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Hi Bold Bakers!
There’s nothing quite like a good banana pudding recipe. It has everything you could want: creamy vanilla pudding, sweet sliced bananas, and the crunch of vanilla wafers for a surprisingly complex variation of textures for such a simple dessert.
Plus, it looks very pretty when all put together — with as many layers as you’re able to fit!
I’ve had the famous banana pudding from the Magnolia Bakery here in the States, and I know some of you have too. It’s really, really good — but so is mine. After you try my recipe, let me know just how well I did.
What Is Banana Pudding?
Is it pudding that tastes like bananas, has bananas in it, or pudding made from bananas? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Banana Pudding is actually a layered vanilla pudding that has both bananas and lovely Vanilla Wafers for an added texture. There are bakeries here in the U.S. that are positively famous for their banana pudding recipe — like Magnolia’s Banana Pudding. Is mine better? That’s for you to decide!
Also, you might be thinking that it’s a kind of trifle. It isn’t. The ratios are different!
What You Need To Make Banana Pudding
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- A Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan
- Mixing Bowls
- Sieve
How to Make Banana Pudding
Once you make the pudding, it’s really just assembly! Here are the basic steps (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
Making the Vanilla Pudding:
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Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and slowly bring to a simmer.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch until blended well.
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Ladle a cup of the hot milk mixture over the eggs and whisk immediately. While continuing to whisk pour in the rest of the hot milk into the eggs. This method is called tempering, which prevents you from scrambling your eggs.
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Return the custard mixture back into your original saucepan and place over medium/low heat.
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Whisk the custard constantly for roughly 6-8 minutes or until it has thickened.
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TIP: Do not let this mixture boil or it can curdle.
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Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, vanilla paste, and salt. The last step is to pass the custard through a sieve to yield you a silky smooth pudding and remove any lumps (please don’t skip this step).
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Set aside the pudding to cool completely and thicken before using it. It can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge.
- You can also make the vanilla pudding in the microwave: 10-Minute Microwave Banana Pudding .
Putting the Banana Pudding Together:
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Choose your dish or dishes!
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Cover the bottom of a dish with pudding followed by a later of crushed vanilla wafers. Cover with another layer of the whipped cream. Top with a layer of banana slices. Continue those layers as high as you’d like — or your dish will allow!
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Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. I assemble mine on the day of serving.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips for Making Banana Pudding
- Nilla Wafers: These cookies are the quintessential flavor of banana pudding. If you can’t buy them you can easily make your own with my Vanilla Wafers recipe.
- Make the pudding in advance, up to 2 days.
- Passing your pudding through a sieve will remove any lumps.
- At no point should you let your mixture boil during the process!
- If you’re running short on time, check out my quick solution here: 10-Minute Microwave Banana Pudding.
Make More Pudding!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Creamy Banana Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
Vanilla Pudding
- 2 1/2 cups (20floz/565ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (4floz/115ml) cream (any kind)
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks at room temperature
- ¾ cup (6oz/170g) sugar
- 4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons (2oz/57g) butter cubed
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoons salt
Everything else you'll need for assembly:
- 2 cups (16floz/454ml) heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
- 4 medium bananas, sliced
- 1 pack (or 1 recipe) Nilla Wafers*, crushed
Instructions
Making the Vanilla Pudding:
- Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and slowly bring to a simmer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch until blended well.
- Ladle a cup of the hot milk mixture over the eggs and whisk immediately. While continuing to whisk pour in the rest of the hot milk into the eggs. This method is called tempering and it prevents you from scrambling your eggs.
- Return the custard mixture back into your original saucepan and place over medium/low heat.
- Whisk the custard constantly for roughly 6-8 minutes or until it has thickened. Do not let this mixture boil or it can curdle.
- Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, vanilla paste, and salt. The last step is to pass the custard through a sieve to yield you a silky smooth pudding and remove any lumps (please don't skip this step).
- Set aside the pudding to cool completely and thicken before using it. It can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge.
Assembling a Banana Pudding:
- Choose your dish or dishes you will be serving your pudding in.
- Cover the bottom of a dish with pudding followed by a later of crushed vanilla wafers. Cover with another layer of the whipped cream. Top with a layer of banana slices. Continue layering the pudding, wafer cookies, cream, and banana slices until you reach the top, ending with a final layer of banana pudding.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. I assemble mine on the day of serving.
Is the cream necessary to make the vanilla pudding
Oh my goodness, can’t wait to try this… I think when I make mine I will add some walnuts, I love walnuts in desserts… I love the tips and suggestions you make… I, in all my 67 yrs, didn’t know you could freeze egg whites… All those precious egg whites I have thrown out… No more… Thanks you so much and keep up the great videos… 🙂 Debbie Greene
Just finished making my pudding and OMG is it good! Tomorrow I will finish up the assembly Can’t wait to share it with my husband! 😀
As for the lady who said this isn’t banana pudding…. she is incorrect. There are two versions, one with meringue and one with whipped cream. And no matter which one you pick, it is delicious!
Sorry, Gemma. This is not banana pudding. There is no whipped cream in real banana pudding. Check the old recipe from the vanilla wafer box. Real banana pudding has the vanilla wafers, banana, and vanilla custard layers but it is topped with a beautiful meringue that is slightly browned in the oven. Love a lot of your recipes especially your Irish soda bread, but I won’t be trying this recipe. Try the original and you won’t be able to go back to anything else.
Is it okay if i make the vanilla pudding without any cream, just using milk?
Your recipe is really good (I would say better than Magnolia Bakery, as I have tried their version twice) but still can’t beat this one: https://www.pauladeen.com/recipe/not-yo-mamas-banana-pudding/.
I absolutely loved this recipe! The sugar content in the pudding was on point! I hate it when all you can taste in the dessert is sugar! I also love that you do not call for sugar in the whipped cream. It doesn’t need it. The natural sugars from the bananas, and the sugar from the wafers and the pudding all balance out perfectly! Thank you so much Gemma!
I cannot understand why many cooks temper the egg mixture into the hot mixture. I put the eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch, etc. in at the beginning and cook it all together. The end result is the same.
Wow, this is literally the best thing I’ve ever tasted!! Thank you so much for this incredible recipe. I’ll be making this dessert for the rest of my life.
This was amazing and delicious 😋