How To Make Homemade Banana Pudding From Scratch
If you ask most Southerners about their favorite comfort dessert, Banana Pudding is going to come up pretty quick. Not the kind from a box of instant mix. That’s a whole different thing, and we don’t talk about it here. This is the recipe y’all have been asking for. It takes patience at the stovetop, but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never go back. And if you love this custard base, you’ll also want to try our Banana Pudding with Meringue Topping and our Frozen Banana Pudding Cups for two more ways to enjoy it all summer long!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Homemade Banana Pudding
- Ready In: 25 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: sugar, flour, egg yolks, milk, box Nilla wafers, bananas, vanilla, dash salt
- Why You'll Love It: This homemade banana pudding recipe includes making the creamy vanilla pudding from scratch and serving it over Nilla wafers and fresh-cut bananas for the most delicious Southern treat.
If you have ever wanted to know how to make banana pudding from scratch, y’all, you are in exactly the right place. This is the real deal. Homemade vanilla custard poured warm over fresh banana slices and Nilla wafers, just the way Southern grandmothers have been making it for as long as anyone can remember.
The magic is in the custard. Egg yolks, milk, sugar, and flour come together into a rich, silky vanilla pudding that soaks right into those Nilla wafers and turns the whole bowl into something truly special. It takes about 15 minutes of gentle stirring, and I want you to know every single minute is worth it.
☝️ Before You Get Started
Use Nilla brand wafers. I am not usually a brand stickler (well, except for White Lily flour), but if you are going to make banana pudding, you might as well do it right. Generic wafers just are not the same.
No meringue here. I like meringue just fine, but I know plenty of folks who don’t. So this recipe keeps it simple and skips that step. If you do want to add a meringue topping, head over to our Lemon Meringue Pie for step-by-step instructions and photos that will walk you right through it.
Want to serve it cold? Many folks refrigerate their banana pudding and serve it topped with Cool Whip or fresh whipped cream. Both are delicious. Totally your call.
Making it as a trifle? Double the recipe and layer everything into a glass trifle bowl. More layers, more wow factor, more banana pudding for everybody. Our Creamy Dreamy Fruit Trifle shows you just how beautiful a layered dessert in a trifle bowl can look.
No vanilla wafers on hand? Graham crackers make a wonderful substitute and give this a slightly different but equally delicious flavor.
Ingredients you’ll need for the best classic banana pudding:
- 1/2 cup sugar (or swerve)
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk
- 1 box Nilla wafers
- 5 ripe bananas
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Dash of salt
How to Make Homemade Banana Pudding From Scratch
Put a layer of Nilla wafers in the bottom of a medium-sized mixing bowls.
Slice a banana over the top.
Repeat these layers until you’ve used up all your vanilla wafers and bananas. It really is important that you put Nilla wafers first, by the way. These are going to soak up all the yummy pudding that settles at the bottom of your bowl.
Repeat these layers until you’ve used up all your vanilla wafers and bananas. It really is important that you put Nilla wafers first, by the way. These are going to soak up all the yummy pudding that settles at the bottom of your bowl.
Crack your three eggs and separate the egg whites from the yolks, and place flour, sugar (or your favorite sweetener), and a dash of salt in a saucepan.
Add milk to the saucepan.
Put this milk mixture on the stovetop on medium-low heat and stir it really well with a whisk or a spoon.
Now settle in and BE PATIENT. You need to stir the pot constantly, scraping the bottom so none of it gets a chance to stick and scorch. This will take about 15 minutes, so I usually get something to read while I stand there and stir because I don’t think I’ve ever “just” done one thing for 15 minutes straight.
Seriously, be patient, keep stirring, don’t turn the heat up past four. Now, your pudding isn’t going to get super thick, but after about 15 minutes of stirring, it will suddenly get thicker. The consistency will be about what that boxed pudding is right after you mix it before it sets well. TAKE IT OFF THE EYE! Quick! We don’t want it to scorch or keep getting thicker.
If you end up with a scorched pudding or lumpy pudding mixture, you can still use it (and go a little slower next time!).
Add the vanilla and immediately pour vanilla pudding over your sliced banana and wafers.
💡 Cookin’ Tip:
Let this sit for about five minutes so the pudding has time to soak into the wafers.
IT IS SO GOOD! Eat it warm, then refrigerate leftovers. I prefer to eat the leftovers cold. YUM!
How to Store Banana Pudding
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. I don’t recommend freezing this homemade pudding, as the wafers will be too soggy.
Recipe FAQs
How do you keep bananas from turning brown in a banana pudding?
To keep bananas from turning brown, I recommend brushing the banana slices with lemon juice, which slows down any fruit browning process.
How do you serve pudding?
If you are going more casual you can serve this in a ceramic ramekin. If you are serving a crowd and don’t want to worry about dishes I love using disposable cups. If you want to fancy it up a bit it looks really pretty in a glass parfait dish as a trifle.
Can I make this pudding ahead of time?
Absolutely! This banana pudding recipe lasts four days covered in the fridge and it tastes great cold, so you could definitely make it the night before and let the pudding soak into the wafers overnight.
