Creamy, homemade vanilla pudding is layered with fresh banana slices and crispy Nutter Butter cookies for the ultimate comfort food - and a peanut butter lover's dream!
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways
- 🧾 Ingredients
- 📖 Variations
- 🔪 Instructions for Nutter Butter banana pudding
- 🍴 Equipment
- 🥫 How to store Nutter Butter banana pudding
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Things to know
- 👩🍳 FAQs
- 📚 Related recipes
- 🍽️ Repurpose leftovers
- 📞 The last word
- 📖 Recipe
- ✍🏻 A note from Marye...
- Peanut Butter Banana Pudding
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways
- You'll absolutely love the classic combination of banana and peanut butter flavor in this creamy pudding.
- This makes a big batch that can be a multi layered dessert when made in a trifle bowl or just spooned into a 13x9-inch pan for potlucks, parties, and family dinners.
- Folding in the stiffly beaten egg whites makes it light and fluffy - almost like a mousse but you don't have to do it that way. Instructions for using just the egg yolks or the whole eggs included.
My update on Southern banana pudding is irresistible! Take it to a potluck and people will be swooning, my friend. I've seen it happen more than once!
I love that the sweet, creamy custard (made from scratch of course) is lightened up by folding in stiffly beaten egg whites. It makes the pudding light and fluffy like a cloud.
I think it's the perfect balance to the salty, crunchy Nutter Butter cookies.
Plus, this homemade pudding has so much more flavor and melt-in-your-mouth richness than when it's made with instant pudding mix.
It's extra rich and creamy! Next time try it with homemade peanut butter cookies instead! We love it that way, too.
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
- The original banana pudding recipe calls for 'Nilla Wafers. You can use vanilla wafers instead of Nutter Butters if you like.
- Use a smaller dish or bowl and make several layers for a Nutter Butter banana pudding trifle.
- Use any packaged peanut butter sandwich cookie you prefer.
- I've used regular Oreos in this with really good results.
- If you don't wish to use separated eggs you can use the whole eggs instead.
- You "can" use non-dairy milk in this but the result is generally thin and watery.
🔪 Instructions for Nutter Butter banana pudding
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Mix dry ingredients & whisk in evaporated milk. Microwave til thick.
- Carefully beat in egg yolks. Microwave 2 minutes. Stir in butter and vanilla.
- Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites to cooled milk mixture.
- Place a layer of Nutter Butter cookies, then a layer of banana slices in a serving dish. Cover with the warm custard. Break cookies up with a rolling pin. Sprinkle the top of the pudding with crushed cookies if desired. Cover and chill.
🤫 Cook's secrets -
Folding the stiffly beaten egg whites into the custard gives it a light and airy mousse-like quality. If you prefer you can use the egg yolks only (save the whites for something else) or whole eggs in the custard. It will be rich and creamy like regular banana pudding. If you add the whole egg be extra careful about tempering because the egg white will cook if you add the eggs when they are still cold.
🍴 Equipment
- large
mixing bowl , preferably glass and microwave-safe - stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- mixing cups and spoons
🥫 How to store Nutter Butter banana pudding
Cover the banana pudding tightly with plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container and refrigerate for about 3 days. After that, the Nutter Butter cookies get super soggy, and the pudding gets a little watery.
We've never had it last past day one.
This classic dessert does not freeze well at all.
Marye's Tip o' the day
The evaporated milk creates the extra creamy pudding texture but if you would prefer to use milk you can. It will not be as creamy. Evaporated milk is NOT the same as condensed milk!!!!
💭 Things to know
- If using the uncooked egg whites bothers you use pasteurized egg whites.
- I prefer to use bananas that are a solid yellow color with very few brown spots. They are ripe enough to taste good but firm enough to hold up in the pudding for a couple of days. Very ripe bananas will turn watery and disintegrate pretty quickly.
- I like to save a couple of cookies to crumble on the top.
- If you want just the original banana pudding use vanilla wafers instead of the Nutter Butter cookies.
- You can make this in a deep bowl instead of a 13x9-inch pan and use more layers. Depending on the size of the bowl you may need to double the recipe. I like it with just one layer of cookies, then bananas, then custard.
- Mix everything in a heatproof bowl that you can use in the microwave.
- Slice bananas just before putting the pudding together. They will turn brown the longer they are exposed to air.
👩🍳 FAQs
Whisk the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg a little at a time until the egg mixture is nearly as warm as the milk mixture. Now carefully pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture whisking constantly.
If you add the cold or room temperature eggs to the hot milk mixture without tempering the eggs will cook and you'll have pieces of scrambled egg in your custard.
When you peel and slice bananas and they are exposed to air they will brown very quickly. Once you've sliced them get the custard over them as soon as possible. Or, slice them into ¼ cup lemon juice to 1 cup of water before draining and adding to the pudding.
Pour the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl while it is still hot. The lumps of egg will be strained out leaving a smooth, rich pudding.
📚 Related recipes
Southern desserts are iconic.
Our ability to consume the sweetest of sweets is rivaled only by our ability to deep fry nearly anything.
