Homemade Banana Pudding
I've been craving banana pudding, and with Easter here, it felt like the perfect time to make one of my all-time favorite staple desserts completely from scratch.
There's truly nothing like a classic vanilla wafer, but I wanted to recreate that same nostalgic flavor and soft, delicate texture at home-and honestly, they turned out even better than I imagined. I tested these cookies with both honey and sugar, and while the honey version adds a deeper, richer flavor, I found that using sugar gives you a texture that's much closer to the classic Nilla wafer and is a bit easier to work with. Both are delicious, it just depends on the direction you want to go.
I also highly recommend making a generous batch of the cookies. Not only do you need plenty for layering, but they're also perfect for snacking (and trust me, little hands will be grabbing them the entire time you bake). It ended up being the perfect amount for both assembling and enjoying along the way.
The pudding itself is incredibly rich, smooth, and layered with flavor-especially when paired with homemade whipped cream. This dish was a total showstopper at Easter, and everyone could not stop talking about it. It's one of those desserts that feels both nostalgic and elevated at the same time.
One thing I noticed is that this banana pudding actually gets better as it sits. The wafers soften and absorb all that creamy goodness, creating the perfect texture. I recommend letting it chill for a few hours before serving, but not much longer than about 8 hours, as the bananas can begin to brown.
If you're looking for a dessert that's comforting, impressive, and completely worth the extra effort-this is it.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the honey/sugar in a mixing bowl. Use a handheld mixer to create a creamy texture.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mixed until combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet. Add two tablespoon of milk. mix on low until combined.
- Use a ziplock baggy or a piping bag to create little cookies.
- Squeeze abut 2 tsps out and then dampen your finger to flatten the cookie. Leave 2" between each cookie.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes. Set aside to cool then transfer to a flat surface tray to harden.
- Wisk 2/4 cup of the whole milk, ⅔ cup of sugar, 6 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 4 eggs yolks together in a saucepan until smooth. Wish in the remaining 5 ½ cups
- Cook over medium heat while whisking frequently. Continue this until it starts to thicken and bubble (about 5-9 mins.) Check to see if it coats a spoon and cook another 1-2 mins. Then remove from heat.
- Mix in 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract. (option to add 1-2 vanilla bean pods in addition). Add about ½ cup of milk in addition if it's too thick. Not more than that.
- Cover with plastic wrap and press down to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- Add sweetened condensed milk to the pudding mixture using a wooden spoon until smooth.
- In a large bowl or stand still mixer, beat the whipping cream to form stiff peaks. I like to add 2-4 tablespoons of powdered sugar to this also but this is optional. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding.
- Assemble with about 15-20 wafers, ⅓ of the bananas and ⅓ of the pudding. Repeat this until you reach the top of your dish. Garnish with wafers and bananas! Tightly wrap this in plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or even better 8! Chilling it longer isn't recommended.