Is one banana dessert not enough? Check out these other delicious banana recipes:
Caramel Banana Pie AKA Easy Banoffee Pie
Banana French Toast with Pecans
Recipe for Banana Brownies (with Quick Peanut Butter Honey Icing)
If you make this homemade banana pudding, I would love to hear how it turned out! Leave a star rating and a comment below. It truly means the world to me and helps other folks find this recipe too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar or swerve
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk
- 1 box Nilla wafers
- 5 bananas
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- dash salt
Instructions
- Place a layer of Nilla Wafers in the bottom of a medium-sized mixing bowl. Slice a banana over the top. Repeat two more times with another layer of wafers and the remaining bananas.1 box Nilla wafers, 5 bananas
- In a saucepot (or double boiler) on medium-low heat, add all ingredients except for the vanilla. Stir well with a wire whisk. Allow to cook, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until thickened – about 15 minutes.1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 3 egg yolks, 2 cups milk, dash salt
- Add in vanilla and stir. Immediately pour over wafers and bananas. Let sit for about five minutes or so before serving, to allow wafers time to absorb pudding. Top with meringue, if desired.1/2 tsp vanilla
Nutrition
So you don’t have to bake the pudding in the oven?
Nope 🙂
If i do the merigue on top do i need to bake it then just so it gets a little color
Yes ma’am, I’d put it in at 350 for about 10 minutes (I didn’t sleep much last night and I’m guessing so keep watch on it) and it should get nice and golden 🙂
I remember making this as a little girl I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love that this recipe is without bananas because I can’t stand them!
This recipe is also good with graham crackers if you do not have vanilla wafers.
Oh my goodness! I LOVE Graham crackers! Thank you!
My Grandmother ALWAYS made her own ” old fashioned tea cakes” to use in her banana pudding…was always delicious!
I bet that was good!! I am going to have to try that!!
I used a wafer thin almond cookie. I had several packages on hand and no Vanilla wafers.
I have never made homemade pudding, just lemon filling for pie which is very similar . I rarely use recipes I love to cook from scratch rarely measuring exact.
However I had never made pudding , i give this recipe 10 out of 10 stars, oh , and I never rate things . Best banana pudding ever, my husbands fav thing and I managed to make it even better.
TThanks so much ,
Mary Christopher
Harper , Texas
My 16yr old daughter & I have made this twice now. The first time we made this recipe & a second recipe, that was required to be baked. This recipe won !! Last night (2nd time) we made this recipe, and another recipe containing: pre made pudding, cool whip, and condensed milk.. This recipe won AGAIN❤️ Wouldn’t modify a thing! My family loves it this way, and I LOVE spending 15 extra minutes talking to my daughter as she consistently stirs the pudding❤️
That just made my day Barbara!!! I love that y’all are spending time together and am thrilled that y’all like my recipe!!!
Wish me luck! Gonna make banana pudding for the first time for my boyfriend as it is his favorite. Gosh I hope he likes it! And not just because I made it lol! Thanks for the recipe!
Love your comment section! I just wanted to add a hint – mix your sugar and flour together, it will get rid of little lumps of flour. You could also sift the mixture through a sifter. If I do not make a meringue, I make REAL whipped cream! It sends you over the moon❣️
My 16yr old daughter & I have made this twice now. The first time we made this recipe & second recipe that was required to be baked. This recipe won Last night (2nd time) we made this recipe and another recipe containing pre made pudding, cool whip, and condensed milk.. This recipe won AGAIN❤️ Wouldn’t modify a thing! My family loves it this way, and I LOVE spending 15 extra minutes talking to my daughter as she consistently stirs the pudding❤️
This is a good pudding; not the best, but okay and it tasted a little funny as well!
What tasted funny about the recipe? Do you make banana pudding or cook in general? How would u tweak this to make it taste better Tay?
I bet this is bomb my family uses evaporated milk instead of regular milk
It don’t get no better than this banana pudding recipe. My family has been making this same recipe
for decades.
If someone has a better one please post. I have to make to test it know if its better. But, there is no way.
Maybe your not from the south> that must be what it is.
My mother, who passed away in 2016 at age 103 yrs made this banana pudding when we were growing up. It is the only true way to make a banana pudding. We like the egg white meringue, so my mother would beat the egg whites until stiff, spread on top of the pudding and bake in the oven at about 400 degrees until golden brown. Really great.
I remember my mom making this recipe and she used real sugar and a can of carnation milk, a can of milk and an equal can of water, taste more homemade than with regular milk..Shes from Chattanooga Tennessee
Doesn’t look like old fashioned banana pudding looks more like the easy fast way.
I have made this banana pudding for exactly 4 minths it’s the talk of our monthly family day discussion I have never like the pre pudding mix so the homemade pudding does the job very well.. the only thing that I am impatient on is the waiting fir the pudding to thicken .. but at last when it gas thicken thehinemade pudding makes the banana pudding
You sound immature.. Im about to make this and if its good Im coming for you!
I use Sweet ‘n’ Low for sweetening rather than Splenda. The Splenda is probably where the strange taste is coming from. The day it is made it will not be real sweet but the next day you will not be able to tell the difference. With Sweet ‘n’ Low you don’t get the after taste and since you don’t cook it in the oven you won’t have a problem with it. My grandchildren can not tell the difference. Once my grand daughter saw me making it and could not believe it had Sweet ‘n’ Low in it. When she tasted it, she agreed it tasted just like always..great!!
Thank you so much for this recipe. Just like my mother used to make.