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Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding with Homemade Vanilla Custard

Old-fashioned banana pudding layers vanilla wafers and sliced bananas with homemade vanilla custard, then bakes under a glossy meringue topping. Chill it for at least 4 hours for a cool, sliceable dessert.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Cooling and chilling 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the custard
  • 1 cup granulated sugar divided (2/3 cup for the custard and 1/3 cup for the meringue)
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 4 eggs large, separated (yolks for the custard and whites for the meringue)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the layers
  • 1 box (11 oz) vanilla wafer cookies
  • 5 bananas medium, peeled and sliced
For the meringue
  • 0.25 tsp cream of tartar

Equipment

  • 1 3-quart saucepan
  • 1 9x13 inch baking dish
  • 1 electric mixer

Method
 

Make the custard
  1. In a 3-quart saucepan, whisk 2/3 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, salt, and milk until smooth.
  2. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until steaming and beginning to thicken, about 5–7 minutes.
  3. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks.
  4. Gradually whisk about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
  5. Cook until thick and bubbling, about 2–3 minutes.
  6. Keep whisking as the custard bubbles for 1 minute.
  7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until smooth.
Layer the pudding
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Arrange half the vanilla wafers in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  3. Layer on half the bananas and half the custard, then repeat with the remaining wafers, bananas, and custard.
Make and bake the meringue
  1. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
  2. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and continue beating until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks.
  3. Spread the meringue over the hot custard, making sure it reaches the edges of the dish.
  4. Bake until golden and the center of the meringue registers 160°F, about 12–18 minutes.
Chill the pudding
  1. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Notes

For the best meringue, spread it over the custard while it is hot and make sure it reaches the dish edges. Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free vanilla wafer cookies.