Banana Pudding Recipe from Scratch

This old fashioned banana pudding recipe is homemade from scratch - none of that boxed pudding mix stuff, thank you very much! Lots of bananas, rich and creamy homemade pudding, and a serious amount of 'Nilla Wafers make this a favorite southern dessert for a reason!

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips
• Variation
• Related recipes
• Equipment
• Kaffeeklatch
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

• Sugar
• Flour
• Evaporated milk
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Butter
• Bananas
• 'Nilla wafers
• Bourbon (optional)

Instructions

Banana pudding is really simple to make - there's no need to use a boxed mix! Here's how, step by step -

1. Mix the flour and sugar together.
2. Add the evaporated milk.
3. Stir until well blended and smooth.
4. Microwave on high for 10 minutes or until thickened, stopping to stir every minute.
5. Beat the egg yolks well.
6. Stir a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, blending constantly. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the milk mixture whisking constantly and microwave another 2 minutes or so, stirring every minute. Mixture with be thick.
7. Whisk in the butter.
8. Add the vanilla and bourbon if you're using it. Whisk smooth.
9. Place a layer of 'Nilla Wafers in the bottom of a bowl or 13x9-inch pan. Cover with half the bananas.
10. Cover with half the pudding.
11. Add another layer of 'Nilla Wafers and the remaining bananas.
12. Cover with the remaining pudding and chill.

Tips

An old fashioned secret to really rich puddings is evaporated milk. I have tried half and half, heavy cream, whole milk, and combinations of those ingredients and nothing makes a pudding creamier than evaporated milk. You can substitute 3 cups of milk if you want to - but I am telling you the evaporated milk works best.

• Use evaporated milk - it makes the pudding richer and creamier. You can use whole milk but it won't be as creamy - I don't recommend low fat milk and I've never tried non-dairy milks.
• Cooking the custard in the microwave means that it doesn't scorch. You can cook it on top of the stove if you want but stir it constantly!
• Make this the day before you plan on serving it if you can. The cookies soak up all the flavor and it's just SO good.
• Use ripe bananas but not so ripe they're turning into liquid or mushy.
• You can save the egg whites to make meringue for the top or save them for another use.
• Top with whipped cream if you like.
• Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Variation

Sometimes I whip the egg whites up into a stiff, sweetened meringue and then carefully fold it into the cooled custard right before putting it all together.

You end up with a lighter mouth feel with all the flavor and deliciousness of the pudding. Kinda like a mousse. Try it that way once and if you don't like it just use the meringue as a topping next time instead of folding it in.

Meringue

If you want to use the egg whites for a meringue topping you'll beat them with ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cream of tartar until stiff. Spread them over your chilled pudding and then bake at 325F for 15 minutes, until the meringue starts to get golden brown.

Related recipes

Who doesn't love bananas? Here are some of my favorite ways to use them.

• Southern Banana Cheesecake is a creamy New York cheesecake with big banana pudding flavor.
• Nutter Butter Banana Pudding brings lots of peanut butter flavor to this version.
• Banana Cake with gooey walnut filling is covered in a whipped cream cheese frosting that's light and fluffy. Best banana layer cake recipe ever!

Equipment

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The one thing that you'll need to make this simple, southern dessert is a good whisk like this one.

I've got a touch of arthritis in my hands and holding some whisks is uncomfortable. This whisk has a specially made handle to keep it easy to use and comfortable to hold.

Kaffeeklatch

Banana pudding finds its way to nearly every Texas table around just about any holiday. As long as a glazed ham, some hot out of the oven rolls, and a creamy rich banana pudding are on the table it doesn't much matter what else fills it out.

Don't make this for Christmas dinner. Keep it instead for that night when you a changed a flat in the cold, found out you had the wrong size spare and trudged three miles through sleet to get help. Save it for a night when you want to watch a chick flick and cry. Save it for a night when the family is doing a 120000000 piece puzzle of Einstein's brain or playing Monopoly.

Banana pudding is like your favorite sweats. Comfortable, warm, and cozy -not elegant or spectacular.

📖 Recipe

Originally published on October 14, 2014. This post was last updated on March 19, 2020 to improve images and instructions.