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Homemade Banana Pudding

by Katerina

5 from 4 votes

Sep 08, 2020, Updated Aug 10, 2023

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This Homemade Banana Pudding is a creamy dessert layered with sweet banana slices and crisp vanilla wafers. It’s easy to make with just a handful of ingredients!

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An Easy Banana Pudding Recipe Made from Scratch

There’s something so satisfying about cool and creamy pudding. And it tastes even better when it’s homemade! This vanilla pudding is quick and easy to make, and it complements the wafers and banana slices perfectly.

Banana pudding is classic Southern comfort food – it’s sweet, decadent, full of flavor, and creamy texture. It’s a great dessert for celebrations or everyday enjoyment. If you like bananas, you have to try this easy, no-bake treat! If you are looking for something a little more decadent, try my Banana Pudding Cupcakes!

Recipe Ingredients

• Sugar
• All Purpose Flour
• Salt
• Milk: Use 2% or higher.
• Eggs
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Vanilla Wafers
• Bananas: Slice your bananas into 1/4 inch pieces.

How to Make Banana Pudding from Scratch

1. Combine Milk & Dry Ingredients: In a large nonstick pan or saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; whisk in the milk and set over medium heat.
2. Cook: Cook and stir with a whisk until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.
3. Reduce Heat: Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Whisk Eggs: Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl; add a little amount of the hot milk mixture into the eggs and whisk.
5. Add to Milk Mixture: Whisk the entire egg mixture into the milk mixture.
6. Return to Heat: Set the saucepan back on the stovetop over medium heat; bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 more minutes.
7. Add Vanilla & Let Cool: Whisk in the vanilla and remove from heat; set aside to cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Assemble Dessert: Layer vanilla wafers in an 8-inch baking dish or brownie pan. Layer half of the sliced bananas over the wafers. Pour half of the pudding over the bananas. Repeat layers, finishing with the remaining pudding.
9. Chill: Add plastic wrap over the top and press it gently onto the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight, before serving.

Tips for the Best Banana Pudding

• Don’t Cook the Eggs: Before you add your whisked eggs to the milk mixture, be sure to pour (and whisk) a bit of the hot mixture into the eggs first. This will prevent the eggs from cooking when you add them to the milk mixture.
• Keep Stirring: This pudding recipe is easy, but it’s very hands-on. It won’t work properly if you don’t stir or whisk when necessary.
• Chill Overnight: Your pudding needs to set in the fridge for about 6 hours. I recommend refrigerating it overnight, because the flavor will become even more intense and banana-y!
• Use Ripe Bananas: Try to use ripe but not overripe bananas for this pudding. You want your banana slices to be soft but not mushy.

How to Keep Your Banana from Browning

• Avoiding overripe bananas is the easiest way to keep them from browning in the pudding. But if it’s something you’re worried about, there are more measures you can take to prevent browning: just toss your banana slices in some lemon juice before you add them to the baking dish.

How to Store Leftover Pudding

• Store leftover banana pudding in a covered container in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for 2-3 days. Keep in mind that the longer your pudding sits in the refrigerator, the more likely your bananas are to brown. The wafers will also become softer with time.

How To Freeze Banana Pudding

• This dessert can be made 1 to 2 days in advance if it stays covered in the refrigerator.
• If you want to make the pudding ahead of time and freeze it for later use, store it in a resealable bag for up to 3 months. Just make sure you let the pudding cool completely before freezing it.
• Let the pudding thaw in the fridge overnight before assembling the banana pudding.

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5 from 4 votes

Homemade Banana Pudding

by Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes

This Homemade Banana Pudding is a creamy dessert layered with sweet banana slices and crisp vanilla wafers. It's easy to make with just a handful of ingredients!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 cups milk,, 2% or up
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 8 ounces vanilla wafers,, divided
• ▢ 4 large bananas,, cut into 1/4 inch slices

FOR THE MERINGUE TOPPING (OPTIONAL)

• ▢ 4 egg whites
• ▢ pinch of salt
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar

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Instructions 

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt; whisk in the milk and set the saucepan over medium heat.
• Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
• Reduce heat to low and continue to stir and cook for 2 more minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
• Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl; add a little amount of the hot milk mixture into the eggs and whisk.
• Whisk the entire egg mixture into the milk mixture.
• Set the saucepan back on the stovetop over medium heat; bring to a boil and cook and stir with the whisk for 2 more minutes.
• Whisk in the vanilla and remove from heat; set aside to cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Arrange two layers of vanilla wafers in an 8-inch or 9-inch baking dish or brownie pan.
• Layer half of the sliced bananas over the wafers.
• Pour half of the pudding over the bananas.
• Repeat layers with cookies, banana slices, and finish with the remaining pudding.
• Add plastic wrap over the top and press gently onto the surface of the pudding.

  SKIP THIS PART IF ADDING THE MERINGUE.
• Refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight.
• Serve and enjoy!

FOR THE MERINGUE TOPPING (OPTIONAL)

• Preheat oven to 425˚F.
• In your mixer's bowl, beat the 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff.
• Gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until the whites will not slide out of the mixing bowl.
• Spread meringue topping over the banana pudding.
• Bake for 5 minutes, or until meringue begins to brown on top.

Equipment

• Stove

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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