Old Fashioned Banana Pudding
This is the banana pudding everybody's grandmama made — creamy vanilla pudding layered with sliced bananas and vanilla wafers, all topped with golden meringue. It's been the star of church homecomings and Sunday dinners for generations, and one spoonful will tell you exactly why. This dessert is pure comfort in a dish.
Cooking tutorial
Ingredients
- 1 box (11 oz) vanilla wafers
- 5 to 6 ripe but firm bananas, sliced into rounds
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (divided: 2/3 cup for pudding, plus 6 tbsp for meringue)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 large eggs, separated (yolks for pudding, whites for meringue)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan, whisk together 2/3 cup sugar, the flour, and salt until well mixed.
- 2
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and egg yolks until smooth, then gradually stir this mixture into the sugar and flour mixture in the saucepan.
- 3
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil, about 8 to 10 minutes. Once it's thick and coats the back of your spoon, remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
- 4
Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish (or a 2-quart casserole dish) with a layer of vanilla wafers. Top with a layer of sliced bananas, then pour about one-third of the warm pudding over top.
- 5
Repeat the layers two more times — wafers, bananas, pudding — ending with pudding on top. Set aside while you make the meringue.
- 6
In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 6 tablespoons of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- 7
Spread the meringue over the pudding, making sure to seal it all the way to the edges of the dish so it won't shrink. Use the back of a spoon to make pretty peaks and swirls.
- 8
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let it cool on the counter for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Pro Tips
- ★Make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean and dry when making meringue — even a little bit of grease will keep those egg whites from whipping up proper.
- ★Don't slice your bananas too early or they'll turn brown. Wait until you're ready to start layering.
- ★If you're in a hurry, you can skip the meringue and just top with whipped cream or Cool Whip after it chills, but the baked meringue is what makes it old fashioned.