Banana Pudding Recipe

Prep

Measure ingredients. Separate 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk it with the cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth; set aside as a slurry. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 2 1/2 cups milk and granulated sugar.

Temper and thicken

Heat the milk and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is warm and small bubbles form at the edges (do not boil). In a separate bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks. Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the warm milk into the yolks, whisking constantly to temper. Return the tempered yolks to the saucepan, then immediately whisk in the cornstarch-milk slurry. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency and coats the back of the spatula (about 3–5 minutes).

Finish pudding

Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt until the butter is fully incorporated and the pudding is glossy. For an extra-smooth texture, pass the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

Cool

Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until nicely cooled and slightly set.

Prepare bananas and cookies

While the pudding chills, peel and slice the bananas into 1/4-inch rounds. If using whole vanilla wafers, leave them whole for layering or roughly crush them into 1/2" pieces if you prefer a spread-out texture.

Layer

In a 9x9-inch baking dish or individual dessert bowls, spread a thin layer (about 1/4 cup) of the chilled pudding on the bottom. Arrange a single layer of banana slices over the pudding, then add a layer of vanilla wafers (about 3/4 cup). Spoon another 1/2 to 3/4 cup pudding over the cookies to cover them, smooth gently, then repeat with another banana layer and remaining cookies, ending with a final 3/4 cup of pudding on top. Aim for 2–3 layers depending on dish depth. Reserve a handful of wafers/cookies for garnish.

Top with whipped cream

Fold the sweetened whipped cream gently into the remaining pudding if you want a lighter mousse-like top, or simply spread the whipped cream on top of the final pudding layer for a classic finish. Smooth evenly.

Chill to set

Cover the assembled dish with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (preferably 4 hours or overnight) to allow flavors to meld and the wafers to soften to the right texture.

Just before serving, sprinkle the top with toasted banana chips or crushed wafers and scatter the reserved fresh banana slices. Serve chilled. Leftovers: keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; bananas will brown over time.