Banana pudding 😌🍌—comfort dessert royalty.
Here’s a classic, crowd-pleasing version, plus a couple easy upgrades.
Classic Banana Pudding (Southern-style)
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla wafers
- 4–5 ripe bananas, sliced
- Pudding layer
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 cups milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- Topping
- 1½ cups heavy cream (or 1 tub whipped topping)
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Make the pudding
- Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, and egg yolks in a saucepan
- Cook over medium, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbly
- Remove from heat, stir in butter + vanilla
- Layer
- Vanilla wafers → bananas → warm pudding
- Repeat layers, finishing with pudding
- Chill
- Cover (plastic wrap touching pudding)
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight = best)
- Top & serve
- Whip cream with powdered sugar + vanilla
- Spread on top before serving
Pro Tips 🍌
- Use very ripe bananas (spotted, sweet)
- Warm pudding helps soften the wafers perfectly
- Don’t slice bananas too early—prevents browning
- A squeeze of lemon in banana slices slows oxidation
Easy Upgrades
- 🔥 Caramel drizzle between layers
- 🍫 Chocolate wafers instead of vanilla
- 🥃 Splash of bourbon or rum in pudding
- 🧂 Pinch of flaky salt on top
- 🍪 Swap wafers for butter cookies or graham crackers
Want a no-bake shortcut, Magnolia Bakery–style, banana pudding cheesecake, or single-serve jars?
