Go Back
4.77 from 213 votes
All the layers of my Homemade Banana Pudding recipe.
Print Recipe
Creamy Banana Pudding Recipe
Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
 

A dessert with layers upon layers of delicious flavors & textures, my Creamy Banana Pudding recipe has it all: bananas, pudding, and crunchy vanilla wafers.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Author: Gemma Stafford
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:

  1. Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and slowly bring to a simmer.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch until blended well.

  3. 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.

  4. Return the custard mixture back into your original saucepan and place over medium/low heat.

  5. Whisk the custard constantly for roughly 6-8 minutes or until it has thickened. Do not let this mixture boil or it can curdle.

  6. 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).

  7. 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:

  1. Choose your dish or dishes you will be serving your pudding in.

  2. 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.

  3. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. I assemble mine on the day of serving.

Watch the Recipe Video!

Recipe Notes

Nilla Wafers: These cookies are the quintessential flavor of a banana pudding. If you can't buy them you can easily make you own with my recipe: https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/vanilla-wafers-nilla/