The Best Banana Pudding Recipe You'll Ever Try

This is a super easy and delicious recipe for old-fashioned homemade banana pudding that I know you're going to love. Trust me, it's the best banana pudding ever! This light, rich, and yummy pudding is layered with creamy custard, fresh bananas, and crunchy wafers. And you won't believe how easy it is to make - my grandma's recipe is just as simple as using boxed pudding, but it tastes so much better. Get ready for a treat!

Do you have a favorite dessert that you just can't resist? I mean there are so many awesome desserts and I have a major sweet tooth so I can't decide on just one!!! However, I will say, one of my top 10 favorite desserts is Banana Pudding. I grew up in North Carolina, and I remember almost every restaurant had it on their menu. But, let me tell you, my grandma’s recipe beats them all! It's made with lots of love and care, and when we make it at home, we get to control the ingredients. For instance, we use 1% milk instead of cream to make the custard, and you won't even notice the difference!

How to make Old Fashion Banana Pudding Recipe

We discovered that making this homemade banana pudding recipe in individual servings is a fun activity, especially when everyone participates in building the layers of pudding.

The first thing we need to do is gather up all the necessary ingredients. Don't worry; this recipe is super easy and won't take you more than a few minutes to whip up. We'll need some ripe bananas, vanilla wafers (I used to call them "Nila wafers," not realizing that was the brand name for the wafers!), eggs, flour, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and some butter. Let's get cooking!

Seperate Eggs

Separate the egg yolks from the whites. There are various ways to do this; some people prefer to use their hands, but I find it messy. I like to use the eggshell method, where you crack the egg over a bowl and then carefully transfer the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell, allowing the white to fall into the bowl below. Alternatively, you can use an egg separator, which is a handy tool that does the job for you. However, if you don't have one, the eggshell method works just as well.

After separating the eggs, beat the egg yolk and set it aside to use for the custard. As for the egg white, you can save it for making meringues or, if you have dogs, you could scramble it with an egg. We scrambled them and our four big boys loved it!

Making the Custard

To make the custard, you need to sift the flour. Although it may sound strange to sift only half a cup of flour, it does make a difference. Using a sifter helps break up any lumps and makes the flour lighter and airier. It also ensures a more accurate measurement of the flour.

After the flour is sifted. In a saucepan, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.

To make your mixture, add milk to the flour and sugar mixture over medium heat, and stir continuously. Keep stirring until it boils - this usually takes around 3-4 minutes.

Once the mixture starts to boil, temper the eggs by following these steps: Add a spoonful of the hot milk mixture into the eggs and stir quickly. Then, add a second spoonful of the milk into the eggs and mix completely. Next, add this egg mixture to the rest of the milk, continue stirring, and bring it to a simmer for 2 minutes. The custard will become thick and creamy.

Remove from the heat.  Stir in the vanilla and butter.  And now comes the really fun part, build the banana pudding!

Cut the Bananas into small round slices.

Layering the dish

To start, layer some of the pudding mixture, followed by wafers, and then the bananas. Place a wafer along the sides of the serving dish. Repeat these layers until all the ingredients have been used up. You can use a glass serving dish, or to make it look extra fancy, use individual dessert dishes!

Top with cool whip or homemade whipped cream. To make homemade whipping cream, mix together 2 Cups Heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until soft peaks are formed.

Enjoy!!!

Enjoy this homemade banana pudding!!!!!

We enjoyed the pudding right away. You can prepare the pudding up to 24 hours before serving it or keep it for 2 to 3 days after making it. To prevent the bananas from browning, cover them with the pudding. 

Other recipes you might enjoy:

• Habanero Banana Cream Pie - Elevate your dessert experience with a kick of habanero spice! Try Grandma's Banana Cream Pie with just a touch of heat for something special!
• Banana blueberry Cake - This tart lower in fat Banana Blueberry Cake uses applesauce instead of oil for an easy guilt-free dessert.
• Healthy Egg Salad - Make an unbeatable egg salad sandwich without mayonnaise – learn the delicious and healthy recipe here! This is a recipe everyone loves!
• Air Fried Mushrooms - These air-fried mushrooms are crispy, spicy, and have a juicy center that will make your taste buds dance with delight. Enjoy the satisfying crunch on the outside and the flavorful goodness on the inside.
• Homemade Potato Soup - Easy Homemade Potato Soup recipe topped with bacon, cheese and onions. This soup will warm you from head to toe and is a perfect cozy meal!!!!