Banana Pudding

From the kitchen of Carly

Silky custard-based pudding built on egg yolks and banana liqueur, layered with vanilla wafers and fresh banana slices. Rich, creamy, and deeply satisfying, this is dessert comfort food that actually tastes like real bananas instead of artificial flavoring.

Banana Pudding

Custard-based pudding built on egg yolks and a banana liqueur backbone, thick and glossy, with a crisp cinnamon-butter wafer crumble that doesn't get soggy. The trick is tempering the yolks slowly so they thicken the milk without scrambling, then pressing plastic wrap on the surface to kill the skin. Real banana pudding, not the condensed version.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 5 largeegg yolks
  • 1/2 cupsugar
  • 1/4 cupcornstarch
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 2 cupwhole milk
  • 3 tbspbanana liqueur
  • 2 tspvanilla extract
  • 2 tbspunsalted butter
  • 2ripe bananas
  • 1 cupvanilla wafers
  • 2 tspsugar
  • 1/4 tspground cinnamon
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 1 tbspunsalted butter
  • 1melted

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt; set aside. Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan, then pull it off the heat. Drizzle a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly, then once the bottom of the bowl feels warm, slowly whisk in the rest. Pour everything back into a clean medium saucepan (starting with a clean pan keeps the pudding from scorching), pour in the banana liqueur, and set it over medium-low heat. Whisk steadily until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes, then keep whisking until the pudding turns glossy and quite thick, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more. Scrape it into a clean bowl.

  2. Scatter in the vanilla and butter, then whisk gently until the butter melts completely into the pudding. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface so a skin cannot form, and refrigerate for 4 hours.

  3. While the pudding chills, heat the oven to 325°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Seal the vanilla wafers inside a resealable plastic bag with all the air pressed out, then crush them with a rolling pin or the flat bottom of a heavy saucepan until coarsely ground. Tip the crumbs into a small bowl and stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Spoon in the melted butter and stir until the mixture is evenly coated, then spread it across the prepared baking sheet. Toast in the oven until the crumbs are brown and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or freeze for up to 2 months; re-crisp in a 325°F oven for 6 to 7 minutes before using.

  4. Cut each banana in half crosswise, then split each piece lengthwise so you have 4 quarters per banana. Slice those quarters crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and distribute them among 6 custard cups or martini glasses, adding a squeeze of lemon juice if you want to keep the fruit from browning. Give the chilled pudding a 30-second whisk until it loosens to a smooth, soft consistency, then spoon it over the bananas. Finish each cup with a generous layer of the toasted wafer crumbs and serve right away. If serving later, keep the pudding covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and scatter the crumbs on just before bringing them to the table.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Temper your yolks carefully by whisking in the hot milk a splash at a time, then slowly pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan, not the other way around. Cold eggs hitting hot milk scrambles them instantly.
  • Toast the wafer crumbs until they smell nutty and dark, not pale. The butter and sugar caramelize a bit, which is when they taste like dessert instead of cardboard.
  • Make this pudding the day before serving if you can. Four hours minimum in the fridge, but overnight lets the banana and vanilla flavors deepen and round out.

Variations

  • Skip the banana liqueur and use 1/2 teaspoon banana extract or omit it entirely for a pure vanilla custard, then layer fresh banana slices between pudding and crumble.
  • Swap the vanilla wafers for gingersnaps or butter cookies and swap the cinnamon for cardamom or nutmeg in the crumble.
  • Fold whipped cream into the chilled pudding before serving for an airy, mousse-like texture, or dollop it on top instead.

Make ahead and storage

Covered in the fridge, the pudding keeps for up to 4 days and the wafer crumble stays in an airtight container for 5 days. Assemble just before eating so the crumbs don't soften from the custard's moisture.