Desserts | eggs | Recipes
ByJamie Sanders
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Have you ever made Banana Pudding from scratch? It is absolutely amazing and so much better than using a pudding from a box! The combination of homemade vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, and meringue makes for an amazing dessert!
My Granny had the Best Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe ever and I am so excited to share it with you today!
Banana Pudding from Scratch
When I was growing up, our Granny lived eight hours away, which was just far enough that we usually only got to see her 1 or 2 times a year. Of course, she’s gone now, but whenever we reminiscence about her, one subject always comes up: Granny’s homemade banana pudding from scratch! Our entire family loved her pudding so much. She made a triple batch every time she visited.
The biggest thing we laugh about now is, you better have made sure you got a bowl as soon as she made it because it was always gone by the next day. (Yes, a triple batch for 6 people! Nobody would ever confess to eating all the pudding!)
Granny’s Secret Banana Pudding Recipe Addition
It’s not the actual pudding recipe that’s special. (Granny used a standard from-scratch vanilla pudding recipe.)
She had a secret addition that made the banana pudding extra light and fluffy and oh so good. This recipe has been around for a while. (She got it from her mother, and my Granny was born in 1916.)
Her secret addition was to fold the meringue into the pudding and add it to the top!
Ingredients in Homemade Banana Pudding
(Ingredients at a glance, you will find the full recipe with ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Sugar | granulated white sugar.
- Cornstarch | make sure your cornstarch is fresh!
- Milk | I typically use whole milk or 2%.
- 4 Egg yolks, beaten | large, save the whites for the meringue.
- Butter |
- Vanilla |
- Vanilla wafers |
- 2 to 3 bananas | You want your bananas to be ripe, but not overly ripe.
How to make Banana Pudding from Scratch
To Make the Pudding:
- In a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly
- Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- Gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks.
- Return all of the egg mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cook and stir for 2 to 3 more minutes. (This last bit of cooking is very important for the pudding to set.)
- Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla.
- Transfer pudding to a large bowl and cover the top of the pudding with plastic wrap. (The plastic wrap should sit right on top of the pudding to prevent skin from forming on the pudding.)
- Place pudding in the fridge for about an hour to cool.
To Make the Meringue:
- While the pudding is cooling, place the egg whites into a large, tall bowl and set your mixer to medium-high speed, begin beating the egg whites.
- Once the egg whites are forming soft peaks, add the sugar, 1 tbs at a time, and beat for another minute.
- Slowly add the vanilla and continue beating until you have stiff peaks. The meringue is done when it is not runny and when you can hold a spoonful of it upside down and none of it drops off. (Another sign is when you swirl a spoon through it and the swirls hold their shape.)
To Assemble the Pudding:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Gently fold half the meringue into the pudding, until it is thoroughly combined. This is how it looks as you are folding it in.
- In your serving bowl, add a layer of vanilla wafers to the bottom and one layer around the side (standing up.)
- Add a layer of sliced thinly sliced bananas.
- Add half the pudding mixture to the serving dish.
- Add another layer of vanilla wafers and bananas. (I always like to put the wafers around the sides of the bowl too. )
- Add the rest of the pudding and more vanilla wafers around the side (push them down into the pudding.)
- Top the pudding with the rest of the meringue and lightly brown the meringue in a 375-degree oven.
- Cool and serve. Store any leftovers in the fridge. (Pudding is even better the next day…)
Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe Tips
- This recipe is easily doubled or tripled (I didn’t double it today, since I did not want that much pudding sitting around, calling my name.)
- Use aheavy bottomed saucepanto help prevent the pudding from burning on the bottom.
- It’s important to constantly stir the pudding when cooking. This will also help prevent the bottom from browning and will ensure a smooth pudding.
- Once your pudding has come to a boil, it is important to reduce the heat and continue cooking and stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes. This extra time at high temperature is when the cornstarch starts to thicken. (Don’t cook much longer than a few minutes though, because prolonged cookingcauses the starches thickening ability to weaken.)
FAQ’s
Do I Have To Mix Meringue Into The Pudding?
No, you do not. The pudding will still be great without it.
Do I Have To Bake The Meringue?
No, instead of baking the pudding, you could use a culinary torch to brown the meringue topping.
Do I Have To Add Meringue To The Top Of The Pudding?
No, you can leave the meringue out completely and just add whipped topping and maybe bananas and crumbled vanilla wafers on top if you prefer.
How Long Does Homemade Banana Pudding Last In The Fridge?
Stored in an air-tight container, once assembled, this from scratch banana pudding will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Keep in mind, the bananas will begin to brown a bit, the cookies will soften and the pudding will loosen up as the pudding ages.
Can You Freeze Banana Pudding?
Yes, you can freeze banana pudding with one caveat. I do not recommend freezing and thawing banana pudding, the texture just will not be the same. What I do recommend is freezing your leftovers as banana pudding pops. Banana pudding is amazing as a popsicle!
Can Homemade Banana Pudding Be Made Ahead Of Time?
I do not recommend fully assembling your Banana Pudding more than 24 hours before serving. The cookies will soften and bananas will begin to turn brown. However, the pudding itself can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.
So technically, you could prepare your pudding the day before and then whip the meringue and assemble the layers a few hours ahead of time. (Remember, you are baking the pudding with meringue on top for a few minutes and the pudding will need a few hours to chill.
Enjoy!
Have you tried this Banana Pudding Recipe?
Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image onInstagramorFacebook, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmomrecipes!
Granny’s Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Jamie Sanders
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes, plus time to chill
- Category: desserts
Description
Homemade Banana Pudding from scratch is absolutely amazing and so much better than using a pudding from a box! The combination of homemade vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, and meringue makes for an amazing dessert.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
Pudding
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbs cornstarch
- 3 cups of milk
- 4 beaten eggs yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 tsp of good quality vanilla
- box of vanilla wafers and 2 to 3 bananas
Meringue:
- 4 egg whites (bring your egg whites to almost room temp – cold eggs will not whip well)
- 4 tbs sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
To Make the Pudding:
- In a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly
- Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- Gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks.
- Return all of the egg mixtures to the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat, cook, and stir for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla.
- Transfer pudding to a large bowl and cover the top of the pudding with plastic wrap. (the plastic wrap should sit right on top of the pudding to prevent skin from forming on the pudding.)
- Place pudding in the fridge for about an hour to cool.
To Make the Meringue:
- While the pudding is cooling, place the egg whites into a large, tall bowl and set your mixer to medium-high speed, begin beating the egg whites.
- Once the egg whites are forming soft peaks, add the sugar, 1 tbs at a time, and beat for another minute.
- Slowly add the vanilla and continue beating until you have stiff peaks. The meringue is done when it is not runny and when you can hold a spoonful of it upside down and none of it drops off. (Another sign is when you swirl a spoon through it and the swirls hold their shape.)
To Assemble the Pudding:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Gently fold half the meringue into the pudding, until it is thoroughly combined.
- In your serving bowl, add a layer of vanilla wafers to the bottom and one layer around the side (standing up.)
- Add a layer of sliced thinly sliced bananas.
- Add half the pudding mixture to the serving dish.
- Add another layer of vanilla wafers and bananas. (I always like to put the wafers around the sides of the bowl too. )
- Add the rest of the pudding and more vanilla wafers around the side (push them down into the pudding.)
- Top the pudding with the rest of the meringue and lightly brown the meringue in a 375-degree oven.
- Cool and serve. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Do you have any old family recipes to share? I would love to see them! Feel free to leave a link in the comments.
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