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Classic Southern Style Banana Pudding

A tall, layered slice of spectacular Banana Pudding featuring vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, custard, and toasted meringue.
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This recipe provides instructions for a creamy, layered Southern style banana pudding using homemade vanilla custard and a meringue topping.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large ripe bananas, sliced
  • 1 box (11 ounces) vanilla wafers
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Make the custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  2. Temper the egg yolks: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks while whisking constantly. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
  3. Cook the custard: Return the saucepan to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens again and just begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract until combined. Cover the surface of the custard directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
  4. Assemble the pudding: In a 2-quart baking dish, arrange a layer of vanilla wafers. Top with a layer of sliced bananas. Spread about one-third of the cooled custard over the bananas. Repeat the layers twice more: wafers, bananas, custard. Finish with a final layer of wafers.
  5. Bake the meringue: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  6. Top and bake: Spread the meringue evenly over the top layer of wafers, making sure to seal the meringue to the edges of the dish. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly golden brown.
  7. Cool: Let the banana pudding cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. Chilling for several hours improves the texture.

Notes

  • Use firm, slightly under-ripe bananas; very soft bananas will become mushy during chilling.
  • For a quicker version, substitute the homemade custard with 2 boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix prepared according to package directions, omitting the egg yolks and butter.
  • If you prefer a browned topping without baking, you can use a kitchen torch on the meringue.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tasteportfolio.com/banana-pudding-classic-southern-style-recipe/