Southern Living Old Fashioned Banana Pudding Recipe

Grandma's Southern Banana Pudding Recipe is a homemade from-scratch assistant pudding that has layers of crunchy vanilla wafers, perfectly fresh bananas, and the best homemade cooked vanilla pudding you've always had the opportunity to sense of taste!

Is there a recipe in your family that'due south been passed downward for generations? One that makes y'all experience all warm & fuzzy and every bite is pure comfort food?

This is one of those recipes. A recipe has been in my family unit for my whole life and then some. This is my neat-grandmother's assistant pudding recipe. A from-scratch no-bake recipe that is the definition of condolement food if in that location ever was whatever.

At our family unit get-togethers, it is affectionately called "Aunt Jessie'southward Banana Pudding" because that'south what everybody called my bully-grandmother... "Aunt Jessie."

I never knew Aunt Jessie - she died before I was even a year sometime. And my grandmother was not in our life either so the only person who'due south always fabricated this recipe for me is my Mama. And she makes it a lot!

Let me tell you lot - this classic southern dessert is nowadays at every family unit gathering, sometimes at our church potlucks, and occasionally Mama volition make it for a altogether gift.

Tabular array of contents

• Ingredients
• Equipment
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• How to Brand Southern Banana Pudding
• Recipe Pro-Tips

It'south easily both of my brothers' favorite desserts, and my Mama never misses an opportunity to go far for them. They will all tell you that grandma's former-fashioned banana pudding is the Best banana pudding recipe!

This homemade southern banana pudding recipe is a no-bake, completely from-scratch recipe. Yous won't observe any instant pudding mix here. And I guess y'all could say my family unit are purists... they never add together meringue or whipped cream to it (although if y'all desire to... go for it. I won't tell Mama! 😉)

And then let's get to it - you'll discover the ingredients, tools, and instructions beneath, and here's a video to get you started:

Video

Ingredients

Carbohydrate

Self-ascent flour - I rarely employ cocky-rising flour these days simply I frequently find it in old recipes so it must have been a staple in kitchens many years ago.

Eggs

Milk - we adopt whole milk, but ii% will work as well.

Salted butter - again, all of my Mama and Grandmother'south recipe used salted butter, so that'south what we use in this recipe. If you just have unsalted butter, just add a pinch of table salt to the recipe and you'll exist all set.

Vanilla extract - use the existent stuff (not imitation) and if you make it homemade (recipe hither), even meliorate!

Bananas - this recipe is best with just barely ripe bananas, but non overly ripe. You want them to all the same be a little bit business firm to concord upward in the hot cooked pudding

Vanilla Wafers - you lot'll demand a whole box of these cookies. I'grand not super picky on brands but we usually use Nilla Wafers. But you can use whichever ones you like best!

Equipment

• Sauce pan
• Whisk
• 9x13 dish (or an 8x8 if y'all want to cut the recipe in half)

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Sauce Pan

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Whisk

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Baking Dish

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Vanilla Wafers

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How to Make Southern Banana Pudding

In a saucepan, mix together sugar, flour, eggs, and ane cup of milk.

Mix until information technology's smooth with no clumps of flour. I like to use a whisk for this, but Mama uses a spoon most of the fourth dimension.

Then add some other cup of milk and ½ loving cup melted butter. Whisk until smooth.

Finally add together vanilla and whisk over again.

Cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.

This volition take probably 15-xx minutes. One time it'southward thickened, remove the pan from rut and let the pudding mixture rest for ten minutes.

Line a 9x13 baking dish with vanilla wafers (prop some upward on the sides too).

So height with sliced bananas (near ¼ inch thick).

TIP: Slice the bananas at the last minute. If you prep and slice them ahead of fourth dimension, you run the risk of them turning chocolate-brown.

Pour the warm homemade vanilla pudding over the cookies and bananas.

Then encompass the top with some other layer of sliced bananas.

Finally, top the dish with more vanilla wafers. Mama usually uses whole vanilla wafers but if you take a box with a bunch of broken ones in the bottom (like me!), crumble them upwardly and top the whole matter with crushed cookies! Either mode, it'll exist delicious!

Allow it to sit and thicken at room temp for up to an hour so the pudding will continue to thicken.

My family enjoys information technology warm or at room temperature. But scoop out a bowl and dig in! Only if you're making it ahead of time, y'all can refrigerate for 3-4 hours and serve it cold straight out of the fridge.

Serving Tips

Many old-fashioned banana pudding recipes include meringue or whipped topping. My family enjoys this recipe without either of those, but they would certainly not mess upwardly the dessert if you want to add together them!

Note: If yous make up one's mind to acme with meringue, this is no longer a no-broil assistant pudding. Meringue will require that y'all bake the pudding for a few minutes.

FAQ

Is banana pudding from the south?

Banana pudding is known equally a southern dessert simply there is no real source for why this is truthful. It is known that this dessert didn't become popular until after the ceremonious war when bananas became more popular and available in America.

Some think it'southward because bananas come from more than southern regions and therefore were easier to access for southerners. Others say that it's a southern thing because nosotros (in the s) are known for our sweets and desserts and this is definitely a sweet, sweet dessert! I also read that it became known as southern style banana pudding because it is a dessert that tin exist made without an oven (since the pudding or custard is cooked on the stovetop). And let me tell you, I can believe that because we southerners definitely avoid using the oven when the summer rut kicks in.

