Easy Banana Pudding
Homemade vanilla custard layered with fresh bananas and vanilla wafers, chilled until set.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- The custard is made from scratch on the stovetop in about ten minutes, and it tastes nothing like the boxed version.
- It has to be made ahead, which makes it one of the few desserts that is genuinely easier for a crowd.
- The wafers soften into a cake-like layer as it chills, which is the whole point of the dish.
Recipe
Easy Banana Pudding
Creamy vanilla pudding layered with bananas and wafers.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
For the custard
To layer
Instructions
- Step 1. Whisk the milk, sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks together in a saucepan until completely smooth, with no lumps of cornstarch at the bottom.
- Step 2. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and reaching into the corners of the pan, until the mixture thickens and comes to a bubble.
- Step 3. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 4. Spread a thin layer of pudding in the base of the dish, then add a layer of vanilla wafers and a layer of banana slices.
- Step 5. Spoon over more warm pudding, spreading it to the edges so the bananas are covered.
- Step 6. Repeat the layers, finishing with pudding on top.
- Step 7. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Step 8. Top with whipped cream and extra wafers just before serving.
Notes
- Whisk constantly and get into the corners of the pan. Custard catches and scrambles at the edges first, and once it does the flecks cannot be whisked out.
- Layer while the pudding is still warm. Warm pudding flows into the gaps and coats the banana slices, which slows the browning.
- Cover the bananas completely. Any slice exposed to air will darken within an hour or two.
- Four hours is a minimum. Overnight is better — the wafers need time to soften all the way through.
Easy Banana Pudding — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/easy-banana-pudding/
Ingredient Notes
- Egg yolks
- The yolks are what make this a custard rather than a cornstarch pudding. Whisk them in cold with everything else rather than adding them to hot milk, which avoids any tempering step.
- Cornstarch
- Does most of the thickening. It has to reach a full bubble to activate properly — pulled off early, the pudding will not set in the fridge.
- Bananas
- Ripe but still firm, with no large brown patches. Very ripe bananas turn to mush in the layers and darken faster.
- Vanilla wafers
- They are meant to soften. A wafer that stays crisp means it was not covered by enough pudding.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Trifle dish or 2 litre / 2 quart serving dish
- Plastic wrap
Substitutions
- Vanilla wafers
- Shortbread fingers, digestive biscuits or ladyfingers all work. Anything plain and slightly sweet that will soften.
- Whole milk
- Semi-skimmed works with a slightly looser set. Plant milks vary — oat milk sets best of them.
- Whipped cream
- Optional. Meringue browned briefly under a grill is the traditional southern topping if you want to use up the spare egg whites.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The bananas darken over time even under pudding, so it looks best on the first day.
Freezing: Not recommended. The custard separates on thawing and the bananas break down completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my pudding runny?
It did not reach a full bubble on the stove. Cornstarch needs to actually boil to thicken properly, and a custard that only got hot will stay loose no matter how long it chills.
How do I stop the bananas going brown?
Cover every slice with warm pudding as you layer. A light toss in lemon juice helps too, though it adds a faint tartness some people notice.
Why did my custard turn out lumpy?
Either the cornstarch was not fully dissolved at the start, or the heat was too high and the egg scrambled. Whisking everything cold before it goes on the heat prevents the first, and constant whisking prevents the second. A sieve rescues it if it happens.
Can I use instant pudding mix instead?
You can, and it is faster. The homemade custard is the reason this recipe tastes different from the potluck version, so it is worth the ten minutes if you have them.
Can I make it the day before?
Yes, and it is better for it. Add the whipped cream and any decorative wafers just before serving so they stay distinct.
What do I do with the leftover egg whites?
They keep in the fridge for up to four days or freeze well. Meringue, an egg white omelette, or a batch of macaroons all use them up.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
