Vanilla pudding made from scratch layered with bananas & chessman cookies
It’s never a bad time for a good banana pudding. This sweet treat is something we hold dear in the Black American community, although there is controversy on the “right” way to make it. Banana pudding is a traditional dessert that has its roots in the United States. The dish is made by layering cooked vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers in a dish, and is often topped with whipped cream or meringue. The origins of banana pudding can be traced back to the 19th century, where it was a popular dessert among southern cooks. It gained widespread popularity in the 20th century, and is often associated with traditional southern cuisine. Today, banana pudding is a popular dessert that can be found in many restaurants and homes across the United States. Some make a custard, top it with a meringue, and bake in the oven. Most recipes online use instant pudding and nilla wafers.
Although, many recipes call for boxed vanilla pudding, I prefer to make my pudding from scratch. It’s really simple and you probably already have the ingredients at home. In a cold pot, add milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch. Cook the pudding until it thickens, then add vanilla and butter. This vanilla pudding is so good it can be used in your favorite desserts or enjoyed alone. I use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract which gives the pudding a stronger concentration of vanilla flavor and vanilla beans throughout the pudding.
After the pudding has chilled in the fridge for a few hours, I fold fresh whipped cream. Slice bananas, crush some cookies, and the pudding is ready to be assembled.
Slice the bananas, crush the cookies, and layer the pudding. Finish with remaining whipped cream, cookies, and if you want something extra special, drizzle with our Easy To Make Salted Caramel. Enjoy!
The Best Banana Pudding Recipe Online
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1-½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 3 large bananas sliced
- 2 packages of cookies use any butter cookies you like or nilla wafers
Instructions
- Add the first 5 ingredients to a cold pot and whisk to combine. Turn your burner to medium heat. Stir. Don’t take your eyes off the pudding because it can thicken quickly. Also don’t stir more than 3-4 times before it thickens.
- When the pudding starts to thicken, stir with a spoon making sure the pudding doesn't stick the bottom and sides of the pan. When the pudding is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, turn off the heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Strain the pudding through a mesh strainer, seal with plastic wrap touching the surface of the pudding, & refrigerate about 3-4 hours or overnight.
- Add heavy cream to your stand mixer (or use hand mixer) and whisk until the cream starts to thicken. Add sweetened condensed milk and continue to whisk until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
- After pudding is chilled, gently fold in whipped cream until fully incorporated.
- Slice bananas and crush cookies.
- Layer pudding, cookies, bananas in a bowl or mason jar and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to soften the cookies and combine the flavors. Serve and enjoy!
You must be logged in to post a comment.