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This recipe will please both types of banana pudding lovers! You can have it hot and fresh right from the oven or let it cool for a nice chilly dessert! (Please tell me you’re going with the second option so that we can still be friends) 🙂 haha
We went to a cookout yesterday and what was for dessert? Homemade Banana Pudding!
My brother’s girlfriend’s brother graduates from high school this year and his dad made a huge (amazing) homemade banana pudding for the BBQ! It was so good…it was also quickly devoured by almost everyone at the party.
Of course I always talk food when I’m out and about, so William and I spent a little time talking about banana pudding today and comparing notes haha.
I may be 100% in love with this Homemade Southern Banana Pudding here that I’m sharing on the blog today but that doesn’t mean I don’t want tips and ideas from other people! If someone is willing to share a recipe with me I’m all ears!
Down here, not only are there two types of people that love homemade banana pudding there are also two versions of banana pudding that you’ll find oat potlucks and on church luncheon tables!
You’ll find a baked one like this one and you’ll also find the “totally cold, semi-homemade” version!
I love BOTH!
The other version is the kind that my mom use to make when we were growing up! That type of banana pudding was made up of vanilla wafers, boxed banana pudding (or vanilla pudding), sliced bananas and cool whip!
Believe me when I say that both versions are absolutely delicious!
Since this week’s blog theme is all about “Southern Desserts”, I felt it was best to bring the true “Homemade Southern Banana Pudding” to you and perhaps sometime in the future I’ll put up a post about the other version!
I can totally see my grandmothers or great grandmothers pulling this Homemade Southern Banana Pudding out of the oven! It screams home to me!
Who’s ready to dig in?
How do you like your banana pudding? Hot or Cold?
Homemade Southern Banana Pudding
Homemade Southern Banana Pudding
Serve is hot or cold, this Homemade Southern Banana Pudding is going to be loved by all! Roasting the banana gives it a richer banana flavor too!
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch, ( I use ARGO Cornstarch)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus a pinch of salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- About 50 vanilla wafer cookies
- 5 medium bananas, (peel them after you roast them before you slice them)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Once cool, slice the bananas.
- Bump oven temperature up to 425F.
- In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cornstarch and salt. Mix together.
- Take 3 of the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Set the white aside.
- Add the remaining whole egg to the egg yolks. Add the egg yolks to the sugar mixture and mix well.
- Stir in 1/2 cup milk.
- Heat 2½ cups of milk in a medium sauce pan, when the milk is warm whisk in the sugar and egg mixture.
- Cook on medium heat, uncovered until thick. This should take about 10 minutes. Mine normally doesn't thicken up until it reaches 9 minutes and 30 seconds. haha.
- Remove from heat and add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
- Add half of the vanilla wafers to the bottom of a 8x8 pan.
- Cover the wafers with half of the banana slices.
- Cover the banana slices with half of the pudding mixture.
- Add another layer of vanilla wafers followed by a layer of banana slices and then finish off with a layer of pudding.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Mix on medium-high for about 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
- Add in 1/4 cup sugar and mix on high until super stiff peaks form and the meringue does not fall out of the bowl when it is turned upside down.
- Spread the meringue over the top of the pudding.
- Place into a preheated oven and cook at 425F for about 6 minutes or until the meringue has browned to your liking!
- Serve hot or cold.
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I have been wanting to make this and your recipe looks like the perfect one!
I have to admit that I’m not a pudding person, but I have a feeling my 11-year old would dig into this with abandon!
i could easily eat the entire pan
I like my banana pudding ice cold. And yes, I’m ready to dig in!
I also prefer COLD banana pudding. But who am I kidding – I’ll take it any way! LOL Looks awesome!
HOT banana pudding??? whaaaa??? I have never heard of such a thing! But, hot or cold, I know this: that is some FANTASTIC looking pudding!
Mmmmm…there’s nothing like a homemade banana pudding!
