This delicious old fashioned banana pudding recipe is perfect for any occasion! Made from scratch, it’s wonderfully creamy and so simple to make. Your guests will love it when you serve up this dessert!
This traditional banana pudding is a classic for a reason, it always goes down a storm whenever I serve it!
Wonderfully indulgent and creamy, this dessert is full on flavor but crazy easy to make! It’s perfect to make any time of the year, but I especially love to serve it at Christmas.
Why you’ll love this Banana Pudding:
- Quick: It takes about 30 minutes to make this pudding and it’s a great make head dessert.
- Simple: Made with just a handful of basic ingredients, this banana pudding can be enjoyed on a whim!
- Perfect for a crowd: This dessert will easily serve 12 so it’s great for big family meals. The leftovers are pretty great too!
How to make banana pudding
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Whisk and heat the sugar, cornstarch, milk and salt.
- Add some of the milk mixture to the egg yolks to temper.
- Add the eggs to the rest of the milk mixture.
- Whisk in the vanilla and butter.
- Place a layer of wafers on a baking dish and top with banana slices.
- Pour over half of the pudding mix and top again with a layer of wafers and banana.
- Pour the remaining pudding on top and refrigerate.
Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes, this is a great make ahead dessert. You want to make this at least 4 hours before serving so that the pudding sets. You can easily make it a couple of days before you are planning to serve it so it’s ideal if you are planning to make it as part of a big feast.
How long does it keep?
Keep the pudding covered with plastic wrap in the fridge and it will keep well for up to 4 days. After that time the wafers will start to soften.
Can you freeze Banana Pudding?
It’s best not to freeze this recipe as it will change in texture once defrosted.
Why is my pudding runny?
Your banana pudding may be runny if you didn’t heat it for long enough. Keep the pan on the heat when you add in the egg mixture. If your pudding is still runny when you take it out of the fridge, it may just need some extra chilling time.
Tips!
- If you would like to prepare your banana cream pudding in individual serving dishes instead of an 8 by 8 inch pan feel free to do so. Simply layer on the cookies, bananas, and pudding into the individual dishes just as you would in an 8 by 8 inch pan.
- Don’t use over ripe bananas for this recipe or they will quickly brown. If you are planning on making it a couple of days ahead of time, you can add lemon juice to the banana slices to slow down the browning process.
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Banana Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- ⅓ cup cornstarch 37 grams
- 2½ cups whole milk 568 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 egg yolks 42 grams
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 8 grams
- 3 tablespoons salted butter 42 grams, cold
- 4 drops yellow food coloring optional
- 11 ounces Nilla Wafers 312 grams (1 box)
- 2 large bananas thinly sliced (plus more for garnishing, optional)
- 8 ounces whipped topping 227 grams, such as cool whip
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 8×8-inch Baking Pan
Instructions
- Add the sugar, cornstarch, milk, and salt to a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan) placed over medium heat.½ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup cornstarch, 2½ cups whole milk, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Whisk frequently until the mixture begins to thicken, about 10-15 minutes.
- Place the egg yolks in a separate bowl.3 egg yolks
- Add about ½ cup of the thickened milk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to temper the eggs.
- Add the tempered eggs to the milk mixture and continue to whisk until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. It may look slightly thinner than pudding at this point, but it will thicken further in the refrigerator. (See notes for further explanation).
- Remove from the heat then whisk in the vanilla extract, butter, and food coloring (if using) until the butter has melted.2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons salted butter, 4 drops yellow food coloring
- Arrange an even layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking dish.11 ounces Nilla Wafers
- Top the vanilla wafers with banana slices. Pour half of the pudding over the cookies and banana slices.2 large bananas
- Smooth the pudding in an even layer, then top with more cookies and banana slices.
- Pour the remaining pudding on top in an even layer.
- Let cool for 15 minutes, then cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours.
- Top with whipped topping before serving. Crush any remaining cookies and use to garnish along with additional banana slices.8 ounces whipped topping
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- If you would like to prepare your banana cream pudding in individual serving dishes instead of an 8×8-inch pan feel free to do so. Simply layer on the cookies, bananas, and pudding into the individual dishes just as you would in an 8×8-inch pan.
- Don’t use over-ripe bananas for this recipe or they will quickly brown. If you are planning on making it a couple of days ahead of time, you can add lemon juice to the banana slices to slow down the browning process.
Nutrition Information
