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
I haven’t had homemade banana puddin’ since I was a little girl. Gonna’ be makin’ this real soon!!! Thanks for the great recipe & perfect instructions! BTW! I love your blog!!
Wonderful Recipe !!
What great memories this recipe brought back to me.
I can remember standing on a chair next to the stove,(wearing one of my Mama’s aprons tied up under my arm pits LOL) anxiously waiting and watching for the puddin’ to coat the spoon, so it’d be thick enough to pour over the ‘Niller Wafers.
I am “proud” that you used a silver teaspoon to stir the puddin’.
Mama always used a silver spoon, never used a wooden spoon for cooking the pudding.
And you are right !! It has to be ‘Nilla Vanilla Wafers or it just
aint gonna taste like Home-made vanilla puddin.’ And the recipe was always on the side of the box. Mama kept a tiny bottle of Pure Vanilla Extract for this recipe too. None of that cheap imitation vanilla extract for THIS recipe.
We always made meningue to top ours. We anxiously watched thru the
“cracked” oven door to see that it didn’t get too browned.
Thanks again for including this recipe.
A perfect creation: 1 suggestion you have to try it with Watkins Double Strength Vanilla Flavoring clear or dark is not a big deal just personal preferrence but for some reason the flavor of the bananas seem to explode in your mouth. The only thing I could figure out is why you didn’t make a meringue you know how us Southerners are we like a little tea with our sugar water LOL.I saw you said add to liking if meringue is what you like or the splenda for a less fattening way but you know it ain’t good unless it is fattening You are the best Love your ideas and what you share.
Bryan Bentley
A Banana Pudding avid eater!:)
Oh I wish I was from the South – I love the food and I’m learning to make it – I’ve never heard of this kind of Banana Pudding – can’t wait to spring it on the grandkids. Now I know this is not a southern recipe, but I seriously need a GOOD tomatoe sauce recipe to use meatballs, lasagne etc. Thanks in advance from the great but not south state of Idaho!
I just love nanner puddin,Thanks
Christy,
With your talent of cooking, you need to open a restuarant!! . The banana pudding sounds great,If it is not made from scratch,, it is no good. These southern belles know what good food is about. Thanks for all the hard work you put into this. I could read your site all day.
Hi all! Thanks for the wonderful website! My wife and I recently moved from San Diego to Savannah GA and have been trying to take in all the southern culture and cooking we can.
I cook dangerously too, and hopefully I won’t anger any true blood southerners here but I added some peanut butter to the pudding and then whipped up some cream/sugar/cocoa powder into a topping. It definitely satiated my sweet tooth! I’ll make sure to try the traditional way someday real soon though.