Description
Creamy Southern banana pudding celebrates classic dessert comfort with layers of vanilla wafers, ripe bananas, and silky custard. Sweet nostalgia swirls through each spoonful, inviting memories of grandmother’s kitchen and pure homestyle delight.
Ingredients
Scale
Dairy and Eggs:
- 3 cups milk
- 3 eggs
Dry Ingredients:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Flavoring and Additional Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 box vanilla wafers (about 8 ounces / 226 grams)
- 4 bananas, sliced
Instructions
- In a saucepan, blend sugar, flour, and salt, creating a dry ingredient base for the silky pudding mixture.
- Gradually incorporate milk, whisking until the texture becomes uniformly smooth and free of lumps.
- Heat the mixture over medium flame, stirring continuously to prevent scorching and promote even thickening.
- Once the pudding develops a gentle bubbling consistency, reduce heat and simmer for an additional two minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and prepare the egg component by whisking them in a separate bowl.
- Carefully introduce a small portion of the hot pudding into the eggs, constantly stirring to prevent curdling.
- Gently reintegrate the tempered egg mixture back into the primary pudding, maintaining a consistent stirring motion.
- Return the combined mixture to low heat, allowing it to reach a delicate boiling point while stirring continuously.
- Infuse the pudding with vanilla extract, then remove from heat and let it cool for approximately fifteen minutes.
- Periodically stir the cooling pudding to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
- Select an ungreased 8-inch square pan and create an initial layer of vanilla wafers across the bottom.
- Distribute a generous portion of banana slices atop the wafer foundation.
- Pour half of the prepared pudding mixture over the banana layer, ensuring even coverage.
- Repeat the layering process with remaining wafers, banana slices, and pudding, concluding with a final pudding layer.
- Seal the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours, allowing flavors to meld and texture to set.
- Before serving, crush additional vanilla wafers and sprinkle them as a crisp, decorative topping.
- Serve chilled and savor this nostalgic dessert.
Notes
- Tempering eggs is crucial to prevent scrambling, ensuring a smooth, creamy pudding texture without lumps.
- Use ripe, spotty bananas for maximum sweetness and deeper flavor in the dessert.
- Constant stirring prevents scorching and creates a silky, consistent pudding base.
- Chilling overnight allows flavors to meld and develop a rich, harmonious taste profile.
- Crushing wafers as a topping adds delightful crunch and nostalgic charm to the classic dessert.
- Room temperature ingredients help create a more even and stable pudding mixture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg