Banana Pudding
intro
Creamy, nostalgic no-bake layered dessert with vanilla wafers, ripe bananas, smooth vanilla custard, and fluffy whipped cream: a beloved Southern American staple.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook the vanilla custard
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together 480ml whole milk, 100g granulated sugar, 24g all-purpose flour, 3 large egg yolks, and 1.5g fine table salt. Cook, whisking constantly to avoid lumps and egg curdling, for 8-10 minutes until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon (a clear line will remain when you run your finger through the custard on the spoon). Remove the pan from heat immediately to avoid overcooking.
Strain and cool the custard
Stir 28g cut unsalted butter and 7.5ml (1.5 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract into the hot custard until fully melted and smooth. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof glass bowl to remove any lumps or curdled bits, then press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a thick skin from forming. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before assembling.
Whip the topping cream
In a cold medium mixing bowl, combine 240ml chilled heavy whipping cream, the remaining 2.5ml (0.5 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract, and 15g powdered sugar. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until soft, billowy peaks form when the mixer is lifted; do not overwhip, as this will create a grainy, separated texture.
Assemble first pudding layers
In a 2-quart (2L) clear glass serving dish, arrange a single even layer of vanilla wafer cookies across the bottom (use approximately 67g / 20 cookies, 1/3 of the total amount), followed by 225g (half) of the sliced bananas spread evenly over the cookies, then half of the cooled custard spread gently over the bananas to cover completely without mixing layers.
Add middle pudding layers
Repeat the layering sequence with another 67g / 20 vanilla wafers (the second 1/3 of the total), the remaining 225g sliced bananas, and the remaining cooled custard, spreading each layer gently to avoid smushing bananas or mixing components. Smooth the top of the final custard layer with a small offset spatula.
Top and chill to set
Spread the freshly whipped cream evenly over the top of the final custard layer, then crumble the remaining 66g / 20 vanilla wafers and sprinkle over the whipped cream for a crunchy garnish. Cover the dish loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the wafers to soften slightly before serving.
Tips
2.Never skip pressing plastic wrap directly onto the warm custard surface as it cools—this prevents a thick, rubbery skin from forming that will create lumps in your finished pudding.
3.Resist serving immediately after assembly: the 2-hour chill time lets vanilla wafers absorb moisture from the custard and bananas for the iconic soft, cake-like texture instead of crunchy, dry cookies.
Game changer! I’ve tried so many banana pudding recipes that come out too runny or way too sweet, but this one is perfect. Made it for my buddy’s backyard cookout in Austin last weekend and people were begging for the recipe. Only tweak I made was adding a tiny sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the final wafer layer, cut the sweetness just right.
Quick question before I make this for my book club potluck tomorrow — can I fully assemble this the night before? I work a full 9-5 and won’t have time to put the whole thing together after work before everyone shows up. Worried the bananas will brown weird or the wafers will turn to total mush if it sits too long.
SO good. I’m a total beginner in the kitchen (read: I burn toast half the time) and this was so easy to pull off for my dorm floor potluck. My friends thought I bought it from the fancy Southern diner downtown. Zero skill required, 10/10 taste. Only thing I messed up was not buying enough bananas, oops, so next time I’m grabbing an extra bunch.
Has anyone tried making this with gluten free vanilla wafers? My youngest has celiac so I have to swap out regular cookies for all our desserts, and I don’t want the texture to be off for our extended family dinner this Sunday.
My kids loved it! I’ve been searching for a banana pudding recipe that isn’t loaded with weird artificial flavoring, and this from-scratch custard is unreal. I let my 7 year old help layer the wafers and bananas and she was so proud to serve it to her grandparents when they came over for dinner. Total hit across every age group, from my picky toddler to my 82 year old dad.
Made this for our office potluck yesterday and I’m still getting Slack messages about it. The recipe says it’s easy and it’s not lying! I was worried the 2+ hour chill time would be a hassle but I just threw it together while I was making breakfast yesterday morning, let it sit in the fridge all day, and it was perfect by the time we ate. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish the recipe noted the yield a little clearer! I ended up with way more than I needed for 10 people, so I had a ton leftover, which isn’t the worst problem to have lol. Still adding this to my permanent rotation.
I’ve been making Southern banana pudding for over 40 years, and let me tell you — this recipe is the real deal. No fancy frills, no weird modern twists, just the classic, creamy, banana-y goodness I remember from my childhood in the South. My only pro tip for new bakers is to make sure you use really ripe, spotty bananas, that’s where all the deep, sweet flavor is!
Obsessed! I meal prepped single servings of this for my husband’s work lunches last week and he said all his coworkers were hovering around his desk asking where he got it. It held up perfectly in the fridge for 4 days, no weird browning or soggy wafers when stored in airtight containers. Will absolutely be making this on repeat all summer for cookouts and quick weeknight treats.
OMG y’all, I just have to say — I was skeptical because I’ve used my mom’s old recipe with instant pudding my whole life, but this homemade custard is next level. It’s so rich and creamy, none of that weird artificial aftertaste you get from the box mix. I added a splash of banana liqueur to the custard for a grown-up version at my girls’ night last weekend, and it was a total hit.