Ingredients
- 5 medium to large bananas
- 1 box (11 ounces) of vanilla cookies, such as Nilla Wafers
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup (150 grams) of sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of cornstarch
- 3 cups (709 milliliters) of whole milk, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams) of salted butter
- Fresh whipped cream, optional for serving
Instructions
Making the vanilla pudding
- Set up your dish: Find a 2-quart dish, ideally at least 2 inches deep. An 8×8-inch square dish works well, but feel free to use a different shape. If your dish is larger, keep a few extra bananas and cookies handy in case you need to fill it up.
- Whisk the egg mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and ½ cup of milk. Don’t worry if it seems a little gritty; it’ll smooth out once it’s cooked.
- Heat the milk: Pour the remaining 2 ½ cups of milk into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it just starts to simmer. Turn off the heat once you see bubbles around the edges.
- Temper the eggs: This step is crucial to avoid scrambled eggs in your pudding! Slowly whisk about ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, then add another ½ cup, whisking constantly. This warms up the eggs gradually so they won’t cook too fast.
- Combine and cook: Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Add the vanilla extract, and set the heat to medium. Whisk constantly for about 3-4 minutes, or until the pudding thickens. You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn with your finger stays visible for a few seconds.
- Add the butter: Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the butter until it’s fully melted and incorporated.
Assembling the layers
- Layer the cookies and bananas: In your prepared dish, start with a layer of vanilla wafers, placing them flat side down. Add a layer of banana slices on top. Repeat this process to create at least two layers, stopping about ½ inch from the top.
- Pour the pudding: Pour the hot pudding over the banana and cookie layers, spreading it out to the edges.
- Let it settle: Gently shake and tilt the dish so the pudding flows down and around the layers. You’ll see air bubbles rising – that’s a good thing! Keep gently shaking for a couple of minutes to make sure the pudding reaches the bottom.
- Chill: Let the pudding cool to room temperature on the counter, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!
- Top it off: Before serving, add a dollop of whipped cream on top, along with extra banana slices and crumbled cookies for a little garnish.
Notes
Banana pudding is best enjoyed fresh, but it’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store it covered to prevent it from absorbing any fridge odors. If you want to keep the bananas from browning, you can add a light layer of whipped cream on top as a seal. Avoid freezing – the texture of the pudding and bananas won’t hold up well once thawed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert