Description
Layers and layers of homemade vanilla pudding, fresh sliced bananas, pillowy whipped cream and vanilla wafers make this easy banana pudding the ultimate dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 5 or 6 ripe bananas, divided
- 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 32 Nilla wafers, plus more for topping (from one 11-oz box)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in egg and milk, then heat mixture over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat to medium. Cook 1 minute more, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened.
- Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla until pudding is smooth. Use a spatula to transfer pudding to a large bowl; chill in the fridge, uncovered, while you prep the next step.
- Peel 1 banana and chop into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese until mixture is smooth.
- Fold banana and milk-cream cheese mixture into pudding with a spatula until just combined. Return to the fridge and chill for 1 hour, uncovered. The pudding will still be quite loose at this point, but that’s OK!
- Once the pudding is chilled, prep the heavy cream: In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat heavy cream on medium speed to stiff peaks (better to make it too stiff than too loose). Fold two-thirds of whipped cream into chilled pudding; set remaining whipped cream aside.
- Slice remaining 4-5 bananas into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Set aside a large handful of Nilla wafers.
- In the bottom of an 8×8-inch dish, spread one-third of pudding mixture in an even layer. Top with 16 Nilla wafers, evenly spaced apart. Top with half of sliced bananas. Repeat layers again, using half of remaining pudding. Top with remaining pudding and reserved whipped cream.
- Coarse chop reserved handful of Nilla wafers; sprinkle evenly over top of whipped cream in dish. Cover pudding loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.
- Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.
- Swap Nilla wafers for shortbread, butter cookies, maybe even Golden Oreos?
- Don’t be intimidated by the homemade pudding! It is so, so easy to make, and tastes infinitely better than anything from a box.