
Instructions
Coconut Pudding
- In a medium sauce pan, mix together coconut milk and powdered sugar. Cook on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil for 2 minutes, and then reduce heat to a simmer. In a small bowl, mix together corn starch and two tablespoons of the coconut milk mixture until the corn starch is dissolved. Add mixture to the sauce pan until combined and simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
Raspberry Reduction
- In a small pot, mix together sugar, berries, and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool before serving. Letting the reduction cool with thicken it up.
Fried Bananas
- In a small pan, melt and heat coconut oil until it sizzles when bananas are added to the pan. Slice a banana into long diagonal pieces and add to the oil. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Remove from pan and allow to cool before serving.
Mary-Beth Johnson
Mary-Beth is a creative, food-obsessed, Georgia transplant living Chicago. She is proudly and fiercely Latina, and more specifically Chapina. In her day to day she is a food educator to students around Chicagoland aged 3 to 80+, both virtually and in-person. She is passionate about cultivating the truth that every person has an understanding of food that deserves being brought to the table, and that time in the kitchen can be sacred, passionate, and an act of love for self and others. Outside the kitchen you can find her at the intersections of infertility, chronic illness, and a deep love for the dignity of all humans. She hopes to create a space that is holistic about the role of food in the social, political, relational, and physiological dynamics of our world.
