Homemade Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding with vanilla wafers layered in mini trifle dish

5 from 11 votes

This delicious, creamy banana pudding is made with from-scratch vanilla pudding, sweet bananas, and vanilla wafers, for the best version of banana pudding--period.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time8 mins

Refrigeration4 hrs 30 mins

Total Time4 hrs 52 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 227kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1-½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 large bananas for slicing
Lemon juice for dipping bananas
24-36 vanilla wafers

Instructions

In a medium saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, vanilla, and egg yolks.
Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently. Cook until bubbly and mixture begins to thicken, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and strain over a fine mesh strainer.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until cool.
Once the pudding is cooled, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold whipped cream into cooled vanilla pudding mixture. Set aside.
Slice the bananas and dip into the lemon juice. This not only helps to prevent browning but also adds a touch of acidity to balance out the sweetness.
In a 2-quart trifle dish, layer in ⅓ of the pudding mixture. Top with half the vanilla wafters, to just cover the pudding. Top with ½ the sliced bananas. Repeat the layers, ending with the final third of the vanilla pudding. Alternatively, layer the ingredients in individual serving dishes.
Chill for at least 4 hours, but overnight is recommended. Serve within 3 days of preparing.

Notes

Feel free to use skim or 2% milk in the vanilla custard, but whole milk will produce the richest creamiest results.

Do not be tempted to skip straining the vanilla pudding mixture, this will keep the final results creamy and smooth.

Nutrition