Best 2 Classic Banana Pudding Recipes

**Classic Banana Pudding: A Southern Delight and a Timeless Treat**

Banana pudding, a Southern classic and a timeless dessert, is an irresistible combination of creamy custard, tender bananas, and crisp vanilla wafers. This delightful treat is a symphony of flavors and textures, sure to bring a smile to anyone's face. With its simple yet elegant presentation, banana pudding is perfect for any occasion, from casual gatherings to special celebrations. In this article, we present two irresistible recipes for classic banana pudding: one made from scratch with homemade custard and the other a no-bake version for those who prefer a quicker and easier option. Both recipes yield a luscious and creamy pudding that perfectly complements the sweet bananas and crunchy wafers. So, gather your ingredients and let's embark on a culinary journey to create this Southern treasure.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

CLASSIC BANANA PUDDING

Classic Banana Pudding image

The key to this simple, but delicious banana pudding is the homemade vanilla custard, which sets up to the perfect consistency. It's not too thick, but not too thin. The addition of a small amount of heavy cream also gives the custard a luscious texture with just the right amount of richness.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories dessert

Time 50m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 large egg yolks
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
5 large or 7 small bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
44 vanilla wafer cookies (about half an 11-ounce box), plus more crushed cookies for topping

Steps:

Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch and egg yolks in a large bowl to make a paste. Combine the milk, 1/2 cup each heavy cream and sugar and the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, whisking constantly, until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Set the pudding aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
Spread 1/2 cup pudding in a 2-quart baking dish. Layer about one-third of the banana slices on top, followed by half of the cookies and a heaping cup of the pudding. Top with another one-third of the banana slices and another heaping cup of pudding, then top with the remaining banana slices, cookies and pudding. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, beat the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Spread on top of the pudding. Top with crushed cookies.

CLASSIC FLUFFY BANANA PUDDING

Classic Fluffy Banana Pudding image

We ate this for the first time at a BBQ place in Stephenville, TX and fell in love with it!! So, I was determined to come home and figure out how to make it...found this recipe on another website and it was identical to the one at the BBQ place :)I usually make a double recipe so it makes a large bowl.

Provided by Michelle Jackson

Categories Puddings

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1 can(s) (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 c cold water
1 box (4-serving size) instant vanilla puddin
2 c heavy whipping cream
2 box vanilla wafers
3-4 bananas, sliced
enough crushed vanilla wafers to cover top of puddin

Steps:

1. Combine sweetened condensed milk and cold water in large mixing bowl, add dry pudding mix and beat on medium speed for 3 mins or until smooth and then chill for a few mins.
2. Whip heavy cream into stiff peaks and then fold cream into pudding mixture.
3. In a large glass bowl, spread 1/2 cup of pudding on bottom of dish (or enough to cover the bottom)and top with a layer of vanilla wafers, followed by layer of bananas and then a pretty thick layer of pudding. Continue with layers, finishing with pudding on top. To crush wafers for the topping, I used a large zip lock bag and crush enough to cover top of pudding and your desired thickness of crushed wafers. Chill for 5 hrs and enjoy!

Tips:

For the best flavor, use ripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful they will be.
If you don't have vanilla wafers, you can use graham crackers or Nilla wafers instead.
To make a dairy-free version of this recipe, use almond milk or soy milk instead of milk, and vegan butter instead of regular butter.
You can add other ingredients to this recipe to your liking, such as chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or whipped cream.
This recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Just be sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap.

Conclusion:

Classic banana pudding is a delicious and easy-to-make dessert that is perfect for any occasion. With its creamy, sweet filling and crispy vanilla wafer layers, it's sure to be a hit with everyone. So next time you're looking for a special treat, give this classic recipe a try.