Grocery shopping has been one of my last priorities for the past couple weeks, and my kitchen has been looking very bare lately. All of the ingredients in this recipe were things that I did have on hand in my fridge and cabinets, plus a few over-ripe bananas from my windowsill. Luckily, it's almost Easter, and while brainstorming for themed food ideas, I realized I could make a banana cream pie that would make the perfect dessert for the occasion. When deciding whether or not I wanted to go with a traditional pie crust or a graham cracker crust, I realized I didn't want to make a crust at all. Not because it was too hard or took too long but because whenever I eat pie, I usually just eat the custardy pudding from the middle. After a holiday meal, there is usually little room left for dessert, but this pudding is light and sweet and not too filling. Plus, this is great for gluten-free guests. You can top it with whatever you would like, but I went with cinnamon and sliced almonds and bananas. If you did want to make an actual pie, you can use this pudding to fill any crust.

Vegan Dessert Recipes: Gluten-Free Banana Cream Pudding Recipe Type: Sweets

YIELDS 4-6 servings PREP TIME 10 min COOK TIME 30 min TOTAL TIME 40 min

1 well mashed banana

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 can coconut cream

4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 sliced banana

sliced almonds for garnish