Vanilla Wafer Pudding Recipe With Pineapple

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A close cousin to our vanilla wafer homemade banana pudding recipe, our vanilla wafer pudding with pineapple is just as delicious with a light sunshiney sweetness that perfectly complements the custard pudding texture.

Serving of Vanilla Wafer Pineapple Pudding

Banana pudding is a popular dessert in the South, but today I’m sharing a great substitution for bananas with this pineapple vanilla wafer pudding recipe. Crushed pineapple is the perfect substitution for that fresh banana flavor and the lightly sweet taste perfectly complements the homemade custard. Add that toasted fluffy meringue topping and crunchy Nilla wafers and you have what I call a delectable dessert!

This is great when folks don’t care for bananas or if you don’t have any on hand, since canned pineapple is nice and shelf-stable. Banana pudding aficionados don’t skip a beat when you place this before them either. My kids can attest to that and they usually don’t like pineapple but they love this vanilla pudding!

Keep on scrolling, because this post is full of helpful tips. Today you’ll also learn:

  • How easy it is to make a pudding custard from scratch. Now, y’all know one of my favorite baking shortcuts is using instant pudding mix. But today I’m forgoing an instant vanilla pudding mix to show you how easy it is to make a homemade custard.
  • How to make a perfect meringue with ingredients you have on hand.

Now let’s make some vanilla wafer pudding with pineapple!

Ingredients for Vanilla Wafer Pineapple Pudding.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Vanilla wafers
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Sugar
  • Crushed pineapple
  • Eggs
  • Salt
  • Vanilla extract

How to Make Vanilla Wafer Pudding

First, separate eggs.

To begin making your custard, crack and separate your eggs: whites in one bowl and yolks in the other.

Don’t let ANY of those yolks slip into your whites

It is important that you not get any yolks in your whites because we are going to whip those up into a meringue later and if they have yolks in them, it won’t work. However, if you do get yolks in them, you can just go ahead and leave the meringue off and serve it plain or with a whipping cream topping as well.

Place milk, flour, sugar, and eggs in a saucepan.

In a medium saucepot, combine your milk, flour, sugar, and eggs.

Constantly stir ingredients until smooth and thick.

Place this over medium heat and stir constantly until it is smooth, creamy, and thickened.

This will probably take 10-15 minutes so you can use this time to call your Mama!

Once done, remove from heat and add vanilla.

 Once that is all thick and creamy and delicious, pour in your vanilla extract.

Vanilla wafer custard pudding mixture.

Yum diddly custard pudding! 

Place half of the wafers in the bottom of the baking dish.

Place half of the vanilla wafer cookies in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish.

Spread half of the pineapple over the wafers.

 Spread half of the crushed pineapple (undrained) over this. 

Top with half of the custard.

 Pour half of the pudding mixture over.

Add remaining wafers.

Add the rest of the wafers. 

Then remaining pineapple.

The rest of the crushed pineapple…

Top vanilla wafer and pineapple layers with remaining pudding.

and the rest of the pudding mixture. 

Place egg whites in clean mixing bowl.

How to Make Your Meringue

 Place egg whites in a perfectly clean mixing bowl. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

This means that when you pull the beaters out of it, there is a peak of meringue sticking up where the beaters were and it collapses down a little after you remove the beaters.

Add sugar and beat until still peaks form.

This means that when you pull the beaters out of it, there is a peak of meringue sticking up where the beaters were and it stays sticking up.

You can see photos of making meringue on this post.

Spread meringue over the top of the vanilla wafer pudding.

Spread the meringue over the top of your pudding, taking care to make sure it touches the sides of the pan on all sides.

This prevents it from pulling back from the sides while it bakes.

Place in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or just until the meringue is lightly brown. Check it often while cooking.

I prefer to serve this immediately while it is still warm but you can wait a bit or even serve it cold later. But please try warm and fresh first!

Serving of vanilla wafer pudding with pineapple.

Before you dig in, take a moment to close your eyes, bow your head, and give thanks for all of your blessings.

