Betty Bessinger's Banana Pudding Recipe

Warm milk and mix dry

In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups whole milk and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Warm over medium heat until just steaming but not boiling (small bubbles around edge), stirring occasionally.

Temper egg yolks

In a medium bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth and slightly paler. Slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot milk into the yolks in a slow steady stream to temper (about 30–45 seconds), whisking constantly so yolks don't scramble.

Finish custard

Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula (about 3–5 minutes). Do not boil.

Add butter and vanilla

Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until butter melts and custard is glossy. Taste and adjust sugar if needed (add up to 1 tablespoon more sugar if bananas are tart).

Cool slightly

Pour custard into a clean bowl. To prevent a skin forming, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour until set but still spoonable.

While custard chills, make whipped cream. In a chilled bowl, pour 1 cup chilled heavy cream, add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip with an electric mixer on medium-high until soft-medium peaks form (do not overbeat). Cover and refrigerate until assembly.

Prepare bananas and wafers

Slice 4 ripe bananas into 1/4-inch rounds. Have 40 vanilla wafers ready. If you prefer softer wafers, you can steam them briefly or layer them to absorb moisture from the custard.

Layer pudding

In a 9x13-inch baking dish (or individual serving dishes), spread a thin layer (about 1 cup) of chilled custard over the bottom. Arrange a single layer of vanilla wafers (about 12–14) over the custard. Top wafers with one-third of the banana slices, then spread about 1 1/2 cups custard over bananas. Repeat: another wafer layer, bananas, then custard until you have three layers, finishing with custard on top. Reserve a little custard if you like for tighter topping.

Top with whipped cream

Spread the prepared whipped cream over the final custard layer in an even layer. For a lighter finish, gently fold one-quarter of the whipped cream into any leftover custard before spreading.

Chill to meld

Cover the assembled pudding and refrigerate at least 2 hours (preferably 4–6 hours or overnight) to allow flavors to meld and wafers to soften slightly.

Garnish and serve

Just before serving, sprinkle reserved crumbled vanilla wafers over the top and optionally arrange a few fresh banana slices as garnish. Scoop into bowls and serve chilled.