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Chocolate Banana Pudding Cups

Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling 2 hours
Servings 6 cups

Ingredients

- **Bananas:** 2 medium, sliced

- **Chocolate Pastry Cream:**

  • - 1/2 cup sugar
  • - 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • - 2 large eggs
  • - 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • - 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • - 5 ounces dark chocolate high quality, like Valrhona
  • - 4 tablespoons salted butter

- **Chocolate Wafers:** 15 chocolate sandwich cookies, filling removed and broken into pieces

- **Salted Caramel:**

  • - 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • - 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • - 1/2 cup sugar
  • - 2 tablespoons water
  • - 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • - 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • - 2 tablespoons salted butter

- **Whipped Cream:**

  • - 1 cup heavy cream
  • - 1 tablespoon sugar
  • - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

#### Pastry Cream:

  • **Preparation:** Set a bowl with a fine-mesh sieve on top to strain and cool the pastry cream once it’s cooked.
  • **Mix Cornstarch and Sugar:** In another bowl, whisk together cornstarch and sugar. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.
  • **Heat Milk Mixture:** In a saucepan, combine milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium-high until just below boiling, stirring occasionally.
  • **Combine and Cook:** Slowly add a third of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Then pour this mixture back into the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking until thick like lightly whipped cream. Remove from heat just before it boils and pour through the sieve into a bowl.
  • **Add Chocolate and Butter:** Stir in chocolate until melted. Add butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

#### Salted Caramel:

  • **Make Caramel:** In a medium pot, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup. Boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook without stirring until amber colored, about 8 minutes.
  • **Heat Cream:** While sugar heats, warm heavy cream and vanilla bean paste in a small pot until just below boiling.
  • **Combine:** Slowly pour warm cream into the caramel. It will bubble up, then simmer down. Whisk until smooth, cool for 5 minutes.
  • **Add Butter and Salt:** Add butter one tablespoon at a time, then stir in sea salt.

#### Whipped Cream:

  • **Whip Cream:** Just before assembling, whip heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer until soft peaks form.

#### Assembly:

  • **Combine Creams:** Fold together pastry cream and half of the whipped cream (reserve the rest for serving).
  • **Slice Bananas:** Slice bananas about 1/4 inch thick.
  • **Layer Ingredients:** In 4-6 glasses (12 oz) or a large bowl, layer in thirds: pastry cream, caramel, bananas, and chocolate wafers. Top with remaining whipped cream and garnish with extra wafers if desired.
  • **Chill and Serve:** Refrigerate for 1-4 hours before serving for best flavor. Enjoy the same day for freshest taste.