Old Fashioned Southern Banana Pudding
This classic recipe uses cornstarch for the silkiest, smoothest pudding. It's layered with Nilla wafers and bananas, then topped with a toasted meringue topping.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs separated
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (11 oz) box vanilla wafers (you may not need them all)
- 4 –5 ripe bananas sliced thinly
Instructions
- Place the 1¼ cups sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, and milk in a large saucepan. Whisk to combine.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat until thick, whisking often, about 8–12 minutes. Near the end, the mixture will bubble up a bit. Keep whisking constantly while cooking for 2 more minutes. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Place a layer of vanilla wafers in the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking dish that's at least 2 inches high. Top with a layer of banana slices.
- Pour ⅓ of the pudding mixture over the top and spread (I use a ladle to ladle it over the top).
- Place another layer of banana slices on top, another layer of vanilla wafers, and another ⅓ of the pudding mixture.
- Repeat the layers of banana slices, vanilla wafers, and pudding once more.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Beat the 3 egg whites until stiff with an electric mixer. When you lift up the beater, the mixture should stand straight up and not droop over. If it droops over, keep beating. Beat in the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar.
- Spread the mixture over the top of the final pudding layer, covering the entire surface so it touches the edges all around.
- Bake for 5–8 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
Notes
When separating the eggs, there should be no yolk in the egg whites. Any trace of egg yolks will prevent the egg whites from whipping up nicely.
Be sure to keep whisking the vanilla pudding mixture as it cooks. This will prevent it from sticking to the pan or the eggs from curdling.
The pudding it best served on the day that it's made. You can serve it warm or cold. To serve it cold, let it cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator, uncovered. Serve within 6 hours of making it for best results (otherwise the meringue may start to get watery). If you're serving it warm, keep it mind that the pudding will be a bit runnier.
Nutrition
Calories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 253mgPotassium: 383mgFiber: 2gSugar: 52gVitamin A: 217IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 119mgIron: 0.5mg
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