Southern Banana Pudding
Layered Southern banana pudding with vanilla wafer cookies, ripe bananas, and a cooked-safe vanilla custard topped with whipped cream or meringue—potluck legend. Cook custard to 160°F; chill thoroughly before serving.
🛒Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 3/4 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 box vanilla wafer cookies (about 11 ounces)
- 4–5 ripe bananas, sliced
- Whipped cream or meringue for topping
🔧Kitchen Tools Needed
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- 2–3 qt dish
- Thermometer
📝Instructions
- 1
In a saucepan whisk sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks and milk until smooth.
- 2
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and reaches 160°F, 8–12 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 3
In a 2–3 quart dish, layer wafers, banana slices, and warm custard; repeat, ending with custard. Cover surface with plastic to prevent a skin.
- 4
Chill at least 4 hours (overnight best). Top with whipped cream or bake a meringue topping briefly if preferred.
- 5
Keep refrigerated; serve cold. Discard if left out over 2 hours; leftovers keep up to 3 days chilled.
🥗Nutrition Information
⚡Calories per serving: 340
🏷️Recipe Tags
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Instant pudding?
You can, but cooked custard tastes richer and is food-safer when heated to 160°F.
Bananas browning?
Layer just before chilling and press plastic on the surface; serve within 2 days for best color.
Meringue top?
Whip egg whites with sugar; spread on chilled pudding and broil briefly until golden—serve same day.
Food safety?
Cook custard to 160°F; refrigerate promptly; do not leave out over 2 hours.
