Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding From Scratch
Layers of fluffy Nilla wafers and slices of ripe bananas blanketed with a silky homemade vanilla custard. Whipped cream topping optional. Nana approved!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Slice bananas (into ¼-3/8" slices) and set aside.It's best to layer the banana pudding while the custard is hot so slicing the bananas before starting helps the layering process go much more smoothly3 medium ripe bananas
- Add the evaporated milk, egg yolks, flour & sugar to a saucepan. Whisk until there are no more lumps of flour.680 mL evaporated milk, 4 large egg yolks, 35 grams all-purpose flour, 200 grams white, granulated sugar
- Whisk the evaporated milk/egg yolk mixture continuosly over medium to medium-high heat until thickened. Be sure to whisk along the bottom of the pan and to get the corners to avoid scorching or curdling the custard.When the custard is ready it will have a consistency similar to a thinner (or boxed mix) cake batter. Don't worry it thickens as it cools.
- Remove custard from heat and test for doneness. It should coat the back of a spatula and leave a clear trail with the swipe of a finger (as shown here).
- Add the vanilla and dark rum. Give a quick stir to incorporate1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon dark rum
- Start layering the banana pudding by covering the bottom of your chosen dish with Nilla wafer cookies followed by a layer of scattered bananas then pouring a layer of the custard.one 11 oz box vanilla wafers
- Repeat this layering method until all custard is used then finish with a final layer of Nilla wafers.As the custard cools & thickens you may have to use a spatula to spread it in an even layer
- Crush a couple cookies and sprinkle on top to cover gaps left by whole Nilla wafer cookies. If topping with whipped cream you can skip this or do it after adding the whipped cream since this step is purely aesthetic.
- Cover with plastic wrap or lid and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or preferably overnight to allow cookies to soften and for the banana flavor to permeate.
- Enjoy within 4-5 days refrigerating any leftovers in an airtight container.
Optional Whipped Cream Topping
- Add the cold whipped cream and confectioners' sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer affixed with a whisk attachment.235 mL cold heavy whipping cream, 170 grams confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- Whip on high speed until it forms firm peaks.
- Refrigerate the banana pudding for at least an hour before topping with the whipped cream so that it doesn't melt. You may also add the whipped cream right before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use your favorite burner and cookware you're used to. Cookware that doesn't distribute heat the way you're used to or a burner on the stove that gets hotter than usual can throw things off quickly.
- Add whipped cream after the banana pudding has been in the fridge for at least an hour. If you plan to add more cookies on top, the earlier this is done, the better, since those will need time to soften.
- To fill a standard trifle dish, multiply this recipe by 1.5. To avoid manually calculating the amount for each ingredient to scale, click on the question mark (?) button (shown below) next to the word "Ingredients" and change the serving size to "15" (x1.5 of the original serving size). The recipe card should recalculate to give you scaled measurements.