Description
Creamy Southern banana pudding delights taste buds with layers of velvety custard, ripe bananas, and crisp vanilla wafers. Comfort meets elegance in this classic dessert that brings sweet memories to life for anyone craving a delicious slice of home.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 5 medium to large bananas
- 1 box (11 ounces / 312 grams) of vanilla cookies, such as Nilla Wafers
Pudding Base Ingredients:
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) of sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of cornstarch
- 3 cups (709 milliliters / 24 fluid ounces) of whole milk, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Finishing Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams / 2 ounces) of salted butter
- Fresh whipped cream, optional for serving
Instructions
- Select a spacious rectangular or square baking vessel approximately 2 inches deep, ensuring adequate room for layering components.
- Create a silky custard base by thoroughly blending egg yolks, cornstarch, granulated sweetener, and a portion of milk until uniformly combined.
- Gently heat remaining milk in a saucepan over medium temperature, watching for subtle bubbling around edges, then immediately remove from heat source.
- Execute careful egg tempering technique by gradually introducing hot milk into egg mixture, whisking continuously to prevent potential protein curdling.
- Return tempered liquid to saucepan, incorporating vanilla extract, and maintain medium heat while stirring persistently for 3-4 minutes until mixture reaches thick, glossy consistency that coats utensil smoothly.
- Eliminate saucepan from thermal source and integrate softened butter, stirring until completely dissolved and creating luxurious, velvety texture.
- Allow custard to cool slightly, preventing potential separation, while preparing additional recipe components for subsequent layering.
- Strategically arrange vanilla wafers and sliced banana segments to create alternating delectable strata within prepared baking dish.
- Carefully pour warm custard over arranged layers, ensuring even distribution and complete coverage of ingredients.
- Refrigerate assembled dessert for minimum 2-3 hours, permitting thorough chilling and allowing flavors to harmonize and pudding to set completely.
Notes
- Achieve silky smoothness by whisking constantly during cooking to prevent lumps and ensure a velvety texture.
- Opt for ripe, soft bananas with brown speckles for maximum sweetness and easier mashing, enhancing the pudding’s overall flavor profile.
- Create a gluten-free version by using gluten-free vanilla wafers or graham crackers instead of traditional cookies.
- Cool the pudding at room temperature before refrigerating to prevent condensation and maintain a creamy consistency.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg