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The Ultimate Old-Fashioned Southern Banana Pudding

Layers of creamy vanilla custard, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers make up this delicious banana pudding.
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Make the best homemade banana pudding from scratch. This recipe delivers creamy, traditional Southern comfort in every layer, using real cooked pudding instead of instant mixes.

Ingredients

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  • 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 about 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 box (11 ounces) vanilla wafers (Nilla Wafers)

Instructions

  1. Make the Pudding: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth.
  2. Cook the Pudding: Place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens significantly and comes to a boil. Boil for one minute, still stirring. Remove from heat.
  3. Temper the Eggs: In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly drizzle about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.
  4. Finish the Pudding: Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot pudding. Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until the pudding thickens again. Do not boil.
  5. Stir in Flavor: Remove the pudding from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
  6. Cool Slightly: Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
  7. Assemble the Pudding: Select a large glass bowl or individual serving cups for layering. Arrange a single layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom. Top the wafers with a layer of sliced bananas. Spoon about one-third of the pudding evenly over the bananas.
  8. Repeat Layers: Repeat the layering process two more times: wafers, bananas, and pudding. Finish with a final layer of wafers on top.
  9. Chill: Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap (do not let it touch the top layer if possible) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Chilling allows the wafers to soften into a cake-like texture.
  10. Serve: Serve your creamy banana dessert cold.

Notes

  • For a quicker, semi-homemade version similar to Magnolia Bakery style, substitute the scratch pudding with two boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix, prepared according to package directions but using only 3 cups of milk total, and adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  • Use firm, ripe bananas; overly soft bananas will break down too much during chilling.
  • If you prefer a meringue topping, skip the final wafer layer and top the pudding with baked meringue before chilling.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://mdlatdmm.com/banana-pudding-best-homemade-southern-recipe/