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Classic Southern Homemade Banana Pudding

A square serving of THE BANANA PUDDING layered with vanilla custard, sliced bananas, and topped with piped whipped cream.
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A recipe for traditional, layered banana pudding featuring creamy homemade vanilla custard and soft vanilla wafers.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large ripe bananas, sliced
  • 1 box (11 ounces) vanilla wafer cookies
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Make the custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth.
  2. Cook the custard: Place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens significantly and comes to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
  3. Temper the egg yolks: In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly pour about half a cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking rapidly. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
  4. Finish the custard: Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens further. Do not boil again. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Cover the surface of the custard directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
  5. Whip the cream: In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
  6. Assemble the pudding: In a large glass bowl or individual serving dishes, create layers starting with a layer of vanilla wafers. Top the wafers with a layer of sliced bananas. Spoon about one-third of the cooled custard over the bananas. Repeat the layers twice more: wafers, bananas, custard.
  7. Top and chill: Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top layer. Cover the dish loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the wafers to soften.

Notes

  • For a richer flavor, you can substitute half of the whole milk with half-and-half.
  • If you prefer a meringue topping, skip the whipped cream and top the pudding with baked meringue instead.
  • Slice the bananas just before assembling to minimize browning.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delishdiarist.com/the-banana-pudding-recipe/