Chocolate Banana Pudding

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword american dessert, banana pudding, chocolate pudding

Prep Time 15 minutes

refrigerate 10 hours

Total Time 10 hours 15 minutes

Servings 10 generous servings

Ingredients

1- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk NOT evaporated milk!
1 cup cold water I use cold bottled water from fridge
1- 3.9 oz (small box) instant chocolate pudding I like Jello Brand "Instant Pudding and Pie Filling" mix sold in a box
3 cups good quality heavy whipping cream,shaken I use Darigold or Winder Dairy
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4-5 cups slightly under-ripe bananas sliced (about 5 large bananabananas should be slighly green (not bright green!)
1- 10.1 oz package Oreo Thins reserve some for crumbling on top and placing on top of pudding
1/2 12 oz box Nilla Wafers regular or mini size reserve some for crumbling on top and placing on top of pudding

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl whisk together the can of sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup cold water until combined.
Add the pudding mix and beat with a whisk or the whisk attachment. The mixture should be smooth and all pudding ingredients dissolved.
Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight, or up to two days ahead of serving. Make sure to allow the pudding enough time to set up.
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream in a clean bowl for a few minutes (this takes about 3-4 mintues in a stand mixer) on high until the cream is stiff. Reduce speed on mixer and add 3 tabelspoons of unsweeteend cocoa. Mix again on lower speed until blended well.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the chocolate whipped cream into the set up pudding mixture until no streaks of pudding remain. Don't beat with a mixer; gently fold mixture so the cream doesn't deflate! You may use a large whisk and whisk by hand.
To assemble dessert, use a large glass bowl, trifle bowl, 9x13 pan or (10-20) 4-8 oz cups.  If making in small individual containers, I like to use a 1/4 cup measure and place pudding in the bottom of the bowl or cup first, then layer sliced bananas and a layer of cookies, both the Nilla Wafers and Oreo Thins. Repeat and end with a little pudding mixture on top. Cover and let chill for 4-8 hours.
When ready to serve, slice a few bananas and place an Oreo Thin, or crushed Oreo's on top of each serving if making individual portions. If making in a bowl, arrange in three layers and end with either wafers or pudding on top.

Recipe Notes

PLAN AHEAD. You need a full 2-3 hours for the pudding to set up properly. You can do this up to two days ahead of assembling dessert. After allowing the pudding to set up, you'll need another 4-8 hours for the assembled dessert to set up properly. I think 6 hours is the perfect amount of time.
This recipe differs just a bit from the original Magnolia Vanilla Banana Pudding Recipe (also found on ABK). I found after many test batches the pudding sets up better in the chocolate version of this recipe when using 1 cup instead of 1 1/2 cups of cold water. Also, after several batches of mixing the pudding with the 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa and having it not set up as firm as I like, I started whisking the cocoa powder into the whipping cream. This also reduce the chances of white streaks from the cream showing up in the pudding mixture after the two are blended.
Buy bananas that are slightly green. Make sure the bananas are almost ripe, not bright green! I received several messages regarding the ripeness factor of the bananas when I posted the original Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding. I understand a riper banana will yield a sweeter banana, but I'd rather have a firm banana that is not discolored than a sweet soft (and eventually slimy) banana in my dessert!
Purchase regular pudding, whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, and cookies. The success of the dessert depends on it. No low fat or low sugar ingredients/versions of the listed ingredients.
* If you are topping the dessert with fresh bananas, wait to top the pudding with bananas until just before serving!
* If you are making this for a party, and would like to make individual servings, the recipe yields about 10 heaping 1 cup servings (quite a large serving), or about 18-20 1/2 cup servings. I suggest the smaller version for most occasions.