This easy scratch-made pudding recipe is flavored with real bananas for that true fruit flavor. And because it’s egg free there’s little to no risk of getting sweet scrambled eggs by overcooking the pudding.
In 2013 I found myself a little burned out from my first year of working in the culinary industry after graduating culinary school and leaving my job on Wall Street. In need of a break to clear my mind, I took a job cooking at a summer camp in the mountains of Pennsylvania. It was a nice escape that allowed me to get away from the craziness of New York City and gave me the space to think a bit about what my next steps should be. I didn’t get a lot of answers, but that summer still provided some much needed relief.
All of that aside, I used that time to play around with new recipes and test them out on dozens of campers and staff. They unknowingly were my guinea pigs. I made tons of delicious cookies and a s’mores pie that some people still comment on to this day, but one of my other creations that stands out to me was my banana pudding. I made an eggless banana-flavored custard from scratch, topped it with homemade whipped cream, and even served it with shortbread cookies that I baked myself. I remember one of the teachers being so in love with it that they asked for seconds, something that the camp didn’t allow for the campers and asked the adults to follow suit. I obliged because there were extras and I didn’t want any to go to waste—but also because I’m always touched when someone enjoys something I make.
One of the reasons I cook is to make others happy, which in turn brings me joy. So in my mind, it’s okay to break a few rules in order to bring a little joy.
I don’t know why it’s taken me almost seven years to share the recipe with you, but here it is spiffed up with even more flavor for your cooking and eating pleasure. Hopefully this recipe will also provide you with a bit of joy.
The History of Banana Pudding
I was always a little confused when people said “banana pudding” and meant a dessert made with vanilla-flavored pudding layered with sliced bananas, wafer cookies, and whipped cream. That’s why I was originally inspired to make a pudding that actually had bananas in it all those years back.
More recently, I decided to actually do some research into the history of banana pudding and wrote about it for Food & Wine. Long story short, people decided to import tons of bananas and inventive cooks came up with more and more ways to use the surplus. The layered dessert that so many know and love is one of the outcomes.
Is Banana Pudding Served Hot or Cold?
I’ve only eaten banana pudding served cold and topped with whipped cream, which seems to be how most people eat it from a poll I conducted on Twitter. However, there are some people that prefer a meringue topping over whipped cream, and some even go so far as to serve it warm. (What?) If that’s you, then fine. But know this recipe isn’t meant for that. It might work in those iterations, but I haven’t tested it to be served that way.
How Do You Make Banana Pudding from Scratch?
So again, we’re talking about making a pudding flavored with bananas here. My version starts by cooking a ripe banana—the same type of ripeness that you would look for in banana bread—along with some sugar in a bit of butter. Cook it for a few minutes so that both the banana and sugar start to caramelize, adding another dimension of flavor to the finish product. Then I add corn starch and milk, cook it until it’s thickened, and then add a few extra flavorings. At that point it needs cool down in the fridge so that it can thicken further and reach the right pudding consistency. Afterwards, you can serve it however you see fit.
Banana Pudding Ingredients
This banana pudding recipe starts with butter, bananas, and sugar. Many homemade pudding recipes also call for eggs, but I don’t think it’s necessary. (Sorry if I upset any pastry chefs!) All of the thickening power in this recipe comes from corn starch, which I think does a great job on it’s own. Then there’s milk and salt, obvi, and after I pull it off the stove I add a scraped vanilla bean and some fresh lemon zest to brighten it up. If you don’t have whole vanilla beans, then vanilla extract will work just as fine. You could also experiment with other flavorings, like rum or bourbon, if you want to try something different.
Vegan Banana Pudding
Because this recipe is already eggless, it would be very easy to vegan-ize it if you don’t want to consume dairy. You can just swap out the butter for coconut oil (or another fat of your choosing) and use your favorite non-dairy milk in place of the whole milk the recipe calls for. I think coconut milk would work well here, and it would make a nice flavor combination with the banana—very tropical. (Also, the pudding itself is already gluten free for anyone that follows such a diet.)
How to Make Southern-Style Banana Pudding
Though banana pudding didn’t necessarily originate in the South, that region has grown to lay claim to the dessert. Once your pudding is all ready to go, you can transform it into a traditional Southern-style banana pudding trifle by layering the pudding itself with sliced fresh bananas and cookies. Nilla wafers are my choice, but you can make your own shortbread cookies if you wish, or some people also love using Chessmen butter cookies. Top it off with some (preferably homemade) lightly sweetened whipped cream, pop it in the fridge, and then you’re ready to go!
In a way, this version of the dessert also classifies it as an icebox cake. And as the cookies sit with the other ingredients in the fridge, they soften and the whole thing has a nice, velvety texture when you spoon into it. So if you want a little crunch and textural contrast, sprinkle some freshly crumbled cookies over the top right before serving. Some people even go a step further by toasting them in butter, but I’ll leave that up to you. Enjoy!
Yield: 2 cups of pudding (about 4 servings)
Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
This easy scratch-made pudding recipe is flavored with real bananas for that true fruit flavor. And because it's egg free there's little to no risk of getting sweet scrambled eggs by overcooking the pudding.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large ripe banana, mashed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested
- For serving: Nilla wafers, sliced bananas, and whipped cream
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat until foamy. Add the banana and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns a light brown and there's a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. (You can cook it further if you want a deeper, richer flavor, but be careful the caramel doesn't burn.) Add the corn starch and salt and cook for 1 minute more.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the custard thickens a bit, 3 to 5 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. The pudding will still appear fairly liquid at this point, but don't worry, it will set up more as it cools.
- Transfer the pudding to a separate container and let cool at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Give it a stir, press some plastic wrap on top of the pudding so that it doesn't form a skin, and then refrigerate the pudding until cooled and thickened, at least 4 hours or so.
- At this point the pudding is ready to eat. You can keep it simple and just serve it in small bowls, or layer it with cookies, sliced bananas, and whipped cream if you want the more traditional look. Enjoy!
