Banana Meringue Pudding

From the kitchen of Carly

Silky vanilla pudding layered with buttery wafers and fresh banana slices, then crowned with billowing meringue that browns to crispy perfection. This is comfort food that tastes fancy but demands almost nothing from you.

Banana Meringue Pudding

Banana meringue pudding is the dessert that doesn't ask much of you until the very end. Layers of silky custard, soggy-edged vanilla wafers, and soft banana slices build into something comforting without fuss, then a billowing toasted meringue crowns it all at the last minute. The payoff is contrast: creamy pudding against crisp, browned peaks.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 4 largeeggs
  • 2/3 cupsugar
  • 1/4 cupcornstarch
  • 4 cupwhole milk
  • 2 tbspunsalted butter
  • 2 tspvanilla extract
  • 1 pinchkosher salt
  • 111-ounce box vanilla wafer cookies
  • 3ripe bananas, thinly sliced
  • 4 largeegg whites
  • 1/2 cupsugar

Instructions

  1. Crack the 4 eggs into a large bowl and give them a light whisk just to break them up. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cornstarch, then gradually pour in the 4 cups of milk, whisking as you go. Set the pan over medium heat and whisk often until the mixture is very warm to the touch. Slowly pour half of that hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.

  2. Keep whisking constantly over the heat until the pudding thickens and the whisk leaves a clean trail behind it. It should look and feel like mayonnaise, which takes about 4 minutes. Pull the pan off the heat and drop in the butter, vanilla, and pinch of salt, whisking until the butter melts and everything comes together smooth.

  3. Pour the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into another large bowl to catch any lumps. Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding so a skin does not form, then refrigerate until fully cool, about 2 hours.

  4. Spread one-third of the pudding in an even layer across the bottom of a 2-qt. baking dish. Arrange half the vanilla wafer cookies over it, then layer on half the sliced bananas. Repeat with another third of the pudding, the remaining cookies, and the remaining bananas, finishing with the last third of pudding on top. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

  5. Right before serving, heat the broiler. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the 4 egg whites until foamy. With the motor still running, stream in the 1/2 cup sugar gradually, then bump the speed up to medium-high and continue beating until stiff peaks hold.

  6. Spoon the meringue over the chilled pudding and swirl it into dramatic peaks with the back of the spoon. Slide it under the broiler just until the meringue picks up deep brown spots, about 1 minute.

  7. The pudding, assembled without the meringue, can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep it covered and chilled until you are ready to top and broil.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Temper the eggs slowly by whisking in the hot milk gradually, then add the egg mixture back to the pan, not the other way around, or you'll scramble them. Keep whisking constantly once everything's combined to prevent lumps.
  • Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cooled pudding to stop a skin from forming, which keeps it silky when layered.
  • Don't skip straining through a fine-mesh sieve after cooking the custard. Any cooked egg bits or cornstarch lumps will ruin the texture.
  • Broil the meringue at the last possible second. One minute is usually right, but ovens vary wildly, so watch it closely. Burnt spots are your target, not the goal to avoid.
  • Assemble everything but the meringue up to two days ahead. The wafers soften gradually, soaking up pudding and becoming part of the structure rather than staying crisp.

Variations

  • Butterscotch Meringue: Swap brown sugar for white in the custard and add 2 tablespoons of molasses, then skip the bananas.
  • Chocolate Pudding: Whisk 1/4 cup cocoa powder into the sugar and cornstarch before adding milk, and use chocolate wafers instead of vanilla.
  • Peach Meringue: Replace bananas with thinly sliced fresh peaches and add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the custard.
  • No-Meringue Version: Chill the assembled pudding and top with a simple whipped cream right before serving for something less fussy.

Make ahead and storage

Refrigerate the assembled pudding (without meringue) for up to 2 days, covered. Add meringue just before serving and broil. Don't freeze, as the meringue will weep and the texture suffers.