Name: Southern Banana Pudding
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 Banana, ripe but firm, sliced; 180 g Vanilla Wafers, for layering; 2 cup Milk, for custard; 2 Egg, yolks preferred for custard if separating; ½ cup Sugar, for custard; 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour, to thicken custard; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, for custard aroma; 1 pinch Salt, to balance sweetness; ¾ cup Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped for topping

2 hr 30 mintotal

30 min hands-on2 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 10 min

Serves: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: None

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Ingredients

3Bananaripe but firm, sliced
180 gVanilla Wafersfor layering
2 cupMilkfor custard
2Eggyolks preferred for custard if separating
½ cupSugarfor custard
2 tbspAll-Purpose Flourto thicken custard
1 tspVanilla Extractfor custard aroma
1 pinchSaltto balance sweetness
¾ cupHeavy Whipping Creamwhipped for topping

Quantities are for 6 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes 2 hours of chilling time so the custard sets and the vanilla wafers soften slightly.

Method

Whisk sugar, flour, salt, eggs, and a little milk in a saucepan until smooth.
Whisk in the remaining milk and cook over medium-low heat until the custard thickens.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Layer vanilla wafers, banana slices, and warm custard in a serving dish.
Cool slightly, then cover and chill until the pudding sets.
Top with whipped cream before serving.

How to tell it's done

The custard should be smooth and set, the wafers softly cake-like, and the bananas fresh-tasting.

Getting it right

Tip

Use ripe but firm bananas so the layers stay neat after chilling.

What to serve it with

Serve chilled in small bowls with extra crushed vanilla wafers on top.

Common mistakes

The custard is lumpy or tastes of raw flour.: Whisk the flour with the sugar and a little cold milk before any heat, and keep whisking as it thickens. Flour added to warm milk seizes into lumps immediately.
The bananas turn brown and slimy.: Layer them straight after slicing and cover them fully with warm custard. Air is what browns them, and a banana left exposed on the top layer will darken within the hour.

Substitutions

Vanilla Wafers — Plain cookies can be used if vanilla wafers are unavailable, but the flavor will be less classic.
Heavy Whipping Cream — Fresh Cream can be used for a softer topping, but it may not whip as firmly.

Storing and reheating

Keeps two days in the fridge and the wafers soften into cake, which is how many prefer it. Beyond that the bananas darken through the whole dish. Do not freeze — the custard splits.

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