Enjoy 🙂

Storage

Now, custard never freezes well, so I don’t recommend freezing leftovers. But you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge instead for up to 4 days.

Recipe Notes

  • Remember these two important meringue tips. First, your mixing bowl has to be totally clean because if there is any greasy residue it will keep the meringue from setting up. Second, remember NO egg yolks or the meringue won’t work.
  • If you want to forgo the meringue, simply serve the vanilla wafer pudding with homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip instead.
  • Substitute the vanilla wafer cookies for graham crackers or chessmen cookies.
  • Swap the pineapple for another fruit, like sliced banana if you want to make a traditional Nilla wafer banana pudding or canned peaches.

Recipe FAQs

What vanilla wafers should I use?

My mother says you have to buy a name-brand Nabisco Nilla wafer box and I do agree with her, they really are the best. However, if my budget doesn’t allow it, I have no problem with buying generic at 50% of the cost of the name brand. Once you drown them in this yummy pudding, no one will know the difference unless you tell them.

You may also like these delicious dessert recipes:

How To Make Homemade Banana Pudding From Scratch

Frozen Southern Banana Pudding Cups

Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe With Meringue Topping

Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Super Moist)

Chocolate Vanilla Wafer Pudding Recipe

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding

Vanilla Wafer Pudding Recipe with Pineapple

Similar to banana pudding, our vanilla wafer pudding with pineapple has a light sunshiney sweetness that perfectly complements the custard pudding texture.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pineapple, pudding, vanilla, wafer
Servings: 4
Calories: 329kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar or Swerve
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • dash salt
  • 1 box vanilla wafers
  • 1 can crushed pineapple 20-ounce, undrained

Meringue

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

  • Place the egg yolks, milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook until thickened (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
    1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 3 egg yolks, 2 cups milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, dash salt
  • Place half of the wafers in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Spread 1/2 of the crushed pineapple on top, cover with 1/2 of the custard, and repeat.
    1 box vanilla wafers, 1 can crushed pineapple
  • Place egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (see post for more clarification on this). Add sugar and beat again until stiff peaks form. Spread over the top of the pudding and take care to make sure the meringue touches the sides all around. Place in a 350-degree oven until the top is lightly brown (about 15 minutes).
    3 egg whites, 1/4 cup sugar
  • Best if served warm.

Notes

Notes to remember: 
  • No yolks in the meringue mix or it won't work.
  • Make sure the mixing bowl for the meringue doesn't have any grease in it or the meringue won't set.
  • If you don't want the meringue, the vanilla wafer pudding tastes great with whipped cream on top too.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

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142 Comments

  1. My mom has been making pineapple pudding since I was a small boy. I’m 62 now, so that’s been awhile. She (we) make it just like banana pudding with the Nila wafers and the homemade custard. I’ll have to try your recipe…sounds delicious.

  2. 5 stars
    Mom and Daddy worked in the cotton mills of Gastonia and we never threw anything out that could be warmed up or used to make something else. Mom made this, banana or strawberry pudding every Sunday with home made custard. I still make it just like she did and everyone who tries it LOVES it. Thank you for sharing recipes that bring memories to mind and are so good!!!!

    1. 5 stars
      Hey Ruth! I just found this recipe and was reading the comments. Originally I’m from Gastonia! It would be so cool if we knew each other! Do you know any Crenshaw’s?

  3. Wondering about question about using oven if you use whipped cream instead of meringue? Not a fan of meringue…do you still heat it up before adding whipped cream? You don’t want whipped cream to melt. Thinking heat it some and let it cool.
    Does it need cooking at all?

  4. I have a question Christy. I am living the gluten free lifestyle and have recently bought a box of gluten free vanilla wafers. Not sure how they taste her but want to try your recipe with them. Should I substitute cornstarch for the flour?

    Thanking you in advance,

  5. Thank you for sharing about attitude. I am almost 72 years old and I have developed some very unhappy feeling. Your message helped me. Now I will make some pineapple pudding

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