There’s something undeniably nostalgic about a classic Southern banana pudding. It’s a dessert that feels like home—layers of velvety vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, and crisp vanilla wafers come together in perfect harmony. Whether it's served at a family gathering, a church potluck, or a cozy Sunday dinner, banana pudding has a way of bringing people together. This beloved Southern staple is more than just a dessert—it's a comforting reminder of tradition, love, and the simple pleasures of life.

Often made with boxed vanilla pudding mix, milk, and Cool Whip, I grew up eating this delight as a year-round dessert. It was not uncommon to see this on the dessert table for the 4th of July and at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. That doesn’t come as much of a surprise, considering bananas and vanilla pudding are so easy to come by any time of year.

When I came up with my banana pudding recipe, I had one main goal in mind. I wanted to make it the way my grandma used to make it. That meant I had to pull out a pot and get to cooking. My classic banana pudding recipe is made from scratch with a creamy smooth pastry cream. Roasted or ripened bananas enhance my recipe and take it to a new level.

I often get asked if I can make a banana pudding without bananas. The first time I did this, I used an artificial banana extra to flavor vanilla pudding. While it got the job done, it didn’t feel like my best work. If you’re a banana bread lover, you know that the riper the bananas, the stronger.0. and sweeter the banana flavor. That is why I decided to include overripe bananas in my recipe and came up with the idea to roast bananas in the event I didn’t have overripe bananas on hand. A quick mash of the ripe or roasted bananas allowed me to fold them into the cooled pastry cream. After sending everything through a fine mesh strainer, it turns out to be the most flavorful, decadent pasty cream you’ll ever taste.

While the bananas in the custard should be overripened or roasted, the banana slices in the custard should be perfectly ripe and fresh. I strongly recommend you DO NOT use green bananas. There is not enough sweetness to complement the other ingredients. Instead, go for a perfectly yellow banana with minimal to no brown speckles. The thickness of the slice is completely up to you! A pro tip is to squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on your banana slices to help slow down the oxidation process. It will still oxidize. The lemon juice just slows it down a bit.

This classic banana pudding is a dessert that never fails to delight. With its rich, creamy pudding, perfectly ripened bananas, and vanilla wafers, it’s a harmonious blend of flavors and textures that’s both satisfying and nostalgic. Whether enjoyed at a family get-together or as a simple treat after dinner, it’s the kind of dessert that brings people together. Each bite offers a taste of true Southern comfort, reminding us that some of the best dishes are rooted in tradition and made to be shared. It’s a timeless recipe that’s sure to be a hit every time!

: Tanorria Askew

Classic Banana Pudding

There’s something undeniably nostalgic about a classic Southern banana pudding. It’s a dessert that feels like home—layers of velvety vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, and crisp vanilla wafers come together in perfect harmony. Whether it's served at a family gathering, a church potluck, or a cozy Sunday dinner, banana pudding has a way of bringing people together. This beloved Southern staple is more than just a dessert—it's a comforting reminder of tradition, love, and the simple pleasures of life.

Prep time: 4 H & 30 MCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 5 H & 45 M

Ingredients

For the Custard

2 tbsp butter, cubed
6 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
4 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
2 tbsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
2 overripe or roasted banana
1 cup heavy cream

For the Banana Pudding

4 bananas
1 lemon
1 box vanilla wafer cookies

Instructions

Place egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a medium saucepan. Whisk until all ingredients are fully incorporated, and no dry ingredients are remaining. Add milk and whisk to combine.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly. After about 7 minutes, the mixture will thicken. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to bubble slightly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in cubes of butter.
In a separate bowl, mash bananas. Stir mashed bananas into custard. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the custard. This may need to be done again if any tiny bits remain in the custard. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the custard and press down until it touches it. Refrigerate custard until it is completely cooled.
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, whip cream until it has reached medium-soft peaks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
While the custard is chilling, slice the bananas and squeeze juice from the lemon on top of them to prevent oxidation.
Once the custard is chilled, carefully fold in the whipped cream until it is fully incorporated, and there are no more white streaks.
To assemble the banana pudding, set 10-15 cookies to the side. Start with a layer of wafer cookies in the bottom of a casserole dish or trifle bowl. Top the cookies with a slice of banana. Follow with a moderate layer of custard. Repeat these steps until you’ve reached the top of the dish or run out of ingredients. Crush the remaining cookies and sprinkle them on the top of the completed dish.
Cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 4 hours up to overnight.

Notes

Classic banana pudding can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

The bananas will oxidize over time. Eating after they have turned slightly brown is a personal preference.