Decadent Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe (2024)

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Ready to make old fashioned banana pudding from scratch? Its so easy to create fresh homemade banana pudding with delicious slices of ripe banana, crushed vanilla wafer crust and topping both as well as a delicious dollop of whipped cream. The perfect decadent Southern dessert!

Nothing says spring like fresh banana pudding.

With simple ingredients most likely in your pantry, this banana pudding uses fresh bananas for the most vibrant mouthwatering flavors. And with vanilla wafers and a poof of whipped cream, this banana pudding dessert is sure to stand out from the crowd.

A few things to note when making this quick and easy banana pudding:

• The banana in this pudding is from adding fresh banana. There is no actual “banana pudding” in the pudding. Instead, this classic recipe takes totally creamy and homemade sugar and milk to create a base to fold fresh bananas right into.
• Bananas tend to brown quickly and its not pretty, so place your pudding in the fridge and only assemble when ready to serve.
• Do not add cookies to this pudding top until ready to serve as they will get soft in the fridge.
• Serve your pudding in small dishes as this is a sweet dessert and you wont need much to be satisfied
• Homemade Pudding is best made day before and refrigerated overnight for assembly and flavor
• No jello, instant pudding or sweetened condensed milk needed
• Will likely remind you of your grandmas banana pudding!

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding Recipe

This Southern homemade banana pudding is made from scratch, with the sweet banana flavor coming from fresh bananas. No boxed pudding here, you can easily make your own old fashioned classic banana pudding with a few simple ingredients and some patience.

Scroll to the bottom for a printable version of this post, including all measurements and instructions,so you can follow along in your kitchen without being on your phone.

Here is what you need to gather to get started:

• white sugar
• flour
• salt
• milk
• egg yolks
• vanilla
• butter
• vanilla wafer cookies
• fresh bananas
• whipped topping

RELATED RECIPES: Banana Poke Cake, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Banana Pudding Dip, Homemade Banana Pudding, Banana Bars, Crock Pot Banana Bread

Keep your Banana Pudding From Burning

Milk can burn/scorch a bit, which can cause a few chunks to get into the pudding. This doesn’t affect the taste at all, but to avoid this, you need to stay on the burner constantly when I say to! No stepping away! And if you feel any sticking of the pudding, reduce heat but continue to stir.

Substitutions: When talking about desserts, I always prefer FULL FAT dairy like Whole Milk over watered down like 1%. You can also substitute heavy cream for milk.

Banana Pudding From Scratch

Add sugar, flour and salt in a saucepan.

Mix well in the bottom of the saucepan.

Pour in milk and mix over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy, about 8-10 minutes.

Mixture will bubble and boil and thicken. Do NOT walk away from this.

You must constantly stir to prevent sticking or burning in lumps. If mixture DOES seem to stick, turn down heat slightly.

After thickened, remove from heat and slowly drizzle in egg yolks while whisking mixture.

Return to medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.

Remove pudding from heat.

Stir in vanilla and butter until melted.

Let set to cool.

Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight until completely cool.

To assemble banana pudding

Crush 2 vanilla wafers (you can easily do this with your hands) in small, 4-6 ounce serving dishes.

Add 2 slices of bananas, quartered.

Add more pudding.

Top with 1 additional crushed wafer, 2 banana slices quartered and whipped topping.

Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Decadent Desserts

A few more delicious desserts right here on Salty Side Dish!

• Strawberry Poke Cake
• Divinity Candy
• Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding
• Key Lime Jello Poke Cake