Can you eat banana pudding warm?

Absolutely yep! My family enjoys it warm and I'd say even prefers it that style. Merely it's really a affair of personal taste. If you prefer it cold or y'all're making it ahead of fourth dimension, you can refrigerate for three-4 hours and serve it common cold straight out of the fridge.

Will bananas ripen in bootleg banana pudding?

Exposure to air is what browns or ripens the bananas, so you want to avoid that. There are a few things you tin can do to avert ripening the bananas or them turning brownish. Outset, don't prep them alee of time - only cut them when you're ready to assemble the pudding. This is one footstep y'all desire to wait and do this step last minute.

Too, if y'all're going not going to serve immediately, await to add together the top layer of bananas until but earlier serving. OR cover the height of the pudding with plastic wrap with the plastic touching the bananas on acme so there's every bit little air as possible.

Last - utilise a plastic knife to cut the bananas. When you lot use a steel knife a chemical reaction occurs that causes the sliced bananas to ripen faster.

Ultimately the bananas will start to plow brown in the pudding, which is why I recommend using just-ripe bananas. That will extend the life of your dessert. See below for a few other tips!

Recipe Pro-Tips

• If you plan to make this onetime fashioned assistant pudding ahead of fourth dimension, i affair you tin to to extend the life of the pudding is comprehend all the sliced bananas with pudding. Here's how I'd recommend doing that: layer cookies, assistant slices, ½ the pudding, more bananas and cookies, then top with the pudding again then that all the bananas are "sealed" with pudding. Garnish the pinnacle with cookies only so there are no bananas exposed on superlative.
• Keep the pudding tightly covered with plastic wrap in the fridge. Place the wrap all the mode down onto the pudding and so that there's no air.
• As mentioned before, utilize barely ripe bananas (I like them nearly green). The riper they are, the faster they'll plow brown in your recipe.
• When pouring the pudding over the cookies and bananas - pour slowly!! If yous go fast, the pudding will push the cookies out of the way and you'll cease upwards having to effort and rearrange them in the hot pudding. It's not fun!! Ask me how I know 😂
• I mentioned this earlier, merely sometimes you open up a pack of vanilla wafers merely to find a bunch of them broken. That'due south totally okay - use whole cookies, broken cookies or cookie crumbs. It may not look as pretty, but it'll all taste the same in the end!
• Boxes of vanilla wafers vary from x-16 oz. I ordinarily apply a whole (15 ounce) box of the cookies but you could go by with less. When in doubt, buy an extra box of cookies.
• Cut this recipe in half and information technology works perfectly in an 8x8 baking dish!

How long tin can you store banana pudding?

Assistant pudding is best fresh or the next twenty-four hour period, but it volition keep in the fridge for upwardly to 3 days if tightly covered in plastic wrap.

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Description

Grandma's Southern Assistant Pudding Recipe is a homemade from-scratch banana pudding that has layers of crunchy vanilla wafers, perfectly fresh bananas, and the best homemade cooked vanilla pudding yous've e'er had the opportunity to gustation!

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• ii cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons of self-rising flour
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups milk, divided
• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, melted
• two teaspoons vanilla excerpt
• five-6 bananas
• 1 (15 or 16 ounce) box or bag of vanilla wafers

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In a saucepan, mix together sugar, flour, eggs and 2 cups of milk. Mix until information technology's smooth with no clumps of flour. I like to use a whisk for this but Mama uses a spoon well-nigh of the time.

Then add another 2 cups of milk, the melted butter, and vanilla excerpt. Whisk until smooth.

Cook on medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. This will take probably 15-xx minutes. In one case it'south thickened, remove the pan from oestrus and allow the pudding mixture rest for 10 minutes.

Line a 9x13 baking dish with vanilla wafers (prop some upwards on the sides too), then peak with sliced bananas (about ¼ inch thick). Pour the warm homemade vanilla pudding over the cookies and bananas and cover the peak with sliced bananas.

Finally top the dish with more vanilla wafers. Mama usually uses whole vanilla wafers but if you accept a box with a agglomeration of broken ones in the bottom, crumble them upwardly and top the whole thing with crushed cookies! Either way it'll exist delicious!

Allow it to sit down and thicken at room temp for up to an 60 minutes.  Serve warm or chill for 3-iv hours (or overnight) to serve cold.

Notes

• Use barely-ripe bananas to extend the life of the pudding.
• Elevation with whole cookies or broken/crumbled cookies.
• Boxes of vanilla wafers vary from x-16 oz. I usually use a whole box of the ane-pound cookies but y'all could become by with less. When in doubt, purchase an extra box of cookies.
• Cutting this recipe in half and it works perfectly in an 8x8 baking dish!

• Prep Fourth dimension: xv
• Cook Time: 20
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Stove-pinnacle
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: southern banana pudding recipe, southern banana pudding, bootleg southern banana pudding, southern style assistant pudding, no broil banana pudding, homemade assistant pudding, old fashioned banana pudding recipe, quondam fashioned banana pudding, grandma'south old fashioned banana pudding

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