Classic Banana Pudding Recipe

I am so happy to be sharing our classic Banana Pudding Recipe with you all! It’s one of my all time favorite desserts. Ever since Magnolia Bakery opened in LA a while back, I’ve stopped by occasionally to pick up a big container of their banana pudding. It’s so good!

I didn’t realized for so long just how easy it is to make at home, nor did I realize it only takes a handful of basic ingredients! Our classic banana pudding recipe is so simple and so delicious, and even better when you layer it with more banana chunks and Nilla wafers, like a parfait. If you want something extra decadent you can layer in freshly whipped cream too!

How to Make Our Banana Pudding Recipe

Process

Pudding

1. Place milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a saucepan and place over medium heat.
2. Whisk mixture until sugar, cornstarch and salt dissolve and bring to a gentle simmer, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low.
3. Cook mixture, while constantly stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and thick enough to sit on itself for a second, about 12 minutes. It’s important to constantly stir the mixture so the milk and sugar don’t burn on the bottom. 
4. Remove 1 cup hot milk from the pot and whisk into the yolks( in a mixing bowl) in a very slow and steady drizzle, making sure not to scrabble the yolks. Take your time with this step to ensure the eggs are properly tempered and don’t scramble. 

5. Pour tempered yolk mixture back into the pot and whisk together.
6. Cook the mixture for 4 to 5 more minutes, while stirring, before removing from the heat and stirring in the butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth. The vanilla will add a nice flavor, while the butter will add a smooth, glossy and rich finish to the pudding.

7. Place pot directly into an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until room temperature, about 30 minutes. Stirring the mixture during this time will help it cool down evenly.
8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or until pudding has chilled through completely.

9. Remove from the refrigerator and fold in 1 chopped banana.

Assembly

10. Scoop half the cookie crumbs into the bottom of individual cups and top each with a small scoop of chopped bananas. Top each mixture with about 1/2 cup of pudding. Repeat cookie crumb, banana and pudding layer. Finish each pudding with a sprinkle of cookie crumbs. Serve! We love serving our banana pudding parfait style, but you can totally just create a single layer with cookie crumbs and bananas on the top and bottom.

Tools You Will Need

• cutting board
• knife
• dry measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• mixing bowls
• whisk
• wooden spoon
• saucepan

Make Ahead Instructions for Our Banana Pudding Recipe

Our banana pudding can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator until ready to use.

We recommend waiting until the day of serving to fold the bananas into the pudding and to assemble the pudding into layers with (more) bananas and cookie crumbs.

Banana Pudding Thickness

The pudding should be thick enough to “sit on itself” for a second or two before it hits the ice bath. This means that when you take a small scoop of pudding and place it onto the rest of the pudding mixture, the single scoop should rest on top of the pudding for a second or two before sinking back into the mixture.

The pudding will definitely thicken more as it cools. If you find the pudding to be too thick after its cooled, first stir the mixture to loosen it up. If it’s still too thick, you can stir in a couple tablespoons of milk to thin it out to your desired consistency.

Tips and Tricks for Banana Pudding Success

• It’s important to constantly stir the pudding as it cooks to prevent it from burning, which can happen easily.
• Whisking the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks very slowly and in small increments will help prevent the eggs from scrambling. If you do notice a little scrambling, just strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, before whisking it back into the pot.
• Gently toss bananas in a small amount of lemon juice to help prevent them from browning.

If you love this classic banana pudding recipe, or banana desserts in general, as much as I do you’ll also love our Banana, Coconut and Honey Cream Tarts, our Chai Banana Cake and even our Banana Bread French Toast.

More Delicious Dessert Recipes You Will Love

• Creamy No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
• Strawberry Tart
• S’mores Fudgsicles
• Old Fashioned Donuts
• Cookies and Cream Rice Krispies Treats