Description
This banana pudding is one of my favorite recipes. Homemade vanilla pudding and fluffy whipped cream makes it totally dreamy and the BEST dessert for picnics/potlucks.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the vanilla pudding
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 TB pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
For the whipped cream
- 2 cups heavy cream, very cold
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
To assemble & serve
- 2 – 11oz boxes of mini vanilla wafers
- 2 large bananas
Instructions
- Make the pudding. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, whole eggs, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Whisk vigorously until thick and pale and set aside. In a large saucepan or saucier, heat the milk until scalded, or 150F/65C. Slowly stream the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly, until all the milk has been incorporated.
- Add the tempered mixture back into the saucepan and place back onto medium heat. Whisk constantly until very thick and and pudding-like. It will take a while, close to 6-7 minutes. Be patient and just keep whisking. When it approaches the right temperature for setting, it will seem as though it’s starting to curdle. It is NOT. Continue to whisk vigorously until the whole pot has thickened and the whisk leaves noticeable trails that stay behind.
- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and butter. Whisk until the butter is melted and the everything is incorporated. Spread the hot pudding over a large plate or platter and cover the surface with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming as it cools. Allow to chill completely in the fridge, about an hour.
- Make the whipped cream. Once the pudding has chilled, add the 2 cups heavy cream to a cold metal stand mixer bowl and use the whisk attachment to whip on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue whipping on high speed until VERY firm peaks have formed. Rap the whip attachment on the side of the bowl to clean it out, and set the whipped cream aside.
- Remove the cold pudding from the fridge if you haven’t already, and use a rubber spatula to scrape it into a large mixing bowl. Beat it with the spatula until it’s smooth and creamy. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding in 2 additions, making sure the first addition is completely blended before starting the second. Keep the finished pudding mixture in the fridge until needed.
- Assemble. Separate out 1 cup of mini vanilla wafers and add to a plastic Ziploc bag or food processor. Pulse in a food processor until you’ve reached sandy crumbs, or use a rolling pin to crush them in the plastic bag. Set the crushed cookies aside. Slice 2 large bananas into 1/4 inch slices and set aside.
- In a deep 9 x 13 baking dish, (mine has 3 1/4 inch sides and this came up with about 1/2 inch to spare.) Add 1/4 of the pudding mixture and spread it to evenly cover the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of vanilla wafers and sprinkle with some of the crushed wafers. Add another 1/4 of the pudding mixture and then the sliced bananas, sprinkled with more crushed wafers. Add another 1/4 of the pudding mixture before another layer of wafers and crumbs. Finally, Add the last 1/4 of pudding mixture and arrange the last layer of wafers on top. Garnish as desired with sliced banana, the remaining crushed wafers, or more whipped cream.
- Allow to chill for at least 12 hours in the fridge to allow the vanilla wafers to soften and for the flavors to meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 371
- Sugar: 31.2 g
- Sodium: 455.6 mg
- Fat: 18.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.6 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 5.5 g
- Cholesterol: 109.9 mg