With layers of homemade banana pudding, sliced bananas, vanilla wafers, and whipped cream, it’s a total winner.
Banana pudding is one of the best desserts for feeding a crowd, and a favorite at all kinds of parties and potlucks. This dessert is also a winner for the cook, since it needs to be made ahead in order to chill thoroughly. You can make it the day before, then turn your attention to other prep.
Many banana pudding recipes start with vanilla pudding mix, but ours is from scratch. We infuse the easy homemade vanilla pudding with banana to amp up its flavor. Some recipes call for Cool Whip, others opt for a soft meringue, ours includes a layer of whipped cream and more whipped cream on top. It’s assembled in a dish that shows off its delectable layers. Don’t forget to crumble some Nilla wafers on top for a final flourish.
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How to Serve Banana Pudding
We like to serve our banana cream pudding in a glass trifle bowl with a stem or a large glass bowl, so everyone can see the layers in this luscious dessert.
You can layer the dessert into individual dishes such as glass dessert bowls or cups but we prefer to make the dessert in one big bowl for a grand finale to the meal. Making individual portions is more time-consuming and lacks the wow factor.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 8 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 cups milk
- 6 large ripe bananas, peeled
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 65 wafer-style vanilla cookies, such as Nilla Wafers (from one 11-ounce box), plus more for crushing on top
