Robyn Stone
This Southern Banana Pudding is an heirloom family recipe and classic Southern dessert. Airy meringue atop creamy pudding is a delicious favorite and makes the best banana pudding!
Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
This banana pudding recipe is about as much of a comfort food in the South as it is a dessert. One that everyone always looks forward to digging into to get the perfect ratio of vanilla wafers, pudding, and bananas.
Grandmother always made hers with a towering meringue on top of the pudding that was light as air and the perfect combination with the rich pudding. She would ask my sister and me to help make her recipe for dessert so many times when we were young girls. It was a request I don’t remember ever tiring of hearing. She would ask one of us to carefully line the glass bowl with the vanilla wafers while the other sliced the bananas. We each had an important job and the pudding just wouldn’t work without both of us completing our tasks with care.
Or at least she always made us believe it wouldn’t.
While we were consumed with our duties, Grandmother was busily cooking the pudding on her stovetop. She loved to chat as she cooked, asking us about our day, telling us about when she would help her mother cook, or telling us about a bird she saw when she went to the garden earlier. Her voice was always as sweet and velvety as the pudding she was stirring.
Once we had our vanilla wafers and banana slices layered just as she instructed, she would ask us to step back as she poured the hot pudding over them. Within minutes following, she would have her egg whites beaten to a perfect salute and would be carefully spreading her meringue on top of the pudding. Into the oven it would go for my sister and me to run and stare through the glass door in the oven as the meringue magically browned.
That night for supper, we were anxious for everyone to taste “our” banana pudding because we knew it tasted just as good as Grandmother’s.
And in the morning, we always knew she would have her banana bread waiting on us, too! ๐
Before we dig into making her iconic recipe, let’s cover a few basics.
What is Banana Pudding?
Banana pudding is a sweet Southern dessert made with layers of vanilla custard, cookies, and slices of fresh bananas. The dish is then topped with whipped cream or, as in my Grandmother’s traditional Southern Banana Pudding recipe, meringue.
How to Make the Best Banana Pudding Recipe
Ready in 30 minutes, you will definitely love this classic, heirloom recipe!
- Preheat the oven to 325ยบ F.
How to Make the Custard for the Pudding:
- Combine your flour, sugar, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Lightly beat your egg yolks and whisk to combine with milk in a large bowl or even use a large liquid measuring cup, such as a 4-cup.
- Whisk your egg yolk mixture into your dry ingredients in the saucepan set over medium to low heat. Stir constantly until the custard is thickened, remove from the heat and stir in your vanilla extract.
How to Assemble Banana Pudding:
- Arrange vanilla wafers on the bottom of a 2-quart dish, such as an oven-safe glass bowl or dish.
- Slice bananas and place on top of the vanilla wafer layer.
- Pour 1/3 of the pudding over the wafers and bananas.
- Repeat layering process, ending with a layer of wafers.
How to Make the Meringue Topping:
- Use very clean beaters and bowl that have been refrigerated for a few moments. Then, whip the egg whites with your electric mixer at very high speed.
- Once the egg whites begin to foam, add the cream of tartar and then gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue to whip the egg whites until all of the sugar has dissolved and stiff peaks have formed, then incorporate the vanilla extract.
- Spread the meringue over the top of the pudding, taking care to completely spread to the inner edge of the dish to completely cover the pudding.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the meringue has lightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve.
How Long Will Banana Pudding Keep?
Store your banana pudding wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Here is her Southern Banana Pudding recipe. I know you’ll love it!
Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- pinch salt
- 3 large eggs separated (you’ll need whites later for meringue)
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 box vanilla wafers approximately 45 wafers
- 5-6 bananas
- 3 egg whites reserved from above
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ยบ F.
- Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large, heavy saucepan.
- Lightly beat egg yolks and combine with milk in a large bowl or measuring cup. Pour the egg and milk mixture into dry ingredients in heavy saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until ingredients are thickened and smooth. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla.
- To layer your banana pudding, begin by placing vanilla wafers on the bottom of a 2 quart oven-safe glass bowl or baking dish.
- Slice bananas and place on top of wafers.
- Pour one-third of custard over wafers and bananas.
- Repeat layering process two more times until all wafers, bananas, and custard have been used, ending with a final layer of wafers.
For the Meringue:
- Whip egg whites with an electric mixer set at high speed.
- Allow egg whites to foam, add cream of tartar and then gradually add sugar one tablespoon at a time.
- Continue whipping until sugar is well-dissolved.
- Add vanilla once stiff peaks have formed and whip until well-combined.
- Spread meringue over banana pudding, making sure to spread to the edges of the dish.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned.
Video
Nutrition Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives, originally published 2011.
I make this all the time and it’s always a hit!
Thanks, Elle!
Hello Robyn,
Please advise how to store leftovers to keep from bananas turning brown and how to keep the Meringue and pudding from running?
Jay, place a generous amount of plastic wrap, such as Saran wrap, all around the whole thing, While I am waiting for my meringue to make, I mush down a piece over the custard and banana mix in the bowl. Remove it before you plop your meringue on top. The whole
wrap-over should come when you are ready to refrigerate. Voila!
I’ve made this before and it was incredible! My husband insisted this was his top choice for Father’s day dessert. If I needed to make it early to serve it 2 hours later..is this possible and if so how?
Thank you!
Hi Madison,
You can make it ahead. I would let it cool thoroughly, cover it with an airtight lid or wrap it well, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Hope your husband has a happy Father’s Day and enjoys his banana pudding! Thanks. xo
Thank you so much for answering me back, your help, and your amazing recipe! Thank you and take care!ย
How long can I store this and how?
Hi Kendra,
I think I may have answered your question in my answer above to Madison. Hope this helps!
Hi there! How ripe should the bananas be for this? Are we talking some brown spots or full on banana bread status?
Hi Mallory,
I like the bananas when they are still firm, just have ripened. You do not want the bananas to be really soft, so no brown spots. Hope this helps and you enjoy the banana pudding!
If we don’t want to have meringue do we still need to cook it?
Hi Jim,
If you are not using the meringue, you do not need to bake it. That baking time is to brown the meringue. Enjoy!
Delicious!
I am crying happy tears reading your wonderful and loving story of your time cooking with your grandmother! My Grandmother Tyler always made banana pudding with cooked custard and meringue. Such happy memories! Going to the store right now to buy the ingredients to make this amazing recipe today!!
I hope this pudding brings more happy memories, Stephanie. I always think of my Grandmother Verdie when I make this.
Hi I have a few questions before I make this because it looks so good! I see that you do not have in your directions to temper the eggs. I want to follow your recipe but i’m nervous the eggs will scramble should I just follow what’s written or temper the eggs? Also does this pudding need to set? If so what temperature do you recommend they set at like at room temp or fridge?
Sofia, if you follow the instructions in #3 in the recipe (mixing the beaten eggs yolks and milk thoroughly and then mixing with the dry ingredients and cooking over low to medium heat until thickened), you will not have a problem with the eggs. It might help you to watch the video to see how it is supposed to look while cooking. You can serve it warm right after you finish making it but you must refrigerate any leftovers. Cover it with an airtight lid or cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve again. It is delicious cold. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for the quick response. I did watch the video I’m just nervous is all, it’s my first attempt at a pudding like this. I will follow your directions and I hope it comes out just like you said. Thank you for all the help!
Great recipe.
FYI this custard is a classic french Creme Patissiere. The flour in the mixture prevents the eggs from scrambling. Just don’t bring it to a hard boil. Simmer until thickened.
Turned out beautifully. Excellent recipe!!!
Thanks, Chrisie. So glad this turned out so well for you. xo