Banana Pudding

Classic Southern Banana Pudding

A beloved Southern American dessert layering vanilla custard, fresh bananas, and crisp vanilla wafers, traditionally topped with toasted meringue.

Prep

25 min

Cook

20 min

Total

45 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) vanilla wafers, about 40 cookies, such as Nabisco Nilla Wafers
• •120 g (1 cup) granulated sugar, divided
• •45 g (⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) salt
• •710 ml (3 cups) whole milk, must be whole milk for proper thickening
• •4 whole (4 large) egg yolks, reserve whites for meringue
• •15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter
• •2 tsp vanilla extract, use pure vanilla, not imitation
• •5 whole (5 medium) ripe bananas, just ripe with small brown speckles; slice 5 mm / ¼-inch thick
• •4 whole (4 large) egg whites, at room temperature for best meringue volume

Steps

1. 1 Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Lightly butter a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13-inch) baking dish.
2. 2 In a heavy saucepan, whisk together 100 g (½ cup) of the sugar, the flour, and salt. Gradually whisk in the whole milk until completely smooth.
3. 3 Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cook 2 more minutes, whisking steadily to prevent scorching on the bottom.
4. 4 In a small bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks. Slowly ladle about 250 ml (1 cup) of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly (this tempers the yolks so they don't scramble). Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Do not let it boil.
5. 5 Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter melts. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps.
6. 6 Place a single layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom of the prepared dish. Top with a layer of sliced bananas, then pour over one-third of the warm custard. Repeat wafers, bananas, and custard twice more, ending with custard. Let cool slightly while you make the meringue.
7. 7 For the meringue: place the 4 egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 20 g (1 tbsp) sugar, beating on high, until stiff, glossy peaks form and the sugar is fully dissolved (rub a bit between your fingers to check).
8. 8 Spread the meringue over the warm custard, sealing it all the way to the edges of the dish to prevent a skin from forming on the pudding.
9. 9 Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown on top.
10. 10 Safety note on eggs: this custard is gently cooked to 71°C / 160°F internally to pasteurize the yolks. The residual heat from the warm custard warms the raw banana slices, so the pudding is best served within 2 hours of assembly. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled within 1 hour of baking. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly and consume within 2 days.