Banana Pudding

This old fashioned style Banana Pudding includes homemade custard and a layer of malted milk biscuits for those of us outside American borders who cannot easily access Nilla wafers...do not be fooled, this tastes exactly like what you find at any special occasion in the South!

Table of Contents

• History of Banana Pudding

• Ingredients and substitutions for the best Banana Pudding

• How to make Banana Pudding

• FAQ's for the best Banana Pudding

History of Banana Pudding

Food and Wine describes “Banana Pudding as American as Apple Pie” and yet, this very Southern dish had it's first written mention in 1878 in The New York Times. Though the first recipe was not published until 1888 which, resembled what we know today as Banana Pudding, except sponge cake was used at this time.

The introduction of cookies came in 1921, when Mrs Laura Kerley shared her version of this dessert with her local paper in Illinois. This created an opportunity for the National Biscuit Company and Nilla Wafers were created and marketed as the go-to for using between bananas and custard.

We’re not sure how the original recipe that was from the northern part of America came to be known as a real Southern dish. It may have something to do with the fact this dessert feeds a crowd. No one (trust me, I’ve been a bunch of gatherings around the US) does a get-together over food like those in the South.

If you type in ‘Banana Pudding’ to google, you will inevitably end up with what seems like two choices on how to make this very American dish. Bake and no bake - but for those of us lucky enough to have eaten banana pudding you know the choice is not that easy. Baked means it’s topped with meringue. Unbaked can mean the custard is made from a pudding mix (no judgement, but that’s not like the one I tasted).

Some are topped with soft peaks of whipped cream and others are topped with a crown of Nilla wafers. Almost like the best banana pudding has to be in the South because those wafers aren’t commonly found outside America. So the recipe in this post is closest to an old fashioned version of Banana Pudding.

Ingredients and substitutions for the best Banana Pudding

• Nilla Wafers/Malted milk cookies/sponge fingers: Nilla wafers are thin round vanilla cookies, that don’t exist much outside America. So the best replacement a milk biscuit or malted milk biscuit. Alternatively, sponge fingers also work, though, they’re thicker so it’s best to halve before using in your pudding.
• Banana: Cavendish or Finger bananas work great in your pudding. They need to be just ripe - not green and not too ripe.
• Milk: Whole milk was used to make a beautiful rich homemade custard.
• Egg yolks: Room temperature egg yolks help compliment the milk here to create a full bodied custard and heat evenly without curdling.
• Heavy cream: Was used here, though whipping cream would also work. Whip until you just see soft peaks so this spreads over your pudding smoothly.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Banana Pudding:

Mix: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl.

Whisk: Whisk a small portion of the milk into the flour mix until no lumps remain.

Repeat: Continue with the remaining milk until smooth and all the milk has been added.

1

Double boiler: Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk until thickened.

Yolky: Whisk the egg yolks in a separate heatproof bowl.

Ladle: A small amount of the hot milk into the egg yolks and whisk together.

2

Repeat: Continue whisking the remaining hot milk into the egg yolks until combined.

Double boiler: Place the warm egg yolk mixture over simmering water and whisk until thickened enough to leave a trail.

Flavor enhancer: Remove the custard from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract.

3

Sliced nanas: Slice your bananas.

Layer: Lay the biscuits down in one even layer into your dish or individual serving glasses. Repeat with one even layer of bananas.

4

Custard layer: Spoon the custard over the top of the bananas.

Repeat: Continue layering with more biscuits, bananas and custard.

Chill out: Refrigerate your pudding for 1 hour and then cover and chill up to overnight.

Buttered crumbs: Heat a small saucepan and toss in the crushed biscuits and butter, stirring until golden.

5

Whip it: Whip the cream until soft peaks just form.

Spread: Spoon the cream on your pudding and spread out.

Crumbs: Sprinkle the crumbs over the cream.

Serve: Spoon into serving bowls or dig a spoon into individual servings and enjoy!

FAQ's for the best Banana Pudding

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Banana Pudding

Sylvie Taylor

Southern Banana Pudding with it's layers of wafers or biscuits, sliced bananas and custard and topped with whipped cream is the perfect dish for gatherings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 573 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Banana Pudding

• 150 grams / ¾ cup superfine/caster sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 80 grams / ½ cup plain flour
• 750 milliliters / 3 cups milk
• 54 grams / 3 large egg yolks
• 42 grams / 3 tablespoons butter room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large or 4 medium bananas
• 200 grams / 7 ounces malted milk biscuits / nilla wafers / sponge fingers

Topping

• 25 grams / ¼ cup malted milk biscuits / nilla wafers / sponge fingers finely crushed
• 14 grams / 1 tablespoon butter
• 375 milliliters / 1 ½ cups double cream
• 14 grams / 1 tablespoon superfine/caster sugar

Instructions

 

Custard

• Place the sugar, salt and flour into a heatproof bowl and stir together.
• Whisk in the milk a little at a time until smooth.
• Place the bowl over simmering water in a saucepan, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
• Whisk until the mixture being is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
• Remove from the heat.
• Place the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl and whisk lightly.
• Add in a small ladleful of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
• Add another ladleful of hot milk into the egg yolks and combine.
• Repeat with the remaining milk mixture until the egg yolks and milk are fully combined.
• Return the custard to the double boiler on medium heat and whisk as it thickens and leaves a trail when you are whisking.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Assembly

• Meanwhile, get your biscuits out and slice up your bananas into even ¼ inch slices.
• Lay your biscuits down in a flat glass baking dish or in serving glasses (whichever is your preference).
• Lay the sliced banana down on top in an even layer.
• Spoon over enough custard to cover the tops of the bananas, but leave a little of the biscuit base visible.
• Repeat another layer of the biscuits, bananas and custard, leaving ½ inch from the top of your dish.
• Ensure you keep approximately 2-3 of your biscuits aside, but use all the custard and sliced banana (any extras can be layered in glasses if you are making your pudding in a dish).
• Refrigerate to chill and then cover to chill fully for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Topping

• Place the finely crushed biscuits and butter in a saucepan on medium heat and stir until golden and bubbly, approx 2 minutes.
• Remove and place into a small bowl to cool. Set aside.
• Whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks just form.
• Spoon the cream over your pudding and smooth out.
• Sprinkle over the biscuit crumbs, spoon into serving dishes and enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Nilla Wafers/Malted milk cookies/sponge fingers: Nilla wafers are thin round vanilla cookies, that don’t exist much outside America. So the best replacement a milk biscuit or malted milk biscuit. Alternatively, sponge fingers also work, though, they’re thicker so it’s best to halve before using in your pudding.
• Banana: Cavendish or Finger bananas work great in your pudding. They need to be just ripe - not green and not too ripe.
• Warm custard: To create a similar texture as would be found in the South; it's best to top your biscuits or sponge fingers with warm custard to soften.
• Biscuit crumbs topping: The buttery and crisp biscuit crumb topping is optional for the pudding. Though the flavor adds (in addition to the smell that will waft through your kitchen when you make this) will only make your banana pudding better.
• Best served: The banana pudding is best served within 1 day of making or better yet, served within 2 hours of topping with the whipped cream. This is best kept refrigerated when not serving.

Adapted from the Spruce Eats

Nutrition

Calories: 573kcal

Keyword pudding

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