Classic Southern Banana Pudding with Homemade Custard
If you grew up in the South, you already know that banana pudding isn’t banana pudding unless it’s made with a homemade stovetop custard. No shortcuts, no pudding mix, and certainly no whipped topping. Just rich, silky custard layered with ripe bananas and ‘Nilla wafers, crowned with a fluffy meringue baked to golden perfection. This is the banana pudding your grandmother made, and I’m going to show you exactly how I still do it in my kitchen today.
A few days ago, I was perusing food blogs, 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 food after he had reached adulthood.
This got me thinking that I really know and do best–what you might call Southern farmhouse cooking.
Just What is Southern Cooking?
Southern food isn’t just one thing. There’s Lowcountry cooking, Creole, Cajun, Appalachian, Tex-Mex, and more. Even among Southerners, we tend to think of our food by region. When I was growing up, things were even more localized. We didn’t have specialty ingredients or national grocery chains. We cooked with what was available.
One thing you could always count on finding was bananas. Which is why banana pudding made an appearance at just about 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 I can remember.
And let me be clear. I’m talking about real banana pudding. The kind made with homemade custard, not a box of pudding mix. That creamy, silky custard layered with bananas and ‘Nilla wafers, topped with meringue and baked until golden… it’s about as Southern as it gets.
Go ahead and make some for your family. Y’all are going to love it!
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: Southern
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Sugar, Flour, Vanilla Wafers, Bananas
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- If you’ve never had scratch-made custard for banana pudding, you’ve missed something really delicious! It’s a rich, silky vanilla custard cooked on the stovetop, just like our mamas and grandmamas used to make.
- You need to make it ahead. It’s best after a few hours in the fridge. Perfect for any day when you want dessert ready early.
- It travels well, whether you’re heading to a potluck or a backyard barbecue, it will hold up beautifully and get rave reviews wherever it goes.
- There’s nothing out of the ordinary in the ingredients. Just basic pantry staples, fresh bananas, and a box of vanilla wafers.
Ingredient Notes
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- Sugar – You’ll need white granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is used for thickening the traditional boiled custard.
- Eggs – The yolks are used in the custard, and the whites for the meringue.
- Milk – I think it’s important to use whole milk for a richer taste.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a good quality brand such as Neilsen Massey.
- Vanilla Wafers – I always use “Nilla wafers” from Nabisco. I find vanilla wafer cookies from other brands to be too crumbly.
- Ripe Bananas – The bananas should be ripe but still nice and firm with a few brown spots.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 254 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How to Make Southern Banana Pudding
Making homemade banana pudding from scratch is easier than you might think. I’ve included clear, step-by-step instructions to help you make a delicious bowl of banana pudding every time.
- Whisk together 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour, and salt in the top of a double boiler.
- Into the sugar and flour, blend 3 egg yolks and the milk.
- 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.
- Mix until combined.
- 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 in the pan.
- Top the wafers with a layer of sliced bananas.
- Pour about 1/3 of the custard over the bananas.
- Make two more layers of wafers, bananas, and custard for a total of 3 layers.
- End with the last of the custard.
- Place the egg whites in a stand mixer.
- Use the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer with beaters) and beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the meringue becomes stiff peaks but is not dry.
- 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 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.
Recipe Tips
👉 PRO TIP: Make sure that when you separate the egg whites and yolks that you don’t leave ANY yolk in the whites. They won’t form peaks if there is yolk left.
Similarly, make sure your mixing bowl is very, very clean. Any remaining fat in the mixing bowl can also prevent the meringue from forming correctly.
Don’t garnish the pudding with the cookies or more banana until you are ready to serve.
How to Serve Southern Banana Pudding
This recipe is the perfect thing to finish off a proper Southern feast. Try our Southern Country Fried Steak, Real Simple Southern Fried Chicken, Old Fashioned Southern Style Green Beans, or some Southern Oyster Stew!
Storing Leftovers
Cover the leftovers and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days. Not suitable for freezing.
More Pudding Recipes You’ll Like
- Slow Cooker Bread Pudding: My Slow Cooker Bread Pudding is made with day-old French bread, plump raisins, and a rich custard of milk, butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. It’s a no-fuss dessert that satisfies like nothing else.
- Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding: For a taste of nostalgia, try Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding. This vintage dessert combines light brown sugar, evaporated milk, and butter, topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar.
- Biscuit Pudding: Turn the leftover breakfast biscuits into a delicious dessert with this Biscuit Pudding. It’s an economical and old-fashioned way to transform leftovers into a sweet, creamy pudding.
- Sweet Creamy Tapioca Pudding: Revisit a classic with Sweet Creamy Tapioca Pudding. This simple, quick, and delicious pudding recipe will bring back sweet childhood memories with every spoonful.
- Lemon Pudding Cake with Cherry Coulis
- Baked Rice Pudding
- Bread Pudding
Questions About Southern Banana Pudding
If you don’t have a double boiler, you can easily use a heat-proof bowl set on top of a saucepan with a few inches of water in it. Just make sure the level of the water is below the bottom of the bowl.