If you love banana pudding you've got to try this banana pudding cheesecake! It's my absolute favorite - at least today.
Here are some more of my favorites when I need something sweet.
🍽️ Repurpose leftovers
If you've still got leftover banana pudding after a couple of days in the fridge it's going to start looking kind of sad. Make some vanilla ice cream with the peanut butter banana pudding added!
Just run a sharp knife through the pudding to break up the cookies and add it during the last few minutes of freezing - when the ice cream is soft but not liquid. Now it is something totally different and it freezes beautifully, too!
📞 The last word
How many ways can you make a banana pudding? Hundreds - and it's almost always good.
The other day we were in the store and saw a display of Oreos and Nutter Butters. My husband says it was his idea and I say it was mine but whichever one thought of it is brilliant. (Me).
Banana pudding with Nutter Butters instead of 'Nilla Wafers.
Yum.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Nutter Butter Banana Pudding Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 24 ounces evaporated milk, 2 cans
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut in chunks
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 4 bananas
- 24 Nutter Butter Cookies, (or so)
Optional Topping ( or use Cool Whip)
- ½ cup whipping cream, (heavy cream)
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Step one
- Separate the eggs and set whites aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks until the are well blended.
- Set aside.
Step two
- Mix together ¾ cup sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a microwave safe large bowl.
- Slowly add the evaporated milk, whisking until well blended and smooth.
- Microwave on high for about nine minutes, whisking every few minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Add a little of the hot mixture to the egg yolks (or whole eggs if using), whisking constantly. (tempering eggs)
- Add the yolks back into the pudding, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from curdling.
- Put back into the microwave and cook for 2 more minutes, whisking a couple of times.
- Remove from heat and add the butter. Whisk until it is mixed well.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Cover with a piece of buttered waxed paper.
- Cool.
Step three (skip this step if using just the yolks or the whole eggs)
- Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Slowly add the ¼ cup sugar while beating and beat until the whites are glossy and thick.
- Add ⅓ of the egg whites into the pudding and fold in gently.
- Add the remaining egg whites and fold in thoroughly until the two mixtures are completely mixed.
Step four
- Starting with the pudding, add a very thin layer to the bottom of the serving dish.
- Top with Nutter Butter cookies.
- Top with sliced banana.
- Add a layer of pudding and repeat the layers, ending with the pudding.
- Cover and chill.
Whipped Cream
- Beat the cream until the mixture starts to thicken.
- Slowly add sugar, beating constantly until soft peaks form.
- Taste and adjust flavor.
To serve
- Cover the pudding with the whipped cream.
- Sprinkle with crumbled cookies.
Notes
- I like to save a couple of cookies to crumble on the top.
- You can make this in a deep bowl instead of a 13x9-inch pan and use more layers. Depending on the size of the bowl you may need to double the recipe.
- The evaporated milk creates the extra creamy pudding texture but if you would prefer to use regular whole milk you can. It will not be as creamy.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published September 9, 2014. Last updated May 22, 2024, for editorial corrections and readability.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
One of my favorite sandwiches when I was little was peanut butter, Marshmallow Fluff, and banana on toast. Even then I liked to have contrast in the food I ate — sweet, salty, crunchy, rich, creamy, sticky... you name it. I took that sandwich for lunch every single day.
I never ever got tired of it.
Back then there wasn't such a thing as unhealthy food. You just ate what your mom gave you and no dessert until you had eaten dinner, including the vegetables and a glass of milk.
No one asked what you wanted to drink — the choice was always milk or water. When you got to be a teenager you could choose sweet tea as well.
No one asked what you wanted to eat, either.
You got a hunk of meat, some corn or potatoes, some cooked vegetables like broccoli, and salad. A plate with several slices of Wonderbread was on the table, along with butter, and hot sauce. At my house, there might be dessert but it wasn't likely because Mom was not an enthusiastic cook.
I can't tell you the first time I had banana pudding because I don't remember. I imagine it was well into my teens since it wasn't something on my mother's normal menu.
I don't know but it became something on my menu for sure.
Keep this recipe handy for your next potluck!
Peanut Butter Banana Pudding
Pin now so you'll have it later!
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Ah says
Amazing!
Marye says
Thank you!!
David says
Marye,
Love your site and recipes. On this bananna pudding recipe, when you hit print it goes to the top of the post, not to the print format.
Marye says
Hi David, I've had one or two other people with that issue and it was usually their firewall or browser. I had a couple of people test and it worked for them. Here's the link to the printable recipe https://www.restlesschipotle.com/wprm_print/38799
Joy Planck says
I get so frustrated at how difficult it is (even in restaurants that tout "home cooking" to find a really homemade banana pudding! We're a homemade puddin' loving family and I look forward to trying this recipe! The toasted marshmallow syrup, I'm thinking, is GENIUS! Can't wait!
Marye says
I know, right? It's crazy how much homemade banana pudding starts with a box of instant pudding! I hope you like it...Let me know!
Kristen says
This is all kinds of brilliant! I love nutter butters!
Renée J. (RJ Flamingo) says
Dude! Seriously?!? This is so over the top deliciousness waiting to happen in my kitchen!