Banana Pudding Layered Dessert (Print Version)

Southern dessert with vanilla pudding, ripe bananas, wafers, and a light whipped cream topping.

# What You Need:

→ Pudding

01 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
02 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3 cups whole milk
05 - 4 large egg yolks
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Assembly

08 - 1 box vanilla wafers (about 45–50 cookies)
09 - 4 medium ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

→ Topping

10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
02 - Gradually whisk in the whole milk to the dry ingredients until smooth.
03 - Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and just begins to bubble, about 6 to 8 minutes.
04 - Lightly beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot pudding mixture into the yolks, then return this to the saucepan, stirring constantly.
05 - Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in unsalted butter and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
06 - Transfer pudding to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
07 - In a 2- to 2.5-quart serving dish, arrange one-third of vanilla wafers, followed by one-third of banana slices, then one-third of pudding. Repeat the layers twice, ending with pudding on top.
08 - Cover and refrigerate the layered dessert for at least 2 hours to meld flavors.
09 - Just before serving, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
10 - Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the pudding and optionally garnish with extra wafers or banana slices. Serve chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pudding is silky and rich but not heavy, made from scratch so you taste every note of vanilla without any artificial aftertaste.
  • It comes together in under an hour of active time, then becomes even better as it sits in the fridge, absorbing all those wonderful flavors.
  • There's something magical about how the crispy wafers gradually soften while staying textured, creating a dessert with actual complexity.
02 -
  • The tempering step with the egg yolks isn't just fussy tradition—it's the difference between silky pudding and scrambled custard, so don't rush it or skip the gradual whisking.
  • Use room-temperature or slightly warm bananas if you can, because cold bananas are harder to slice and lose some of their natural sweetness.
  • Those last 2 hours of chilling aren't optional; they transform crispy wafers into something with the texture of soft cake, which is the whole point.
03 -
  • If you don't have a whisk, a fork works almost as well for the initial sugar and cornstarch mixture, though a whisk really does make the constant stirring less of an arm workout.
  • The secret to wafers that aren't rock-hard or completely soggy is serving the pudding within 24 hours of assembly; after that, things start to collapse into each other.
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