Southern-Style Homemade Banana Pudding

Homemade Banana Pudding is a rich, creamy, delicious Southern tradition that features delicious layers of rich, custard, homemade vanilla pudding, crisp vanilla wafers, and slices of ripe bananas. Homemade Banana Pudding is the perfect menu item for potlucks, picnics, and any family gathering or anytime for that fact; it’s just that darn good.

Can you remember being a child, eating this amazing dessert that mama or Granny would make to take along to every church function, potluck, picnic, or family reunion? I don’t know about Y’all; I don’t remember there ever being a box of instant pudding involved. We have been so busy with the kids, work, and running around we had forgotten how easy and delicious it is to have a tasty old-fashioned dessert made from scratch.

Banana Pudding is usually associated with the Southern states for some reason, yet it is made throughout the United States for several years. One of the earliest recipes noted of Banana Pudding was in “The Kentucky Receipt Book,” by Mary Harris Frazer in 1903.  Her method does not include vanilla wafers…

Recipe by Mary Harris Frazer in 1903, “Take 1/2 dozen bananas, peel and cut in pieces, an inch thick, put in baking dish and pour over custard made in the following way: custard one pint of milk, three eggs, beat the yolks light, add milk, also two tablespoons of granulated sugar. Have the milk boiling, add the eggs and let it cook until it thickens; when cool, pour over the bananas. Make a meringue with whites of the eggs and granulated sugar, put on top of the custard, set in the oven a few minutes to brown. Serve at once.”-Mary Harris Frazer, 1903.

Did Y’all notice her recipe for Banana Pudding does not include any flour or cornstarch? I almost want to try it out to see if it all works out in the end, or this is a misprint. What do you think? Let me know in the comments f you have made yours without flour or cornstarch. I love to hear my reader’s point of view or ideas.

So my next question for Y’all, do you like your Banana Pudding with a Homemade meringue or homemade Whipped Cream? I am the oddball of the group probably, I don’t want anything on mine and will scrape it off if it is added. However, you can feel free to add either-or, and it still is considered traditional here in the south, feel free to add what you enjoy!

Ingredients needed for Homemade Banana Pudding

• 2/3 cup of sugar

• Four tablespoons of cornstarch

• 1/4 of a teaspoon of tables salt

• Four cups of whole milk

• Four large egg yolks, slightly beaten

• Three tablespoons unsalted butter

• Three teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

• One package of vanilla wafers

• Four ripe bananas

Southern-Style Homemade Banana Pudding

hmccallum

Homemade Banana Pudding is a rich creamy delicious Southern tradition that features delicious layers of rich, custard, homemade vanilla pudding, crisp vanilla wafers, and slices of ripe bananas.

4.88 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Chill 1 hr

Total Time 35 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 8 People

Calories 276 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ⅔ cup Sugar
• 4 tablespoons Cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon Table salt
• 4 cups Whole milk
• 4 large Egg yolks slightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons Unsalted butter
• 3 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
• 1 package Vanilla wafers
• 4-5 Ripe bananas Sliced

Instructions

 

• In 3-quart saucepan, mix granulated sugar, cornstarch, and table salt. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir about 1-minute.
• Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir about 1 minute; remove from the heat. Stir in unsalted butter and the pure vanilla.
• Pour the pudding into a large heatproof bowl. Cover the vanilla pudding and refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled. Store covered in the refrigerator till needed.

To assemble dessert

• Spread a thin layer of some vanilla pudding in a large casserole dish or if desired in separate dessert glasses.
• Arrange a layer of vanilla wafers on top of the homemade vanilla pudding.
• Thinly slice the bananas into rounds, about 1/8 inch thick, and arrange a layer of banana slices over the wafers.
• Spread one-third of the remaining pudding over the bananas and continue layering the vanilla wafers, ripe bananas, and homemade vanilla pudding,
• If desired top with homemade meringue or homemade whipped cream.
• Refrigerate until ready for use or serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 01Calories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 58mgPotassium: 377mgFiber: 2gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 490IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 149mg

Keyword Banana, Banana Pudding, Pudding, Vanilla Wafers

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