Banana Pudding Recipe

Warm the milk

Pour 3 cups of whole milk into a medium saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. Warm over medium heat until steam rises and small bubbles form around the edge, stirring occasionally, about 4–6 minutes. Do not boil.

Temper the yolks

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (use the 3 tbs sugar listed in Custard) with the 3 large egg yolks until smooth and slightly pale. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper, adding it gradually so the yolks do not scramble.

Cook the custard

Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking constantly. Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula, about 3–5 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until smooth.

Finish and cool

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 1 hour until fully chilled and set.

Prepare bananas and cookies

Peel and slice 4 ripe bananas into 1/4-inch thick rounds. If using whole vanilla wafers, crush 3 cups lightly in a bag with a rolling pin or pulse in a food processor to large crumbs (reserve about 1/4 cup for topping).

Make whipped cream

In a chilled mixing bowl, combine 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip with a hand mixer or whisk until soft peaks form. This will be used as a light topping and to lighten layers if desired.

Layer the pudding

Choose a 9x9-inch dish or individual serving glasses. Spoon a thin layer of chilled custard across the bottom (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup). Add a single layer of vanilla wafer crumbs to cover the custard, then top with a layer of banana slices. Repeat: custard (about 1/2–3/4 cup), cookie crumbs, bananas, finishing with a generous final layer of custard to level the top.

Top with whipped cream and chill

Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the final custard layer. Sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup crushed wafers and optionally a few banana slices on top. Refrigerate the assembled pudding at least 2 hours (preferably 4 hours or overnight) to allow cookies to soften and flavors to meld.

Before serving, give the dish a final sprinkle of crushed wafers and add optional fresh banana slices. Serve chilled. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; note bananas may darken with time.