Either is fine! We always enjoy it when it’s warm from the oven, but cold from the fridge works too.
As you know, bananas are notorious for turning brown after they’re peeled and sliced. It’s technically called “enzymatic browning” which is a fancy way of saying that a reaction takes place between enzymes in the bananas and oxygen in the air. If you really want the banana slices to stay creamy white for longer, you can toss them with lemon juice. I don’t do that because it affects the taste of the pudding.
I rely on the meringue topping, the banana slices being enveloped in custard, and attention to storage to retard browning. It certainly doesn’t stop it, but it does slow it quite a bit.
Any meringue-topped dessert can be a challenge to store since almost any wrapping sticks to and pulls away the fluffy topping. To help avoid that, I create a tent with aluminum foil. Here’s how: Place the dish or bowl of pudding in the center of a long sheet of foil and bring the two ends together about 10 inches above the bowl. Fold the ends down until they’re close to the top of the meringue, but leave enough space so that there’s room between the foil and the top of the meringue. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat with a second piece of foil. The leftovers are best eaten within 48 hours and cannot be frozen.
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Recipe
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Classic Southern Banana Pudding with Homemade Custard
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar divided
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- dash of 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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top pan of a double boiler. Into the sugar and flour, blend 3 egg yolks and the milk.1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, dash salt, 3 egg yolks, 2 cups milk
- 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.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spread a small amount of the custard 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.45 vanilla wafers, 5 ripe bananas
- Make two more layers of wafers, bananas and custard for a total of 3 layers, ending with custard.
- Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.3 egg whites
- Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the meringue is stiff but not dry.1/4 cup sugar
- 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 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.
Notes
- Cover the leftovers and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days. Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on May 22, 2009. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Short of 2T of butter and it’s as close to Granny’s as it gets.
Just a note because this recipe is the one that has been passed down from my grandmother’s granny. I have found a delicious secret that I use and it adds depth to my custard…..along with the 1 tsp of vanilla, add 1/2 tsp. of banana extract. Everybody who tries my recipe wants to know “my secret”. With you sharing so many wonderful recipes, I thought you might enjoy my secret (be sure to shake it up before you use the extracts because the liquor is on a layer at the top. I found out the hard way). Thank you for your fabulous recipes because my house burned down and I lost a lot of family recipes. You are a blessing, Miss Lana!
Thanks for that tip! I’ll definitely try it next time.
From making our family favorite, “Floating Island”, a lake of vanilla custard with meringue “islands” floating on top, I’ve learned you couldn’t go wrong doubling the amount of vanilla in this recipe.
Carey
This loooks SOOOO good it reminds me of my grandma baking and cooking 😋😋😋
Excellent recipe! I enjoyed making it.
This is the only way to make banana pudding, and this old woman has been using the Nabisco recipe for well over 60 years. What amazes me is that today’s cooking sets do not include double boilers and I use mine a lot for reheating things like chicken and dumplings. Therefore, my standard wedding gift has become a double boiler with the banana pudding recipe inside.
Oh, what a great idea! I use my double boiler frequently as well. The best way to cook those things that would tend to stick to the bottom of the pan over direct heat.
I make this when I am nostalgic (or when there’s a gathering of older folks, or kids, or teens, or young adults…..). The only person that I know that does not like banana pudding is Pete, because he doesn’t like bananas. But he’s pretty spectacular in every other way, so I think we can overlook his unfortunate position related to bananas. Go figure.
I add 2 tablespoons of butter at the end of the pudding stage, after it has thickened and is off the heat. Give that a try the next time you make this, and tell me if you like that little addition.
Thanks for reminding me of how much I really like our memories.
Miss P
Hi Lana,
I really like your recipe for banana pudding. I’ve made it a lot, got a request this week for two. I always double the recipe.
This is REAL BANANA PUDDING! I am so tired of people mixing a cold pudding and pouring it over wafers and bananas. The wafers stay hard and its just not good.
THANKS
You’re right, Gloria! It’s nothing like the real thing. Nice warm custard and a golden meringue … can’t beat that!
So often in using meringue on pies, etc., I end up with a watery mess on top resulting in a failed effort. An aunt of mine used the cornstarch recipe, which I have somewhere in my files, and always seemed successful. What is your secret, Lana?
No secret, Stella. I just beat the whites until stiff and plop them on top. I’ve never used starch or cream of tartar in mine at all and they always turn out great.
Thank you for the Delish Recipes, k have searched the supermarket for these Nilla Biscuits to no avail here in Oz, what other biscuits would/could you reccommend for this Banana Pudding, it looks awesome and so much want to try it
Hi Beverly, I’m surprised you can’t find the cookies since I thought Nabisco was distributed globally. The “nilla wafers” are a vanilla flavored crisp cookie. Anything similar should work well. I’ve seen banana pudding made with the Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies as well. Perhaps you’d have better luck finding those. I would also think that the British digestive biscuits might work in this recipe. I’m not positive about that, but it would seem like a possible alternative.
