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Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding
Melissa Hart

Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding

Real banana pudding is vanilla custard layered with wafers and ripe fruit, not instant mix folded into whipped topping. The warm custard softens the cookies just enough while the meringue browns overhead. It is still one of the best uses for bananas past the lunchbox stage.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar divided
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 4 large eggs separated
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 45 vanilla wafer cookies
  • 4 ripe bananas sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Method
 

  1. Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, milk and egg yolks in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, whisking, until thick and 170°F; stir in the vanilla.
  2. Arrange one-third of the wafers and bananas in a 2-quart baking dish and cover with one-third of the warm custard; repeat the layers twice.
  3. Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar to soft peaks, then add the remaining sugar gradually and beat to glossy stiff peaks.
  4. Spread the meringue over the hot pudding all the way to the dish edges.
  5. Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes until browned, cool for 1 hour and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.