Banana Pudding Recipe

Prepare bananas and wafers

Peel the bananas and slice them into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Set aside. Lightly crush the vanilla wafers in a zip-top bag or with a rolling pin until you have a mix of crumbs and small pieces; place in a bowl.

Make the custard base

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch until evenly combined. Add a pinch of salt. Pour in 3 cups whole milk and whisk until smooth.

Temper the egg yolks

In a small bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks until uniform. Heat the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is warm and small bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking continuously to temper them. Then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan, whisking to combine.

Cook until thickened

Continue to cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula or whisk, until it thickens to a pudding consistency and just begins to bubble (about 3–5 minutes). Remove from heat immediately.

Finish custard

Stir in the unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract until butter melts and the custard is glossy. If any lumps appear, strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to ensure smoothness. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool 10 minutes at room temperature.

Assemble the pudding

In a 9x9-inch baking dish or individual serving glasses, spread a thin layer of custard on the bottom. Arrange a single layer of vanilla wafers over the custard (break wafers to fit). Top the wafers with a layer of banana slices. Spoon about one-third of the custard over the banana layer to cover. Repeat layering: wafers, bananas, custard, finishing with a final custard layer. Reserve a few wafers and banana slices for garnish.

Chill

Cover the assembled pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours, to allow flavors to meld and the wafers to soften.

Make whipped cream

Chill a mixing bowl and beaters briefly in the freezer for 10 minutes if available. Pour 1 cup heavy cream into the chilled bowl, add 2 tbs powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2–3 minutes. Do not overbeat; stop when peaks hold shape but remain creamy.

Top the pudding

Remove the pudding from the refrigerator. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top layer of custard. Sprinkle reserved crushed vanilla wafers and a few banana slices on top as garnish. Return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.

Serve chilled. For best texture, consume within 24–48 hours. Leftovers should be kept covered in the refrigerator; banana slices on top may brown—replace before serving if desired.