Banana Pudding (With Homemade Custard!)
There are so many ways to make banana pudding but my version is made as from scratch as possible while still using the classic ‘Nilla Wafers! It uses a homemade pastry cream and whipped cream layered with banana slices and wafer cookies.
Banana pudding is one of my all time favorite flavors. I LOVE baking with bananas in general but the textures from the vanilla wafer cookies with the fresh banana slices, vanilla pastry cream and whipped cream are just the best.
I made this banana pudding cake (one of my all time favorite cakes) a couple years back and then a cupcake version so I thought it was time for a classic version.
How To Make Banana Pudding, Step-by-Step Photos
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Start making the pastry cream by whisking together the egg, sugar, cornstarch and salt until they’re smooth.
- Heat the milk and then use it to temper the eggs. Then return the whole mixture to the pot.
- Cook the pastry cream for just a couple of minutes, until it starts to thicken, whisking aggressively and then pour it into a bowl with the butter and vanilla.
- It’ll split at first but as you whisk, the butter and pastry cream will come back together and be smooth and silky.
- Cover the top of the pastry cream with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill.
Whipped Cream
- Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla, once the cupcakes and the pastry cream have cooled completely and you’re ready to assemble.
Assemble
- Thinly Slice the bananas and toss them with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning in the pan.
- Spread a thin layer of the whipped cream on the bottom of a sheet pan or a trifle dish and then top with a generous layer of banana slices followed by vanilla wafer cookies.
- Spread a layer of pastry cream on top of the wafer cookies, followed by another layer of whipped cream and repeat until you’re out of ingredients – I usually do three generous layers in a trifle dish.
- Top with a few slices of bananas and wafer cookies and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving.
How To Store Banana Pudding
Banana pudding definitely needs to be refrigerated for a few hours before serving but make sure to also store it in the refrigerator when not serving. It’s good for a few days but it starts to get kind of soggy after day 3ish so I recommend serving within 1-2 days.
I haven’t tried freezing banana pudding but I would imagine it would get all watery/leaking once defrosted so I don’t recommend it.
Let me know what you think of my version of banana pudding and if you have any questions, please comment down below – those will get answered much quicker than email or through social media.
If you’ve tried this, I would very much appreciate a star rating or review as well.
As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
Classic Banana Pudding Recipe
A classic banana pudding recipe made with homemade pastry cream, whipped cream and fresh banana slices. As from scratch as it gets while keeping the Nilla Wafers lol.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 medium pot
- 1 sieve
Ingredients
- 11 oz box of Nilla Wafers (I like the minis) may have some extra
Pastry Cream
- 3 large eggs (OR 9 large egg yolks)* room temperature
- 90 grams (2/3 + 1 Tbsp) cornstarch
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 360 cups (3 cups/24oz ) milk
- 113 grams (1/2 cup/8 Tbsp/1 stick) salted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
Chantilly Cream
- 60 grams (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
- tiny pinch fine sea salt
- 300 mL (2 1/2 cups/20 oz) heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
Bananas
- 8 large ripe bananas not over-ripe, just good for eating
- 30 mL (2 Tbsp/1oz) lemon juice juice of 1/2 large lemon
Instructions
Pastry Cream
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt aggressively for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture becomes smooth and runny, with no more chunks.3 large eggs (OR 9 large egg yolks)*, 90 grams (2/3 + 1 Tbsp) cornstarch, 150 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- In a medium saucepan (preferably stainless steel or nonstick – avoid aluminum), heat the milk over medium heat, just until it comes to a simmer.360 cups (3 cups/24oz ) milk
- Temper the eggs by streaming half of the milk into the egg mixture while continuing to whisk.
- Dump the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, while whisking continuously.
- Within 1-3 minutes, the mixture should start to thicken, continue whisking.
- Once it's starting to stick to the pan, whisk aggressively for another 30-60 seconds. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl with the butter and vanilla.113 grams (1/2 cup/8 Tbsp/1 stick) salted butter, 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
- Allow the heat from the pastry cream to melt the butter for a second and then gently whisk it. It may separate at first but it'll come back together as you whisk it.
- The pastry cream should be smooth and silky now, if you have any lumps, feel free to push it though a sieve. Allow to cool completely before moving forward. You can make this the night before and refrigerate it.
Chantilly Cream
- Sift the powdered sugar and salt into the bowl of the stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer).60 grams (1/2 cup) powdered sugar, tiny pinch fine sea salt
- Add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla bean paste on top and beat at medium-low speed for about 1-2 minutes, until it starts to thicken.300 mL (2 1/2 cups/20 oz) heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
- Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes, until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't over-beat passed this.
- Use the rubber spatula to scrape the edge of the bowl and fold it a couple of times to make it smooth and silky.
Assemble
- Slice the bananas thinly and drizzle some lemon juice on top so they don't brown.8 large ripe bananas, 30 mL (2 Tbsp/1oz) lemon juice
- Spread about 1/4 of the whipped cream on the bottom of the pan or trifle dish. Place a generous layer of banana slices (about 1/3 of the amount you have – I like to do two thin layers of bananas) on top, followed by about 1/3 of the vanilla wafers (again, I like to do two layers of the mini wafers).11 oz box of Nilla Wafers (I like the minis)
- Then spread about 1/3 of the pastry cream on top of the vanilla wafers, followed by about another 1/4 of the whipped cream. Repeat doing the same thing for the next two layers, saving just a few banana slices and vanilla wafers to decorate the top.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least a few hours or overnight!
Notes
*I generally make my pastry cream with just egg yolks for more flavor and color but it can be made with whole eggs instead so we don’t have to waste so many egg whites. This is such a large quantity so I opted for using whole eggs but you could also do both whole eggs and extra egg yolks if you have yolks to use up.
Replace 1 egg white with 2 egg yolks – so you could do 1 whole egg with 6 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs with 3 egg yolks, etc. It’s great either way and hardly noticeable.
**A lot of recipes mix their pudding with the whipped cream, you can mix these two and use them that way but I love seeing the different color variations, tasting the different components and feeling the different textures.
Nutrition
Calories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 161mgPotassium: 361mgFiber: 2gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 622IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!