My Mom used to make it just like this and it was always a hit with my entire family! It was so delicious and I never tried making it until now. My friend wanted banana pudding and they were going to make an instant version of it pouring banana flavored pudding over the layers of wafers and bananas. When I made this they were amazed and had never had it this way before! Now they want it this way every time! Thank you for sharing this because I had almost forgotten how to make it! Simply delicious!
This looks amazing! I’ve only had cold banana pudding – but now you have my curious to try a warm version!
I seriously love banana pudding. I think I’ve only had the cold version. I need to try this one!
My boys love banana pudding! I love the pretty meringue on top you made!
You have no idea how badly I want a big ol’ slice of this! I didn’t even know there was such a thing as hot banana pudding… pretty sure I need to try that. I do love it cold, though. YUM. YUM. YUM. 😉
I haven’t made banana pudding in years! I’m adding it to my to do list!
I had no idea you could eat banana pudding hot…haha. Also this is not how my family serves banana pudding so I’m psyched to try a new way of eating it!
I grew up only eating it cold but I knew it could be served warm! I am a cold girl thought!
I’ve never heard of eating banana pudding hot! I always had the kind your mom makes…yum yum! This version looks great though too. I’ll have to give it a try!
This banana pudding looks legit! YUM!
I LOVE IT HOT AND I ALSO LOVE IT COLD. PUDDING IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TREATS.
This is the real deal alright and pretty much the same way I make it. I’ll take mine warm, please!
Banana pudding? How have I never heard of this before? I NEED to try some STAT!
I have never tried banana pudding, I guess I would have to give it the old taste test a roo, to see if I like It! 🙂
Yum! Banana pudding is my favorite, but I’ve never made it myself. I will have to try this recipe.
I love banana pudding cold. And my husband would LOVE this recipe!
My husband and kids would love this recipe! Looks delicious!!
Now you’re speaking my language! I’m a southern girl, and I grew up on banana pudding!
Yum, I need to make this! Your topping is cooked to perfection!
This was always my dad’s favorite kind of banana pudding. I love the cold kind!
Mmmm, banana pudding sounds so good. I don’t think I have ever had it but I definitely want to make it now!
Hubby make a great one, I will have to show him yours.
Oh my this looks amazing. My kids adore banana pudding but I haven’t made it in a while. I definitely need to make it now!
I’ve never heard of banana pudding being served hot. I might just have to try it out!
My dad LOVES banana pudding! He would love this recipe!
I need this right now! Yum! It’s been one heck of a day, and something sweet would be a great way to unwind.
This looks so yummy! I Love banana pudding. Thank you for sharing.
Yum! That looks so delicious! I love banana pudding!
I’m more of cold banana pudding person. I haven’t see with a delicious crust though, looks amazing
I haven’t ever heard of this before. It looks and sounds just delicious though! Yum
That looks delicious! Reminds me of something my Grandma used to make… and I never got the recipe so will for sure try yours!
This looks amazing! I grew up in the south so I can appreciate a good banana pudding! YUM!
I used to eat banana pudding my mom made and it was so good. This is a great recipe for picnics or BBQ’s.
I’m not sure I have ever had banana pudding. I am sure I would love it though.
This looks so good! Banana pudding is my husband’s favorite dessert.
Now, I’m all about a good banana pudding. This looks amazing. I’m going to have to see if I can make it look as good as you.
This sounds so delicious. I have never had banana pudding before, but you make it sound delicious!
I actually prefer the banana pudding with the cool whip. I’ve only tried it with merengue once. This looks beautiful!
This looks delicious! Banana Pudding is one of my absolute favorite dessert.
Recipe looks great, please excuse my ignorance with this question. When you say wafers do you mean actual biscuit wafers? Or thin wafers you have with ice cream? Thank you
Hey Erica! They are Vanilla Wafers like the Vanilla Wafers cookies or “nilla wafers” as nabisco calls them. Like these = https://www.google.com/search?q=Vanilla+Wafers&hl=en&biw=1152&bih=745&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIguP2wpO6xwIVg6w-Ch2NWAY4
Oh yay I was hoping that was right! Thankyou so much Angie, now I’m ready to go!
Do you have to heat the bananas? I’ve never done this with other banana pudding recipes and am curious what that does to the bananas and why you do that.
Hey Stephanie, you don’t have to heat the banana if you don’t want to. I prefer to heat them because when you heat them it makes them super soft/softer and it makes the banana flavor stronger. Most of the bananas that I buy around here are just turning from green to yellow and they’re not really soft. I want soft banana slices in my banana pudding. Also, I don’t find the banana flavor to be strong in the bananas that I buy from the store until they’ve had time to sit on the counter and get the brown spots or until I’ve baked them. So I roast/slightly bake my banana when I’m making anything that I want a warm banana flavor in. 🙂
I am a Southern Grandma, having lived in Va., SC, Ga., and Al., for 70 years, and I have never heard of baking the bananas! Warm (not hot) banana pudding is a true delight.
Yep. I bake them to bring out more of the banana flavor! 🙂
How do you keep the bananas from turning brown when there are leftovers for the next day?
Hey Pat, they don’t really turn yucky brown because they’re covered in the pudding.
I make mine the same but I add a stick of butter with the vanilla at the end and only use one banana. I eat mine hot or cold. To me, there are 2 kinds of people when it comes to homemade banana pudding… meringue or no meringue. We layer it as soon as the hot pudding is thick and it is good to go. Also, the boxed pudding with cool whip stuff should be called “banana layer dessert” or something like that, as it is not a true banana pudding in my opinion. I hate when someone says they are bringing homemade banana pudding to a get together only to show up with the boxed cool whip stuff.
oo yours sounds good too! <3 Haha my mom's version of homemade banana pudding is totally the boxed cool whip kind hahaha. It's what we grew up on. I would prefer the kind I make but I have to admit that I can't do anything but smile when my mom proudly presents us with her version of "homemade" banana pudding haha <3
THANK you so much for this recipe so glad you didn’t use a boxed pudding mix this is what I call a real southern or homemade banana pudding THANKS.
L
You’re very welcome!! I grew up eating the boxed kind but I love homemade!! <3
At some point do you unpeel the bananas? Or did I miss that part?
Hi Kelly! haha yes, you peel them. Sorry, I just assumed everyone knew to unpeel bananas before slicing them 🙂
Thank you! I just wanted to make 100% sure since I’ve never made this version. Fixing to remedy that in about five minutes!
Hope that you love it!! I went back into the directions and added “peeled” to the banana part 🙂 Hope you have a great week!
The ingredient list says 5 bananas peeled, but then step 2 is baking unpeeled bananas. Good thing I read the whole recipe before starting. Maybe you should change it to 5 bananas, unpeeled, then say “peel and slice the bananas” instead of just slice them. Less confusing 😉
Hey Alena,
I went back and changed it. I didn’t have “peeled” with the bananas first…I just had it in the directions. Then someone complained that they didn’t know if they needed to peel the bananas or not before slicing them so I added peeled. But you’re right, they need to stay unpeeled for roasting.
Thanks for sharing recipe. Why are the bananas cooked in the ove?.
Hi Deana! I bake them because I want them to be super soft and I think roasting them brings out a lot of the banana flavor. I can normally only find super ripe bananas around here an I need them to be soft when I make this banana pudding. I mean I could sit them on the counter and wait a few days but I’m impatience and they’d probably get eaten before I got to make my banana pudding. hahaha 🙂
Oh my just hook up an iv of this to me and I will be happy. How do you feel phylo fodough would work?
mmmm I’m not sure how phyllo dough. Phyllo Dough is totally different from Vanilla wafer cookies.
My granny made it with a layer of graham crack crust, banana pudding then sliced banana. Repeated til all full! I live in Australia now, and it’s hard to find banana pudding *and* graham crackers so I have to sub with vanilla pudding and this weird cookie that is close in taste and texture when crumbled. And now I want some!
ooooo I would be so sad if I couldn’t get banana pudding and graham crackers where I lived. Thankfully you don’t need either one to make this version! 🙂 Ps. how do you like living in Australia now? how is it?
Hi Angie , I live in Australia as I mentioned to Pamm and I don’t think I’ve come across vanilla wafer cookies like the ones you use yet. ( which I’ve only seem in your pics of the pudding served on a plate) Do you have the brand name? I can look it up then try to find something similar here. Thanks a bunch☺
Hi Nell! I use “nilla wafers” and nabisco makes them, although I’ve seen off brands before. Like these – http://amzn.to/2aeVVXq
Hi Pamm,
I too live in Australia and would love to know what biscuits you use in place of Graham crackers in your banana pudding? Much appreciated in advance ☺
Hey! I use “nilla wafers” and nabisco makes them, although I’ve seen off brands before. Like these – http://amzn.to/2aeVVXq 🙂 No Graham crackers in this one 🙂
This looks amazing and can’t wait to make it!! Can you double the pudding recipe?
Sure can! I’d probably also double the bananas and vanilla wafers though as well 🙂
Hi Angie
Help me here. Am I missing something? The ingredient list says 3/4 cup sugar. In the directions it says 1/2 cup in pudding and 1/2 cup in the meringue.
Thanks, Betty
Hey Betty! Oops! It should be 1/4 cup of sugar for the meringue! 🙂
Angie
Thanks for clearing that up. It is a delicious pudding. Please keep posting your great recipes!
Betty
Newbie baker here! Do I still put it in the oven if I want to serve it cold without the egg whites?
Hey! Yes, just follow these directions and then place it into the fridge to get cold 🙂 It still needs to bake 🙂
Warm banana pudding is the BEST!!!!
I made this yesterday and it was a big hit, it was gone before I knew it. My only mistake was not roasting the bananas and using too big of a baking dish. It was so easy to make and also reminds me so much of my grandmothers homemade banana pudding. Thank you so much for publishing.
I’m so glad that you loved it!! It’s a favorite around here and I’m glad that everyone there loved it as well.
Hi! Am excited to try your recipe. Had a version of this over the holidays & have been obsessed since as it was amazing. I have always made with instant pudding but will never go back. Am going to try your recipe as looks & sounds very similar to one I had. Just wondering if you could use 2% milk or evaporated milk instead of whole milk? Thanks~ Cindy
Hi Cindy! You can probably use 2% milk. I wouldn’t use evaporated milk though. I just use whole milk because that’s what we drink 🙂
I only make mine with evaporated milk. It makes a richer tasting custard in my opinion. But I’ve never heard of roasting the bananas first. I’ve never been a huge fan of the bananas turning brown once cooked. How are they after you roast them?
The outsides get brown when you roast them but not the actual banana.
Th
Sorry was trying to say thanks! Made it with 2% & was delicious!!! We ( my entire family) luv’d it. Will definitely be making it again. Thanks for awesome new family favorite!
YAY! I’m so glad it worked well with the 2%! So happy that y’all loved it!
Looks delicious, was wondering have you ever added sweetened condensed milk to your banana pudding recipe?
I haven’t tried it that way before but if you do let me know how it turns out. I may have to give it a try one day.
I’m late to this party! Lol but I’ve been searching everywhere for the ‘perfect’ banana pudding recipe. I’ve never made it, only ate it! This will be the recipe I follow for my first time ever. I plan on this to be Easter’s dessert for 2017! Looks just like my husband’s grandma makes, she’s the only reason I’ve ever had it. Thank you!
YAY!! I’m so glad you found me and the banana pudding recipe. This one is a total winner! I hope y’all love it!
