The Banana Pudding – sometimes also called banana cream pudding – is a pudding* generally made up of layers of vanilla custard, vanilla wafers (usually Nilla Wafers) and/or ladyfingers and fresh sliced bananas placed in a dish and served, garnished with whipped cream or meringue.
✅It’s commonly associated with Southern U.S. cuisine, but can be found throughout the country and in specific areas.
✅A typical method for preparing banana pudding is to repeatedly layer bananas, custard, and wafers, topping with whipped cream or meringue, as I did for the version: 🍌Southern Banana Pudding.
Find other recipes on the blog typical of the Southern United States:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1.8 oz sugar (+ 3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 vanilla bean
- 40 Nilla wafers * (or vanilla cookies)
Tools
- 1 Pan 8×8
Steps
For the custard: Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, add the cornstarch and milk. Cook for about 8 minutes.
Add the butter and vanilla.
In an 8×8 inch pan, create a layer of wafers, then sliced bananas, then another layer of wafers, and the custard. Repeat.
Beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of sugar, spread over the banana pudding, and bake in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What does pudding mean in the United States?
*In the United States, pudding is a milk-based sweet dessert similar in texture to egg custard or mousse, often commercially prepared using cornstarch, gelatin, or a similar coagulating agent like Jell-O.
What are Nilla Wafers?
For Americans, a wafer is a thin disk resembling either a cracker or a cookie.
The “Nilla wafers” are a well-known brand of cookies in the United States.
They were created by a German baker named Gustav A. Mayer, who settled in New York. After inventing the recipe, he sold it to the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), which began selling them in New York under the name “Nabisco Vanilla Wafers”.
In substitution, you can use vanilla cookies or here is the recipe to make Nilla Wafers at home:
Combine 113 g of butter with 130 g of sugar, 1 egg, vanilla, 190 g of flour, 4 g of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and 115 ml of milk.
Create small balls and bake them in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes.
