Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding

Step away from the packaged stuff; it's time to whip up an old-fashioned banana pudding from scratch.

At backyard barbecues or polished dinner parties, there's never a bad time to bring out this comforting Southern treat. Smooth, creamy, and oh-so-decadent, there are few better ways to finish any meal.

"Some like it warm. Others prefer it as I do: nice and cold," says cookbook author and recipe developer Rebecca Lang. "The hardest part is waiting for it to fully chill."

The special ingredient that helps homemade banana pudding stand out from store-bought varieties? Old-fashioned meringue. This extra step elevates the simple dessert to Grandmother's sideboard status. Bring this recipe to one family gathering, and we think you'll agree.

What Are the Components of Real Banana Pudding?

This recipe consists of multiple delicious layers of vanilla wafer cookies, slices of fresh banana, and smooth vanilla custard, all topped with freshly whipped meringue.

What Are the Ingredients to Make Banana Pudding?

Making a banana pudding combines many ingredients you likely already have at home. Some common ingredients used in this recipe are granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract. You will need to have more unique ingredients on hand: vanilla wafers and bananas.

Make sure the bananas are ripe before starting this project. Look for bananas with a prominent yellow color with small brown spots and try to stay away from the yellow-green bananas.

How Do You Make Banana Pudding?

This recipe involves a classic method of toasting the meringue at the end of assembling the banana pudding, so be sure to preset your oven to 375 degrees F to begin.

1. Start the Pudding

Take four eggs and separate the whites and yolks. Reserve the whites for the meringue later but keep the yolks close to create the pudding. Whisk the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt together until well blended. Add the milk, four egg yolks, and sugar mixture in a medium-sized saucepan until well combined.

Cook this mixture over medium heat, stirring for up to 8 minutes or until thickened.

Once the mixture has become thick, remove it from heat, and stir in the unsalted butter and vanilla extract.

2. Build the Pudding

For assembly, layer the vanilla wafers at the base of an 8" x 8" baking dish.

Add a layer of sliced bananas (cut about ½" thickness) on top of the vanilla wafers, followed by half of the pudding mixture.

Repeat this process with the remaining vanilla wafers, slices of banana, and pudding.

3. Make the meringue

Take the egg whites and whip with an electric mixer until foamy, then gradually add the second portion of the sugar until the sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form.

Using a low-medium speed, whisking could take up to 5 minutes. But be patient. That pillowy topper is worth it!

4. Finish the pudding and bake

Spread the meringue completely on top of the pudding.

Place the banana pudding in the oven until the meringue topping is golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Allow this to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Do I Need to Bake the Banana Pudding?

Since the pudding has already been cooked on the stove, the banana pudding doesn't need to be baked. However, this recipe follows a tradition of classic banana pudding recipes—baking the assembled banana pudding to toast the meringue topping.

If you are one for tradition, follow this recipe as is, and you will savor every delicious bite. If you are strapped for time, consider other options such as a low broil in the oven or, if you own one, a quick pass on top with a pastry torch. Leaving the top untoasted is also a delicious option.

What Is the Best Way to Serve Banana Pudding?

This dessert is up to personal preference and can be served warm or cool. Keep in mind that the pudding with thicken as it cools, so serving it warm will result in a softer dessert, and serving it chilled will result in a thicker consistency.

Either way, this dish is served best in bowls or dessert dishes to help keep the dessert neat and presentable.

Helpful Tips and Insights

The addition of salt in this recipe helps balance the sweetness of the overall dish, though some reviewers mentioned that they would have preferred less salt. If you feel this dish might have too much salt for your preference, consider reducing the salt to ½ teaspoon. Also, make sure you are using unsalted butter for the recipe, so there isn't any additional salt than what is listed for the recipe.

When using milk in dessert recipes, a higher percentage of fat helps with the rich flavor in the pudding. If possible, use whole milk for this recipe for the best results.

Editorial contributions by Nik Pugmire.