High Protein Healthy Banana Pudding
Published May 28, 2025 • Updated March 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.
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.
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.
Banana pudding was the one dessert I'd quietly written off on keto. Made this last Sunday on a whim and that first spoonful with the crushed wafers stopped me cold. The yogurt base is creamier than I expected, and 20g of protein makes it feel like something I can actually just have.
That 'quietly written off' feeling is the whole reason I built it around Greek yogurt instead of trying to fake a milk-based pudding. One minute and you're actually eating dessert.
Made this last night and the pudding mix stayed a little grainy even after stirring for a solid minute. Is there a trick to getting it fully smooth, or does it help to let the yogurt come to room temp first before mixing?
Cold yogurt, probably. Powder doesn't fully dissolve straight from the fridge. Give it 5 min out first.
Made this for my 8-year-old after school and she polished it off before I even finished making mine. Came back twenty minutes later asking if there was more. When I told her it was just yogurt and sugar-free pudding mix she kind of stared at me and then walked away, which in kid-speak means it tasted like the real thing. Keeping Greek yogurt stocked from now on.
Silent walk-away is a five star review in kid language. Twenty minutes is fast even for this one.
Brought this to Easter at my sister's place and her husband assumed I had picked it up at a deli, which I did not correct until he was already on his second scoop. When I told him it was Greek yogurt and sugar-free pudding mix and took me under a minute, he got kind of offended, which I took as a win. I'm pretty new to keto cooking and did not expect something this fast to actually fool anyone. The crushed vanilla wafers on top were what sold it, I think. They gave it that real banana pudding texture that made people assume it came from somewhere. Already planning a bigger batch for the next family thing.
Ha, offense wins. The wafers are what make people assume it came from somewhere. I've gotten that same reaction.
Tried the custard version, the heavy cream instant pudding version, and somehow this three-ingredient Greek yogurt one is what I keep making. 20g protein helps but honestly it's the texture.
Greek yogurt sets up thicker than anything cream-based. Once you feel that difference there's no going back.
Banana pudding was the one dessert I genuinely grieved when I started keto. Made this on a whim last week, stirred the Greek yogurt and sugar-free pudding mix together in maybe 90 seconds, crumbled the vanilla wafers on top, and just stood there eating it at the counter. Thicker than I expected, almost mousse-like. I've made it three times since.
Standing at the counter eating it is kind of the whole point. The mousse texture is why I stopped trying to thin it out.
My mom made banana pudding every Easter and I figured that was just off the table for me on keto, but the vanilla wafers in this one fixed something I didn't realize I was still missing.
The wafers are what make it feel real. HighKey is the brand I use, they're the closest to actual Nilla Wafers without tanking the carbs.
If you're making this ahead, hold off on the crushed wafers until right before you eat it. Learned that the hard way when I prepped mine a couple hours early. The pudding itself keeps fine but the cookies go soft fast.
Good call. Even an hour is enough to turn them to mush. I keep the wafers in a separate little container and crush them right before eating.
Wasn't sure the Greek yogurt would pass as actual banana pudding. Figured it would just taste like yogurt with banana extract. The pudding mix actually does something to the texture though. Goes thick, almost mousse-like, and the tang disappears. Crushed the wafers finer than it said, layered it all in a wide glass, and it looked right. The 20g protein is what I lead with whenever someone says keto desserts aren't worth it.
Yeah, pudding mix does that to Greek yogurt. Texture completely shifts. Finer crush gives you wafer in every bite instead of big chunks.