Let me start by saying that I have standards for banana pudding. And it’s all because of this recipe right here. My mom has been making this banana pudding my whole life and it’s spoiled me to any other. It’s a simple recipe really but it brings a ton of flavor.
For a long time, she topped it with a meringue. I think the tradition of folks putting meringues on any custard type dessert probably stemmed from not wanting to waste the egg whites (the custard is yolk only). Nowadays, she just tops it with more cookies and I have to say I prefer it that way.
Alright now, let’s make a banana pudding!
Banana Pudding
You will need:
2 cups of whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 ripe bananas
1 box of vanilla wafer cookies
First, pour the milk into a heavy pot or skillet. I like to use my cast iron skillet just as I do for my Butterscotch Pie. Don’t turn the heat on just yet.
Mix your flour and sugar together in a small bowl. Use a fork to break up any lumps in the mixture. In a separate small bowl, whisk the three egg yolks.
Now, add both your flour and your egg mixture the milk. Turn the heat on at a setting between low and medium. You want to heat this really slowly so that the egg mixes into the milk and doesn’t start to “cook”. You want to avoid a scrambled egg situation.
And now you stir and you stir and you stir until it begins to heat through and thicken. The egg streaks will go away. Stir gently but firmly. You don’t want to splash out the hot mixture but you do want to make sure it’s well blended.
Eventually, the mixture does thicken. It will not be as thick as pie filling or pudding from a cup but it will thicken more as it cools. Once your pudding is thick, remove from heat and add vanilla.
While your pudding is hanging out, prepare your bananas and cookies. My mom uses an 8×8 square pan for her pudding. I was feeling fancy so I used a round dish. Put down a layer of cookies, then bananas, then pudding. Repeat and add more cookies on top for garnishment.
I like to keep my banana pudding out and serve at room temperature the day it’s made. After that, you will need to refrigerate it. It will generally keep for up to two days before the bananas start to look yucky.
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From the heart and from the holler,
Minda