Did you know there are many different types of bananas? Growing up in Vietnam, I ate these Vietnamese bananas called chuối sứ. They are shorter and a lot sweeter than American bananas.
They make a healthy good on-the-go snack. But what else can you do with them besides eating them as is? Well, today I’m going to share with you how to make banana pudding (chè chuối).
What is banana pudding?
Now Vietnamese banana pudding is nothing like American pudding dessert where it’s a custard consistency. It also doesn’t have any flour to make it like the bread pudding that you may be thinking of. Instead, the Vietnamese banana pudding has mostly bananas, tapioca pearls, sugar and coconut milk.
Types of banana to use
The most common type of banana in Vietnam is chuối sứ. You can also find American banana called chuối tiêu in Vietnam but those tend to be more costly.
These Vietnamese bananas are available at the Asian grocery store. Just like American bananas they are ripe when the skin becomes yellow. If you see brown spots on them, don’t be alarmed, because that is when they taste the best. Unlike American bananas, Vietnamese bananas will remain firm even when there are brown spots on the skin. These are perfect for grilled bananas, fried bananas or banana pudding.
The pictures below shows the actual bananas that I used. Noticed how yellow they’ve become. They also have lots of brown spot on them. However, notice how firm they look and there are no bruises once they are peeled.
What is tapioca?
I love tapioca pudding. But what exactly is tapioca? Tapioca pearls are edible translucent spheres made from cassava roots. You see them most commonly used in bubble tea. They arrive in packages as hard spheres but once you cook them they have a chewy texture. Similar to what you’d find in the American tapioca pudding.
How to make chè chuối
You’ll need 7 Vietnamese bananas (chuối sứ), vanilla extract, tapioca pearls, maple syrup, water and 1 can (14 oz) of full fat coconut milk. I recommend Thai Kitchen Organic. I have tried many other brands but I find this one tastes the best to me.
First soak the tapioca pearls in water for about 10 minutes. While you’re waiting for the tapioca pearls to soak, open the can of coconut milk and pour them into a saucepan along with some water to thin it out. Don’t worry the starch from the tapioca pearls will thicken up the coconut milk afterwards. Wait for the coconut milk to heat up. In the meantime, cut the bananas into 0.5 inch thick slices and set them aside.
After the 10 minutes, the coconut milk should be warm to hot. Stir in the tapioca pearls and stir until the pearls have become translucent. This tells you the pearls are cooked through. At this point, add the sliced bananas, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir for 3-4 minutes then serve hot. That’s it. Easy warm, comforting dessert.
Serving banana pudding
This dessert is best served warm with a sprinkle of nuts to give it a crunch.
How to store leftovers?
I like to store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Before you’re ready to serve it, make sure you heat it up a bit in the microwave. 30-45 seconds will do.
Banana Pudding (Chè Chuối)
Ingredients
- 7 Vietnamese bananas or regular bananas
- ¼-½ cup small white tapioca pearls Use ¼ cup if you want less tapioca pearls. Use ½ cup if you want more tapioca pearls.
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 can Thai kitchen organic coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Measure out the tapioca pearls. I put ¼-½ cup because if you want a lot of tapioca pearls, i would do ½ cup. If you just want a small amount, I'd do ¼ cup. Soak them in water and set aside.
- Open up the can of coconut milk and pour it into a saucepan to heat up on the stovetop. Be careful to only put it on medium heat and keep an eye on it by stirring so it doesn't burn.
- While the milk is heating and the pearls are soaking. Peel and slice the bananas.
- Once the milk is warm-hot, pour the pearls in and stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. The pearls will start to turn translucent indicating that they are cooked through.
- When the pearls are cooked through, add in the bananas, vanilla extract, sugar and salt.
- Let the mixture cook for another 3-4 minutes and it's ready to be served hot. Enjoy.
The next time you find yourself with excess bananas in your house, and want to try a new dessert, give this recipe a try. As always, let me know your thoughts below.
If you like this post, feel free to share it on Facebook by using the button below.