Just made this and I had to make another batch of custard to cover the called for layers of bananas and vanilla wafers. I didn’t use it all, but it definitely needed more to cover. Has anyone else had that problem?
Never had that problem in the 40+ years I’ve been making it! This is the original recipe from Nabisco with their original measurements.
Thanks for the quick reply. I must have used too much on the bottom before the first layer of bananas and wafers. I was using the same recipe, but from another site. I found your site when I was searching the issue.
I always have to make two batches to cover. I am using a 2 quart dish instead of a quart and a half because my dish is square. I have Me there several times and have had to always make two batches of custard.
My family was from Oklahoma and Arkansas and banana pudding was the thing, pudding, bananas and vanilla wafers, but never meringue, that must truly be a Southern thing and I’m sure it is great, ours were topped with the cookies. Love lemon and chocolate meringue pies vs whipped topping.
Sharon – this is the original recipe from Nabisco which calls for a meringue. We love it this way, but without it would be just as good :-)
My hubby recently asked for a banana pudding after visiting Tennessee and I mad a Paula Dean recipe. It was delicious but this is more of the recipe I was looking for. I’ll have to try this recipe too!
Megan – I know people think Paula’s cooking is authentic southern food, but it’s not. She takes our basic recipes and really goes over the top with the butter, cream, etc. Give my banana pudding recipe a try and I think you’ll like it even better.
This looks amazing. I love banana pudding. The best I had was at The Lady & Sons in Savannah, GA. That Paula Deen makes a mean Banana Pudding. This looks sooooo good. I want some right now.
Well, this is the original recipe from Nabisco, the makers of the vanilla wafers. It’s very easy and always turns out perfectly for me.
Oh my goodness, my kids (5 and 3 yrs old) are going to love this recipe!
Dear Lana, a funny story I thought you might appreciate…
Right after discovering your blog I showed it to my boyfriend whose mom lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, of which he has fond memories. He immediately went crazy, particularly over banana pudding (which I had never heard of) and decided one day recently to make for me (as a treat, for when I stepped through the door after a long day at work) banana pudding, gormet chocolate chip cookies and perfect gin and tonics – he gave himself an hour and a half for all of this.
Naturally, when I stepped through the door I found my entire kitchen covered in flour, sugar, sliced bananas, containers of milk, eggs, raisins and butter, kitchen appliances, oven trays, a laptop set up next to the stove, custard failing to thicken on the stove and chocolate on the floor.
To cut a long story short, I did not freak out and after a few trips to the store he returned with some missing ingredients, including a litre of freshly made custard (the custard on the stove met with an unfortunate accident), ALL of which he used in the pudding so that the result was islands of biscuit, banana and meringue swimming in custard.
The pudding turned out ok – you can’t put those ingredients together and not end up with something good – but I have a technical question. Is the banana meant to taste raw or cooked? In the version we had it was uncooked, even though it had been in the oven for over 20min. I would imagine that it should taste cooked..? Stephan (the boyfriend) can’t remember and enjoyed it too much to care :)
Oh, Lee! Thanks for the best laugh I’ve had in quite a while. I can just imagine what your kitchen looked like! Tell Stephan that the bananas should be ripe but still firm, some little specks of brown on the peel but not too dark, for the pudding. The end result will be raw bananas, but they will be warm (from the warm pudding) and somewhat soft. Sort of a cross between raw and cooked, actually. The oven time is only for browning the meringue, not cooking the pudding. If you didn’t use a meringue you wouldn’t put it in the oven at all. After thinking about it I suppose you could almost call this a trifle. It should have a similar consistency.
Hope you and Stephan will give it another try. So funny…
It’s all about those nilla wafers! We made a banana pudding cake not too long ago that knocked the socks off. Everyone loves nana pudding.
I love your commentary on southern cuisine. It reminds me of my childhood in a small town. That MOST CERTAINLY looks like the “Real Deal”. YUM. Thanks for sharing.
And I instantly knew what you meant by “putting up”. :)
I loved your comments today about past cooking and shopping routines. My mom was always looking at new recipes, but she hardly ever tried them because “I don’t have that in my cabinet”. If it wasn’t made with eggs, flour, sugar, milk, cornmeal, or “grease”, it meant an extra trip to the store, where she swore she could never find what the recipe called for. I have about mastered “lacy” cornbread like hers, and it has only taken 61 years.
This was MY mom’s banana pudding recipe also, Lana. What great memories it brings back.
Anything with bananas and vanilla wafers has my vote – this looks awesome!
This is just like Mom’s! Thanks for sharing!
Was it Aunt Margie that always made banana puddin’? I can’t remember exactly which aunt, but I certainly remember the wonderful taste. It is worth the small amount of extra effort. Thanks for the memory.
Miss P
Oh my, this is such a “keeper”…i have never had this version before but be sure we will test this one out this weekend! Love it that ou are do what you know best!! that is always a winner. best, s
Looks like the real deal to me. I love bananas!!