Is there anything more comforting than banana pudding? This homemade banana pudding takes you back with rich vanilla custard, fresh banana slices, and crunchy vanilla wafers, all layered into individual dessert cups and finished with a big swoop of whipped cream. It’s nostalgic, dreamy, and just plain fun to eat. If you love throwback treats like this, be sure to check out our Root Beer Float recipe too!
Why You’ll Love It
This homemade banana pudding is made completely from scratch, no boxed pudding mix in sight! The stovetop custard is rich, velvety, and full of real vanilla flavor. Each serving is perfectly layered in individual dessert cups, making them just as easy to serve as they are pretty to look at. With fluffy whipped cream, ripe banana slices, and those classic vanilla wafers, it’s a familiar favorite with an elevated twist. Even better, you can assemble everything ahead of time and chill until party time, perfect for entertaining!
How to Make Homemade Banana Pudding
Making homemade banana pudding from scratch is surprisingly simple. Here’s a quick overview:
Cook the pudding: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, and milk in a saucepan. Heat until thickened. Temper the egg yolks with the hot mixture, then return to the pan to finish cooking.
Flavor and chill: Off the heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Let the pudding cool slightly, then refrigerate until cold.
Assemble in layers: Add vanilla wafers to the bottom of each cup, then pudding, banana slices, more cookies, and more pudding. Repeat and finish with whipped cream and crushed cookies.
Tips & Tricks
Tempering the eggs is key when making the custard, just slowly whisk the hot pudding into the yolks to keep things smooth and prevent curdling. For the best flavor and texture, go with ripe but still firm bananas (no mushy ones, please!). And if you’re feeling a little fancy, try adding a splash of banana liqueur or bourbon to the pudding for a grown-up twist.
Make Ahead & Storage
You can prepare the pudding up to a day ahead. Assemble a few hours before serving for the best texture. Store the assembled cups covered in the fridge. Best eaten the same day, after 24 hours the bananas may brown and the cookies will soften fully.
Banana Puding
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large ripe bananas, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 50 vanilla wafer cookies
- Whipped topping, for garnish
- Crushed vanilla wafers and banana slices, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, and kosher salt.
- Gradually whisk in whole milk until the mixture is smooth.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil. This will take about 6 to 8 minutes.
- While the pudding heats, in a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks.
- Once the milk mixture is hot and thickened, slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot pudding into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining pudding and continue to whisk over medium-low heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened and bubbling.
- Remove from heat and stir in unsalted butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Transfer the pudding to a clean bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled (at least 2 hours or up to overnight).
- Once pudding is fully chilled, assemble the banana puddings. In each glass dish, place a layer of vanilla wafer cookies at the bottom.
- Add a spoonful of pudding on top, smoothing it out with a small spatula.
- Layer banana slices over the pudding, followed by more cookies.
- Repeat with another layer of pudding, more banana slices, and cookies until the glass is nearly full, finishing with a final layer of pudding.
- Top with whipped topping, then sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafers and garnish with a banana slice and a whole cookie if desired.
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. Best served the same day for freshest bananas and cookies with a bit of crunch.
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