What is the reason why you put banana’s in the oven unpeeled for ten minutes?
because normally when I get bananas around here they’re green and not soft enough for banana pudding. I also like the roasted banana flavor that it gives them
Forgive me if this has already been addressed and I just failed to see it, but what is the volume size of this 8×8 pan? How many quarts is it and/or inches deep? 1.5 or 2? I do not have an 8×8 casserole baking dish and am having to improvise. Thanks!
🙂 An 8×8 baking pan is normally 2 quarts 🙂
This was my comfort food growing up. My daddy would always make me one when u was sick. He wouldn’t have dreamed of using packaged pudding! I’ve never heard of roasting bananas but will give it a try.
haha my mom only used packaged pudding! lol I love both versions!
Hi,
I just wanted to say that this was my 1st time ever making a banana pudding and this is my husband’s favorite desert, as he tells me that no one can or could make it like his mom used to, and I wanted to surprise him because I have just recently got into cooking homemade from scratch of everything and I just love cooking now!
I have recently been reunited with my 1st love after 37 years being separated from him because we divorced after a horrible Labor Day weekend traffic accident that killed our precious 17 month old baby girl along with his mother and three other family members by a drunk driver! Don’t mean to make this a sad comment!
I really just love cooking for this man because he just so appreciates everything that I cook for him!
I am just so delighted that I found this recipe of yours and can’t wait till he sees it because it did come out so beautiful and I just can’t wait until he taste it and sees that his mom isn’t the only one that can cook from scratch…haha?
Thanks so much for such a wonderful family favorite!
I will definitely be following you from now on!
Most Gratefully,
Debbie
Hi Debbie!
Im so very, very sorry to hear about your little one and family members but I’m so glad that you’ve been able to re-connect with your love! I hope that you both love the banana pudding! HUGS!!! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today and leaving your comment.
This looks like what my grandmother made!
When I printed the recipe (two different ways), the printout looks like hiroglyphics.. How can I print your recipes so that they can be read?
Thanks,
Beth
Hi Beth!
Sorry you’re having an issue with the print button. I had someone else have this problem a few weeks ago and it was a setting on their printer that was making it print weird but I don’t know how they fixed it. You can just highlight the recipe, right click and print the text to print it out without using the print button.
Can’t wait to try this. I love banana pudding. My mother use to make this all the time, we ate it cold. I have always made it with boxed pudding etc but stopped making it because it just wan’t the same. I tried making meringue several times as a young wife and failed….it’s time to try again as a seasoned cook and grandmother! Haha
Hope that you love this recipe! It’s one of my favorites! It took me a few tries as a new wife to make meringue but I’m pretty good at it now hahaha
Made this pudding yesterday, it was amazing. My friends said it was the best dessert I ever made. I have to agree it was delicious and I had left out vanilla as the site went down why I was making it. The roasting of bananas really intensified the flavour,
I’m so glad that y’all liked it!!
“Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.” WHAT is the purpose of this?
The purpose is to roast them and bring out a deeper banana flavor 🙂
This looks amazing, but I need to make a bigger batch! Would this be easy to double? I don’t do many desserts, so I just wanted to check before I made it for a big group.
Yep! Just double the recipe! I’ve doubled it and cut it in half before!
I will eat banana pudding either way but prefer warm over cold and it always has to have meringue topping not whipping cream.
I just finished making this recipe for the third time. This time I doubled the recipe since I’m making it for a retirement party. Let me tell you, this is the best tasting pudding I’ve ever made! My husband tells me the roasted bananas makes it over the top. Thanks Angie for a fabulous recipe.
I’m so, over the moon, happy that y’all love it!!
Beyond unbelievable!!!!
I have never heard of putting the bananas in the oven before slicing. What does this do?
It helped to ripen the bananas and bring out more of the banana flavor
i wanna try this for Thanksgiving this year.
My sister used to make her banana pudding this way. Unfortunately, I never got her recipe before she passed away. I am so thankful that I have found the recipe. Now I can make banana pudding the same way she did. Thanks so much for posting.
Hi Darlene, I’m so sorry to hear about your sister but I’m glad that I could provide a recipe from your memories!