Classic Southern Banana Pudding (Printable Version)

Layered Southern dessert featuring creamy vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, crisp wafers, and whipped cream.

# What You Need:

→ Pudding

01 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
02 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3 cups whole milk
05 - 4 large egg yolks
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Assembly

08 - 1 (12-ounce) box vanilla wafers (about 45–50 cookies)
09 - 4 medium ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

→ Topping

10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How-To Steps:

01 - Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth.
02 - Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and begins to bubble, about 6 to 8 minutes.
03 - Lightly beat egg yolks in a separate bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to temper the yolks, then return to saucepan, whisking constantly.
04 - Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes until thick and smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in butter and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Transfer pudding to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 1 hour until chilled.
06 - In a 2- to 2.5-quart serving dish or trifle bowl, layer one-third of vanilla wafers, banana slices, and pudding. Repeat twice, finishing with pudding on top.
07 - Cover assembled dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.
08 - Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe over pudding layer just before serving.
09 - Optionally garnish with additional vanilla wafers or banana slices. Serve chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like Southern comfort without requiring any advanced technique or special equipment.
  • The three-hour chill time means you can make it in the morning and forget about dessert stress for the rest of the day.
  • Banana pudding somehow feels fancy enough for company but homey enough to eat straight from the bowl on a Tuesday night.
02 -
  • Tempering the egg yolks is non-negotiable if you want creamy pudding instead of scrambled eggs suspended in custard; add the hot pudding slowly and keep whisking.
  • The plastic wrap directly on the pudding surface stops that unpleasant skin from forming, and trust me, there's no recovering from that texture once it sets.
  • Assemble this no more than 8 hours before serving or the wafers will turn into mush; the magic is in the texture contrast, and sogginess ruins that.
03 -
  • Use real vanilla extract instead of imitation; the flavor carries so much better through the pudding, and your guests will taste the difference.
  • If your pudding is lumpy after cooking, push it through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl to get a silky texture that feels restaurant-quality.
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