Homemade Banana Pudding
This cooked Southern Homemade Banana Pudding is a delicious cooked pudding custard with layers of sliced banana, Nilla wafers and whipped cream! No instant pudding used here!
A MADE-FROM-SCRATCH BANANA PUDDING
Have you ever wanted to try your hand at making a homemade banana pudding? I promise you that it is far easier than you may realize. With a few basic ingredients, you can truly make some of the best banana pudding you’ve ever eaten in your life!
SHOULD YOU USE MERINGUE OR WHIPPED CREAM?
Most of the older recipes for homemade banana pudding will almost always have meringue toppings. That’s because when the cook (that would be your Momma or Grandmomma) would have egg whites leftover from making the pudding part, she wouldn’t want to waste the egg whites. So, she’d take those egg whites and whip up a meringue for the topping. It makes complete sense and it makes good use of all the egg. So having said all that, I still prefer whipped cream. With this recipe, you’ll only be wasting one egg white. If that will help you sleep better at night. Oh, and the custardy-pudding is totally worth the little bit of effort it takes to make. Such a great flavor.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
whole milk
sugar
cornstarch
egg
egg yolk
salted butter
vanilla extract
bananas
vanilla wafers
heavy cream
powdered sugar
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BANANA PUDDING:
In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg, and egg yolk. Once well-combined, place the pan over medium-high heat. Making this custard takes a bit of patience. You are stirring and stirring and then all of a sudden, blamm-o, it starts getting thick on ya. So that’s why you gotta stick with it while you’re making it. Whisk often to prevent lumps from forming. Cook until thick and bubbling. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, vanilla extract and whisk until butter is completely melted.
In an 8-inch baking dish (2 quart) baking dish, place a layer of bananas, then top that with a layer of vanilla wafers.
Pour 1/2 of the custard over the wafers and spread to the edges. Repeat this process once more. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least four hours.
Whip the heavy cream with the vanilla and the powdered sugar until it reaches soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled pudding. Top with crushed vanilla wafer cookies. Keep refrigerated.
And then if you wanna get fancy, add a slice of banana and a Nilla wafer on top.
CRAVING MORE BANANA RECIPES?
Homemade Banana Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk 2% or higher
- ⅔ cups sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 4-5 bananas peeled and sliced
- 50 vanilla wafers (about half a box)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg, and egg yolk.
- Once well-combined, place the pan over medium-heat.
- Whisk often to prevent lumps from forming.
- Making this custard takes a bit of patience. You are stirring and stirring and then all of a sudden it starts getting thick. So that's why you need to whisk constantly.
- Cook until thick and bubbly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and banana extract (or vanilla extract) and whisk until completely melted.
- In an 8-inch (2 quart) baking dish, place a layer of bananas, then top that with a layer of vanilla wafers.
- Pour 1/2 of the custard over the wafers and spread to the edges.
- Repeat this process once more.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least four hours.
- For the whipped topping:
- Whip the heavy cream with the vanilla and the powdered sugar until it reaches soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled pudding. Top with crushed vanilla wafer cookies.
Notes
- Keep refrigerated.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: June 2011
Updated & republished: May 2019
Tanya – I got that fixed. Thank you for mentioning it!
The directions mention adding salt to the custard, but doesn't list it as an ingredient. How much should be used?
My mom used to make "from scratch" banana pudding all the time but I never liked the meringue. I agree that the whipped cream is much better! Have never tried the banana extract. Will have to find that.
we like to make ours with those pecan sandy cookies by keebler too! So yummy! Then add pecans to the whipped topping 🙂
Hi Lisa! Thanks for visiting! I buy my extract from Wal-Mart or Kroger. You can find banana extract where all the other extracts are located (usually down the baking aisle near the spices).
This looks divine! Where do you buy your extract? I am visiting from tidy mom!
I love banana pudding with whipped cream. I'm from Georgia so I'll declare that it is southern! I'd like to invite you to share your recipe on A Well-Seasoned Life's Sweet Indulgences Sunday.
http://www.wellseasonedlife.com/2011/06/sweet-indulgences-sunday-9.html
Good ole Nanner Puddin! I'd love for you to share the recipe on my summer dessert linky at Cajun Sugar Pie!
looks great, love banana pudding but I am partial to the meringue lol
We recently went to a cookout and my husband got all excited because someone said they were bringing "homemade banana pudding." By homemade, she meant she assembled the boxed pudding and cool whip monstrosity at home. He will LOVE this!
I like this recipe…I dont like I LOVE IT! I never knew that traditional southern banana pudding has a meringue topping…thanks for the info!
Awesome photos!!!
Mmm, banana pudding is so delicious. That looks like one yummy bite.
Southern or not it looks fantastic, I would love to have a big bowl of it for myself.
Wonder if I could get away with eating this a a main meal?
🙂 Mandy
Oh my how I wish I could dig into this right now! Yum!
It wasn't until about 2 years ago that I even heard of Banana Pudding. One of my best friends is from Georgia, and she introduced me to it. Yours looks wonderful!
oh boy! this could be dangerous!!! fabulous recipe! I agree to use whipped cream instead…and lots of it!
Look amazing, I love bananas desserts! gloria
Looks amazing! I love that it's totally from scratch. I'm going to be trying this one.
This southern girl prefers my banana pudding just like this recipe. I do not like it the "other" way. Great pictures.
I made Banana Pudding using Moon Pie cut into pieces instead of Vanilla Wafers, it was wonderful.
Love your version of the banana pudding, and using real whipped cream!
It's a keeper:DDD
Stopped by your blog via foodbuzz, and buzzed you!
Pretend Chef – perfect idea to use up that egg white.
Annie, let me know what he thinks!!
My dad makes a shortcut version of this with banana pudding and cool whip. Its THE ONLY dessert I have ever seen my Dad make.
I am going to have to make yours for him sometime and see if it wins him over.
We prefer the whipped topping too. I save my egg whites for omelets the next morning. I haven't made 'nana puddin' in a long time. I need to make this soon. Yummy!