Name: The Real Deal Banana Pudding
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup sugar (divided); ⅓ cup all-purpose flour; Dash salt; 3 eggs (separated); 2 cups milk; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 45 vanilla wafers (divided); 5 ripe bananas (sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided)

The original and best Banana Pudding recipe. Layers of luscious vanilla custard, crunchy vanilla wafers, and sliced bananas topped with a golden meringue.

4.9 from 16 votes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

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The original and best Banana Pudding recipe. Layers of luscious vanilla custard, crunchy vanilla wafers, and sliced bananas topped with a golden meringue.

I was perusing food blogs today, as usual, and I came across one where someone who grew up in the Midwest was extolling the virtues of southern cuisine. Pimento cheese specifically. This blogger talked about how he grew up on a diet of pretty bland fare and only discovered the wonders and variety of southern cuisine after he had reached adulthood.

Banana pudding in a glass bowl on a kitchen towel with spoons in the foreground.

This got me thinking that I really need to get back to what I know and do best. What I call Southern Farmhouse cooking.

Just What is Southern Cooking?

There are, of course, all kinds of different southern cuisines…creole, cajun, tex-mex. Then there’s the whole coastal thing from the Carolinas right on around through Key West and New Orleans and more. Southern cuisine is so varied and complex, it’s even thought of by Southerners in regions of its own.

Now, when I was growing up things were even more regionalized than they are today. People didn’t travel as widely nor did we get exotic ingredients on a regular basis in the grocery store.

Additionally, people grew a large portion of their food. Our summers were as much a time for playing and enjoying being out of school as they were for “puttin’ up.” For those of you who have not yet reached a certain age, that means freezing and canning fresh produce to last through the year until the next gardening season.

One of the things that shows up at every church dinner-on-the-grounds (and if you don’t know what that is, you really aren’t from the South) and family reunion in the southern states is Banana Pudding.

I’m talking about the real deal. Not any instant jello pudding with bananas, either. A banana pudding with creamy vanilla custard, sliced bananas, vanilla wafers, and a meringue piled high on the top. And, would you believe, this from scratch version is almost as quick to make as the instant pudding kind.

Go ahead and make one for your family. Y’all are going to love it!

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

It’s creamy, dreamy and luscious
You can (and should) make it in advance
It’s transportable
Easy to find ingredients

Ingredients You’ll Need

Sugar
Flour
Eggs
Milk (whole milk, please)
Vanilla extract
Vanilla wafers
Ripe bananas (you want bananas that are ripe but still nice and firm, not too many brown spots)

You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.

How to Make The Real Deal Banana Pudding

Let’s Go Step-by-Step

I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the Custard

Mixing sugar, flour, and salt with eggs and milk in top of double boiler. — Step 1.

Custard after cooking for 6 to 8 minutes. — Step 1.

Step 1. Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour, and salt in the top pan of a double boiler. Into the sugar and flour, blend 3 egg yolks and the milk.

Step 2. Cook while stirring constantly over gently boiling water for about 6-8 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Layer the Banana Pudding

First layer of banana pudding. — Step 3.

Banana pudding after adding all layers. — Step 3.

Step 3. Spread a small amount of the custard (just a few tablespoons) on the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart casserole or other oven-safe dish. Make a layer of wafers and top the wafers with a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of the custard over the bananas.

Step 4. Make two more layers of wafers, bananas, and custard for a total of 3 layers, ending with the last of the custard.

Make the Meringue

Beaten egg whites in a mixing bowl. — Step 5.

Finished banana pudding with meringue on top. — Step 5.

Step 5. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the meringue is stiff but not dry.

Step 6. Spoon the meringue on top of the pudding, spreading evenly to cover the entire surface and sealing to the edges of the casserole dish.

Bake the Meringue

Step 7. Bake in the top half of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meringue is golden. Cool slightly or refrigerate until serving. Garnish servings with additional wafers and banana slices if desired.

Finished banana pudding in a bowl with a kitchen towel and spoons in the foreground.

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