An easy homemade Southern Banana Pudding Recipe. Rich and creamy homemade banana pudding between layers of vanilla wafers and fresh bananas and topped with an airy meringue. This makes the BEST banana pudding recipe! Always a favorite dessert!
Looking for more Southern desserts for the holidays? I think you’ll love my Caramel Cake, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Coconut Cream Pie recipes. They are delicious!
The Best Banana Pudding Recipe
Banana pudding is at the top of my list for banana desserts! I imagine it is one that immediately comes to mind for many. Here’s why I think you’ll love this recipe:
- Ultimate recipe. My recipe includes how to make the homemade creamy custard for the pudding as well as variations to make my no-bake banana pudding. It really is the only banana pudding recipe you’ll want or need! 🥰
- Easy, made-from-scratch recipe. You can not beat the flavor of this homemade banana pudding! This recipe is easy to prepare in just a few simple steps and is ready in 30 minutes!
- Simple ingredients. This recipe uses ingredients that you most likely already have in your refrigerator and pantry and can easily pronounce! It is made from real ingredients that you can feel confident feeding your friends and family!
- Impressive. This makes an impressive, beautiful dessert recipe!
What is Banana Pudding?
Banana pudding is an old-fashioned Southern dessert with layers of vanilla custard, vanilla cookies, and slices of fresh bananas. Fluffy, golden meringue tops my Grandmother’s traditional recipe. However, you can use whipped cream.
This recipe does not contain sweetened condensed milk and is made with wholesome, made-from-scratch ingredients! However, if you are looking for a recipe that uses vanilla pudding mix, I have provided that in the recipe variations below and in the recipe card.
Banana Pudding Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients are needed for this banana pudding. I’ve included substitutions as well.
- all-purpose flour – if you are gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free flour option.
- sugar – the recipe uses granulated sugar for the pudding. See the common questions section below for a less sugar option.
- salt – just a pinch is all you need for the custard.
- eggs – you will use three whole eggs in this recipe; the egg yolks are in the custard, and the egg whites are used in the meringue.
- milk – use your favorite milk. I use whole milk.
- vanilla extract – I love to use my homemade recipe, but just be sure to use a really good vanilla extract.
- vanilla wafers – I love to use the Nilla wafers brand. You can use your favorite vanilla wafer or see my list of substitutions below.
- bananas – sliced fresh bananas give this pudding such an amazing flavor.
- cream of tartar – used in the meringue to hold shape. If you do not have the cream of tartar, you can omit it.
How to Make the Best Banana Pudding
This classic dessert is perfect for making for holidays, Sunday suppers, and celebrations! It is always a favorite! Be sure to watch the video where my Mama shows you how to make her mother’s delicious dessert! 🥰
Prep: Preheat the oven and chill the beaters from a hand mixer and a mixing bowl in the refrigerator.
Make the Custard: Add the dry ingredients to a large saucepan. Beat your eggs and milk together and whisk into your dry ingredients. Stir constantly until the custard has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
How to Assemble the Banana Pudding:
- Arrange 1/3 of the vanilla wafers on the bottom oven-safe dish. You can use a glass bowl (as photographed) or a 9×13 baking dish.
- Slice bananas and place 1/3 of them on the vanilla wafer layer.
- Pour 1/3 of the pudding over the wafers and bananas.
- Repeat the layering process, ending with a layer of wafers.
- Top with meringue and bake.
How to Store Banana Pudding
Banana pudding will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Variations
- Banana-less Banana Pudding: Simply omit the bananas from the recipe. It is still delicious! This works great for those who don’t like or can’t have bananas!
- No-bake Banana Pudding: Top the banana pudding with whipped cream and omit the meringue. You will not need to bake!
- No-cook Easy Banana Pudding: Use 2 (3.4-ounce) packages of instant vanilla pudding mix, 1(14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in place of the custard ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, and milk). Use whipped cream in place of the meringue. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.
Common Questions
Do you have to bake if making with the meringue?
Yes. Meringue is made of egg whites. It must be baked to be safely eaten. You’ll know that the meringue is cooked once the peaks have turned a golden brown.
How to know when the custard is ready?
Watch the recipe video for a visual example of how to know the custard is done.
Do you have to refrigerate?
Yes. You have to store the pudding in the refrigerator.
Can I reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe?
This recipe is exactly how my Grandmother made her pudding, and it tastes incredible! You can reduce the sugar to 1 cup in the custard or use your favorite sugar substitute that was developed for baking. The cooking time of the custard may need to be increased to thicken the custard appropriately.
How to keep bananas from browning?
