Our Banana Cream Pudding Is a Dreamy Dessert That Feeds a Crowd

With layers of homemade banana pudding, sliced bananas, vanilla wafers, and whipped cream, it’s a total winner.

Prep Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
7 hrs
Servings:
12
Banana pudding is one of the best desserts for feeding a crowd, and a favorite at all kinds of parties and potlucks. This dessert is also a winner for the cook, since it needs to be made ahead in order to chill thoroughly. You can make it the day before, then turn your attention to other prep.

Many banana pudding recipes start with vanilla pudding mix, but ours is from scratch. We infuse the easy homemade vanilla pudding with banana to amp up its flavor. Some recipes call for Cool Whip, others opt for a soft meringue, ours includes a layer of whipped cream and more whipped cream on top. It’s assembled in a dish that shows off its delectable layers. Don’t forget to crumble some Nilla wafers on top for a final flourish.

banana cream pudding

How to Serve Banana Pudding
We like to serve our banana cream pudding in a glass trifle bowl with a stem or a large glass bowl, so everyone can see the layers in this luscious dessert.

You can layer the dessert into individual dishes such as glass dessert bowls or cups but we prefer to make the dessert in one big bowl for a grand finale to the meal. Making individual portions is more time-consuming and lacks the wow factor.

Ingredients
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
8 large egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
5 cups milk
6 large ripe bananas, peeled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
65 wafer-style vanilla cookies, such as Nilla Wafers (from one 11-ounce box), plus more for crushing on top
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Directions

Slice and chop bananas:
Chop one banana and thinly slice the remaining 5 bananas; set aside. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.

banana cream pudding step 1

Whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 1/4 cups sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt.

step 2 banana cream pudding

Add milk and chopped banana:
Whisk milk into egg mixture until combined; stir in chopped banana.

step 3 banana cream pudding

Cook mixture, stirring, until thickened:
Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and is bubbling, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking, for 1 minute.

step 4 banana cream pudding

Sieve mixture; add butter and vanilla:
Remove pan from heat and pour mixture through prepared sieve into bowl; use a spatula to push any extra liquid through sieve (discard solids). Stir butter and vanilla into pudding until combined. Cover pudding with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming; refrigerate until cooled completely, about 2 hours.

step 5 banana cream pudding

Whip heavy cream with sugar:
In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream with remaining 1/4 cup sugar until firm peaks form.

Banana cream pudding mixing

Assemble pudding:
Whisk the pudding until smooth. Spoon about a cup of the pudding into the bottom of a large glass bowl. Layer about 1/2 of the cookies over the pudding, slightly overlapping them, followed by about half of the sliced bananas.

banana cream pudding assembly

Continue layering pudding with whipped cream, cookies, and sliced bananas:
Top with about 2 cups of the pudding and half of the whipped cream. Repeat layering with the remaining cookies, sliced bananas, pudding, and cream.

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banana cream pudding

Refrigerate pudding:
Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or, covered, up to overnight. Garnish with crushed cookies and serve cold.

banana cream pudding

Storing
If you have leftover banana pudding, either cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate, or transfer a smaller amount to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days. The cookies will get softer as they sit in the pudding.

Freezing
Banana pudding does not freeze well.

Frequently Asked Questions
Do bananas need to be ripe for banana pudding?

Yes, bananas should be ripe for banana pudding. Ripe bananas are sweeter and you want that for the dessert. Underripe bananas will taste hard and bitter and will not be good in banana pudding.

Where does banana pudding come from?

Banana pudding is known as a favorite southern dessert but the earliest recipes came from Massachusetts and Illinois. The dessert became better known in the 1940s after it was promoted by the National Biscuit Company because it used their vanilla wafers (later known as Nilla Wafers.)

Can I substitute other cookies for the vanilla wafers in banana pudding?

Banana pudding is best made with vanilla wafers. In a pinch, you can substitute butter cookies or graham crackers.

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