High Protein Healthy Banana Pudding
Published May 28, 2025 • Updated June 8, 2026
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I make this healthy banana pudding in one minute flat. Three ingredients, 20g protein per serving, no cooking, no eggs.
This is the pudding I make when I’m craving something sweet but don’t want to mess with eggs, a stove, or a pile of ingredients. It’s creamy, it’s rich, and it takes one minute to make. No baking. No cooking. Just three ingredients stirred together in a bowl. The sugar-free pudding mix handles all the flavor, and the yogurt covers the texture and the protein.
Why this works
Most recipes like this rely on eggs, protein powder, or thickeners to get the right consistency. I skip all of that. The secret is plain Greek yogurt, which gives you that thick, creamy texture and packs in 20 grams of protein per serving without any supplements. When I first started making this, I experimented with different amounts of pudding mix. I went through half a box testing ratios. Too much and it gets chalky. Too little and you can barely taste it. Two teaspoons per serving is the sweet spot. It transforms the yogurt completely, landing the flavor right between a traditional custard and a thick mousse. If you like using yogurt as a dessert base, my jello whip takes that same idea in a totally different direction.
Unlike my full layered version (which has custard, cream cheese, and a lot more steps), this one is a single-serving, grab-and-go situation. No layering, no chilling, no waiting. You stir, you top, you eat. Most of the similar recipes I’ve come across need at least an hour in the fridge before they set up properly. I eat mine the second I’m done stirring. That’s what makes it better for a post-workout snack or a late-night craving when you don’t want to commit to a whole production.
The low-carb vanilla wafers on top (I use HighKey) add that classic crunch that makes this feel like a real dessert. I crush them into smaller pieces and fold a few into the yogurt mixture, which gives you little pockets of cookie throughout (even better than just sprinkling them on top). You can also keep a couple whole on top if you want more texture contrast. For another no-cook dessert, try my protein pudding or keto cheesecake fluff.
You can eat this as-is or layer it into a parfait with extra wafer crumbles and a dollop of whipped cream. One of my readers, Sonia, stirred in a scoop of PB2 and I’ve been meaning to test that combination myself (if you like that flavor lane, my keto peanut butter mousse is worth trying). It works as a quick breakfast, a post-workout refuel, or a dessert that doesn’t make you feel like you just ate dessert. But really? A cold spoonful straight out of the bowl is how I eat this 90% of the time.
How to make this protein pudding
All I do is stir Greek yogurt and sugar-free pudding mix in a bowl until the texture thickens up (about 30 seconds), then crush a few low-carb vanilla wafers on top. No cooking, no baking, no special equipment. If the mix looks thin after stirring, give it another 15-20 seconds. It thickens quickly once the pudding powder activates in the yogurt.
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Ingredients
3/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt -
2 teaspoons sugar-free banana pudding mix
-
7 low-carb vanilla wafers
-
whipped cream, optional
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Make banana pudding
In a small bowl, stir together yogurt and sugar-free banana pudding mix until smooth.
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons sugar-free banana pudding mix
Crush cookies
Add vanilla wafers to a zip-top bag and crush with a mallet or heavy spoon. Sprinkle cookies on top of pudding. Top with whipped cream if desired.
- 7 low-carb vanilla wafers
- whipped cream, optional
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt?
I haven't tested cottage cheese in this one myself, but one of my readers, Riley, tried it and said it works. Riley blended it smooth first, and the texture came out thicker with even more protein. If you go this route, blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth before stirring in the pudding mix. Otherwise you'll get a grainy texture that doesn't feel like pudding at all.
Should I crush all the wafers or leave some whole?
I've done it both ways. Crushing everything gives you an even cookie-through-pudding mix, which I like. But one of my readers, Maria, started keeping a few whole on top while crushing the rest. I tried it her way and she's right. The whole wafers give you an actual crunch against the creamy base. I do a mix of both now.
Can I add protein powder to this?
I've stirred in a scoop after mixing the yogurt and pudding mix, and it works. Vanilla or banana-flavored protein blends in the best. The mixture gets noticeably thicker when you add powder, so I add a splash of unsweetened almond milk if it's too stiff to stir.
What brand of sugar-free pudding mix works best?
I use Jell-O Sugar Free Banana Cream Instant Pudding. I've tried store brand versions and they work fine, but the Jell-O has the strongest flavor. You only need about 2 teaspoons per serving, so one box lasts me through several batches. I keep the rest sealed in my pantry.
What low-carb wafer brands work best?
I use HighKey vanilla wafers for this. They hold up the best in terms of crunch, and the flavor is closest to regular Nilla Wafers without the carbs. I've also tried Sola brand and they work, but they're a little softer out of the box. If you can't find either, any keto-friendly vanilla cookie will work as long as it's firm enough to crush without crumbling into dust.
Does this taste better after sitting in the fridge?
It does. I've noticed the flavor gets more pronounced after about 2-3 hours as the pudding mix fully hydrates into the yogurt. The texture thickens up too. If I'm making this for later, I skip the wafers and add them right before I eat so they stay crunchy.
Can I make more than one serving at a time?
I do this all the time for meal prep. For 4 servings, I use 3 cups of Greek yogurt and about 3 tablespoons of pudding mix. I portion into individual jars, cover tightly, and they keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. I add wafer crumbles right before eating each one.
Can I make this dairy-free?
I haven't done a full dairy-free batch, but I tested it with coconut cream yogurt and the texture holds. It comes out slightly thinner than with Greek yogurt, so I add an extra half teaspoon of pudding mix to compensate. The flavor shifts a little toward coconut, which isn't bad, just different from the original. Make sure your coconut yogurt is the thick kind you stir, not pour. Thin yogurt won't set up and you'll end up with a runny mess.
Is this a high protein banana pudding I can eat after a workout?
It's what I reach for. One serving lands 20 grams of protein, and all of it comes straight from the plain Greek yogurt, no protein powder and no supplements stirred in. I use full-fat plain Greek yogurt because it carries the most protein per spoonful and still sets up thick instead of runny. That puts one bowl ahead of most of the protein bars I've tried, and it's ready in about a minute, so I make it the second I walk in from the gym instead of cooking anything.
Silkier if you let it sit 20 minutes.
Four jars in the fridge every Sunday, 20g protein in under two minutes every night this week (the math works out embarrassingly well). Figured out that a full teaspoon of pudding mix per serving gives it a way thicker set than a heaping half does, so now I use a little whisk instead of a spoon and let it sit five minutes before portioning. Wafers go in a separate baggie every time because by day two they're just soft and the crunch is basically the whole argument for this over regular yogurt.
Separate bag every time. Soggy wafers ruin it.
7.5 net carbs for banana pudding made me look twice, then I just made it. First time using Greek yogurt as the whole base. The pudding mix turns it genuinely thick and dessert-y. Blew my mind a little. Does it have to be Jello or does any sugar-free banana mix work?
Any sugar-free banana mix works. Jell-O has the strongest flavor of everything I've tried, which is why I default to it, but store brands are fine. Just might need an extra half teaspoon to match the punch.
Was braced for this to taste like medicine since banana-flavored anything usually goes artificial fast. The pudding mix actually blends in and disappears instead of taking over. 20g protein for what's basically dessert still gets me every time, even if the portion leaves me eyeing the container.
Two teaspoons keeps it from tipping artificial. A little more and you'd get what you were braced for. The container thing doesn't resolve.
Tried this three times before I landed on something I really liked, which was toasting the wafer crumbs in a dry pan for a few minutes before layering them in. Night and day. Raw crumbs are fine but once you add a little heat they pick up this toasty, almost caramelized note that plays really well against the sweetness from the pudding mix. I do about 4 minutes on medium-low, stirring constantly, until they start smelling nutty. The yogurt base is already good but without that crumb contrast it's a little one-note, which is probably why I kept coming back to tweak it. Four stars because I think the base ratio is slightly heavy on yogurt relative to the crumb amount, but with the toasted crumbs this is in regular rotation.
Toast them first. Never done it but I'm doing it this week, Lorraine. Nine or ten wafers instead of seven fixes the ratio.
Fourth time making this since May and I still can't explain how Greek yogurt and pudding mix does this. Pool days, no oven, 20g of protein before dinner.
Right? Two ingredients shouldn't do that much. 20g before dinner, no fuss.
It was 95 degrees Saturday and I refused to turn on anything that generates heat, so I made this poolside. My 14-year-old, who's been side-eyeing my keto desserts for two years, ate half of mine and made herself a second bowl. The Greek yogurt base with the banana pudding mix actually works, and crushing the wafers right before eating keeps the crunch. 20 grams of protein. She's already asking when I'm making it again.
Two years of side-eyes and a 95-degree day fixed it. Crushing right before is everything. I've made the mistake of crushing them an hour ahead and it's just not the same.
Love the protein hit and this takes maybe 90 seconds on a hot day. One thing: eat it immediately or the wafers turn to mush. Still making it constantly, just crush and sprinkle right before eating.
My son ate his and immediately put in a request for banana pudding every single night this week (not just more, every night on repeat). Three ingredients and now there are standing orders.
Standing orders. If you're making this every night anyway, 3 cups of yogurt + 3 tablespoons of pudding mix gets you 4 servings at once. Portion into jars and add the wafers right before eating so they don't go soft.
My grandmother made banana pudding at every holiday and I kind of assumed that was just off the table forever. Made this last week and had to put the bowl down for a second. The banana flavor is genuinely that good, and those crushed wafers hit exactly right.
The 'put the bowl down for a second' thing gets me. That's the one. Grandma's holiday banana pudding is a high bar, and honestly I wasn't sure 2 teaspoons of pudding mix stirred into Greek yogurt was going to come anywhere close, but it does, weirdly. The wafers were the last thing I figured out. I tested probably four brands before I landed on HighKey because the crunch matters, like actually matters (the others just got soggy fast). They do soften in the fridge after a couple hours if you want that, closer to what you'd remember.
Added a spoonful of peanut butter and it completely changed the vibe. Banana + PB + those wafers? Kind of unreal.
PB and banana pudding is such a natural combo. The pudding mix is sweet enough that the peanut butter cuts right through it. Making this version next.
Banana pudding was the one thing I thought I'd never eat again on keto. Now I'm making this on a Tuesday and eating it straight from the bowl. That Greek yogurt + pudding mix combo is weirdly close to what I grew up eating.
The wafers are what seal it for me. Without them it's just flavored yogurt. Add those and it actually tastes like the real thing.
I've cycled through a lot of keto pudding recipes and most of them taste like something is missing. This one doesn't. The yogurt base is thick in a way the coconut milk versions never quite manage, and the banana flavor actually comes through instead of being muted. One minute really isn't an exaggeration.
Coconut milk bases never set up the same. The yogurt is what makes it thick that fast. And yeah, one minute is actually one minute.
Brought this to Easter brunch this weekend and my aunt, who has made traditional banana pudding at every family gathering for like 20 years, cornered me in the kitchen wanting to know what I did differently. She couldn't place why the texture was tighter than hers and why it wasn't soupy after sitting out for two hours. I think the Greek yogurt base is what does it. Never told her it took me a minute flat.
Your aunt nailed it. Greek yogurt has actual structure, it doesn't break down the way a milk-and-cornstarch base does. And yeah, I'd keep the timing to yourself.
Used coconut Greek yogurt instead of plain and it went full tropical. Keeping it that way.
Coconut yogurt works so well here. I tested it too, banana and coconut just go. Mine ran a little thin so I added an extra half teaspoon of pudding mix.