Bananas exposed to air will brown. Keep the bananas covered completely with the custard or pudding when assembling.
Can You Use Cool Whip?
You can use Cool Whip in place of the meringue or whipped cream. It will make the final dessert topping a bit sweeter.
Substitutes for Vanilla Wafers?
Use Graham crackers, animal crackers, or another similar cookie.
Here is Grandmother’s Southern Banana Pudding recipe. I know you’ll love it!
Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl oven safe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (297 g) sugar
- pinch (0.4) kosher salt
- 3 large (150 g) eggs, separated (you’ll need whites later for meringue)
- 3 cups (681 g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- 1 (11-ounce) package (311 g) vanilla wafers, approximately 45 wafers
- 5-6 (575-690 g) bananas
- 3 egg whites, reserved from above
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.38 g) cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 325º F. Chill the bowl and beaters for making the meringue (if making).
Make the Custard:
- 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 1/3 of the vanilla wafers on the bottom of a 2 quart oven-safe glass bowl or baking dish.
- Slice bananas and place 1/3 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 the wafers.Â
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 the 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.
Notes
How to Store Banana Pudding
Banana pudding will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Variations-
Banana-less Banana Pudding:
Omit the bananas from the recipe. It is still delicious! This works great for those who don’t like or can’t have bananas! -
No-bake Banana Pudding:
Top the banana pudding with whipped cream and omit the meringue. You will not need to bake! -
No-cook Easy Banana Pudding:
Use 2 (3.4-ounce) packages of instant vanilla pudding mix, 1(14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in place of the custard ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, and milk). Use whipped cream in place of the meringue. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives, originally published 2011.
Thank you for sharing. We really enjoyed this. I only used 1 cup sugar in the custard, but followed the rest of recipe to a T. The 2 quart dish was perfect size for the amount of custard made. I will be making this again. 😊
Thank you, Diane. I’m happy you enjoyed this pudding. This is the way my mother and grandmother have made this pudding for years.
going to try this
I hope you enjoy, Brenda!
Hi Robyn,
I made the Banana Pudding last night, very delicious but the pudding was runny. Please advise what may have went wrong. Also, after making the pudding and assembling the dessert, is it required to bake it? Once it’s assembled, cooled, can it be placed in the fridge overnight? Thank You so much!!
Debrah, if the pudding was runny, it sounds like it didn’t cook long enough to thicken properly. Look at the video that is with the recipe to see how to make the recipe. It shows how thick the pudding should be before removing from the heat. Also, you will need to bake the meringue for about 25 minutes if you used it. If you used meringue and didn’t bake it, the pudding would be runny from the uncooked egg whites. Once the pudding has cooled thoroughly, you can store it wrapped tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Fantastic the day it’s made (nice and warm) and does not disappoint the following day right out of the fridge. Will definitely be making this again. Absolutely delicious!
Thanks, Michelle. I love this pudding warm and cold but some days, I like it better after it has been refrigerated.
I wanted to make this in individual servings, two days ahead of party, will the nilla wafers be too soggy or the bananas brown?
The puddings should not be soggy or the bananas brown if you wrap them tightly in clear plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator, Tessie. Make sure your bananas are covered with the pudding.
This is a very good recipe. Tastes just like my mil used to make. I use homemade whipped cream instead of the merengue as that is what we prefer.
I love it with whipped cream, too, Belinda.
Hi, could I make this on Christmas Eve and keep it in the fridge overnight if I want to serve it on Christmas day? Should I cook the meringue and put it in the fridge or put the meringue on Christmas and then cook and serve? Thanks!!
Smriti, you can make the pudding including the meringue a day ahead. Make sure the meringue is spread to “seal” all the edges of the dish. Cool the pudding and cover tightly with plastic wrap so it is airtight, then store in the refrigerator overnight.
Hi Robyn, it’s Candi following up. I tried your southern banana pudding recipe to the T and it was sooo good!!! Thank you for sharing.
Great recipe. Easy to follow and well articulated. This Naner Puddin was an absolute knockout of a dish. I am beside myself with how well this came out. Old memories of a carefree child hood happened today and I thank you miss Robyn!
Trying to find recipe for banana pudding
Gloria Dean, the recipe is at the end of the post, right above the Comment section.
Hi, I am looking forward to making this delicious recipe; however I have a question about the sugar. Does the 1 1/2 cup of sugar go into the custard or the meringue? It’s my first time attempting to do this and I want to make sure I’m doing it correctly.
Candi, the 1 1/2 cups of sugar goes into the custard. The meringue recipe starts at the bottom of the recipe with the egg whites. I hope you enjoy this pudding.