Banana Pudding

so easy but so delicious

Have you heard of Magnolia Bakery? They’re a super popular bakery most well known for their banana pudding, but did you know that they use instant pudding mix?! Even so, their banana pudding is still delicious haha. But did you also know that making banana pudding at home is super easy and so much cheaper? You can also use instant pudding mix if you like, but I like to make my pudding from scratch :)

From banana bread to banana foster, there’s so many wonderful ways to enjoy and eat bananas! But I gotta say that I’m truly partial to banana pies/puddings.

Do you have a favorite banana dish?

Ingredients
8” x 11.5” x 2.5” oval dish 2.5” oval dish

2 cups (473 milliliters) milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/3 cup (~65 grams) sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, can also use vanilla extract
2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
5 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 bananas, sliced
11 ounce box Nilla Wafers

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Directions

1. Pudding
   -Add 1/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons corn starch, and a liberal pinch of salt to a bowl and whisk together. Then add a large egg and whisk once again.
   -Add 2 cups milk to a pot and heat over low heat, bringing it to a simmer. Once the milk is hot but not boiling, temper the egg mixture by gradually ladling the hot milk into the eggs as you constantly whisk the eggs. I like to ladle in around 1/3 of the milk. Return everything back into the pot and increase the heat to medium or medium-low. Constantly whisk the mixture as it will slowly but suddenly thicken. Depending on your heat, this can take from 10-15 minutes. Once the mixture starts to bubble, I like to keep whisking for 30-45 seconds and then I turn off the heat.
   -Once off the heat, add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste. Whisk until smooth.
   -Transfer your pudding to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic is touching the surface of the pudding. This will prevent a skin from forming. Transfer your pudding to the refrigerator to cool. I prefer to make the pudding a day before.
   -Once the pudding is cooled, add 2 cups heavy cream and 5 tablespoons powdered sugar to a bowl. Using a hand blender, whisk the cream on high until you get whipped cream.
   -Loosen the pudding by mixing it. Then add all of the whipped cream to the pudding and fold them gently together.

2. Assembly
   -Add a spoonful of the pudding to the bottom of your dish and spread it out. Then add a whole layer of Nilla wafers over the pudding. Cover the wafers with half of the sliced bananas. Then add half of your pudding mixture over the bananas and spread it out. Repeat with another layer of wafers and then the rest of the bananas. Finally, cover everything with the rest of the pudding as well. Smoothen the top and then cover your dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a couple hours.

3. Once you are ready to serve the pudding, decorate the top of the pudding however you like. I like to use crushed wafers to sprinkle on top but you can also scoop the pudding out into disposable pints much like how Magnolia Bakery sells their pudding. Enjoy!

Are you bananas for bananas? hehe