Traditional Banana Pudding Recipe

The week after I gave start to my son, my sisters saved my kitchen stocked with an assortment of enjoyable snacks and drinks. Whereas our child slept, I ate my approach by New York Metropolis with out even leaving my mattress, chowing on an entire field of candy, briny uni sushi, pizza slices from my favourite native joint, Mama’s Too, and lots of different scrumptious meals. Someday, my youngest sister, Alexis, confirmed up with Magnolia Bakery’s well-known banana pudding. Regardless of having lived in New York for eight years, I had by no means eaten it. 

The banana pudding was fairly good, however I used to be, frankly, underwhelmed. A number of the wafers had been nonetheless bone-dry, the custard didn’t have the hit of vanilla I needed, and I knew it had the potential to be higher. As I ate the final of it, I made a psychological observe to develop a extra scrumptious model after I returned to work. After many rounds of testing and tasting, my coworkers and I are assured that the recipe under for banana pudding hits all the correct texture and taste notes, and is the perfect model you possibly can make at house.

There are as many approaches to the dessert as there are opinions on it. Some swear by instantaneous pudding combine, and a few, together with Dolly Parton, serve it baked with a meringue topping. Some individuals even go as far as to make their very own wafers. Finally, the dessert could be as fussy or simple as you need it to be—however my best pudding is one which’s made with a luscious pastry cream that’s robust on the vanilla, tastes of ripe bananas, and has chilled lengthy sufficient so the wafers soften and the flavors meld. Learn on for my full banana pudding recipe and suggestions.

Ideas for Making Stellar Banana Pudding

Use Actual Vanilla—and Make Your Personal Pastry Cream

Many banana pudding recipes name for immediate pudding combine, which is a fast and straightforward possibility for individuals who don’t wish to make custard from scratch. There are some downsides, although. Most of what’s stocked in shops tastes like synthetic vanilla and, as a result of the combo comes formulated for ease, it’s troublesome to regulate its taste or texture. Whereas instantaneous pudding combine is handy, it’s not that a lot more durable to make custard from scratch, which lets you customise it to your liking. 

Initially of my banana pudding saga, I questioned if a filling like crème legere, which is equal elements vanilla pastry cream and whipped cream, can be best. After experimenting with completely different ratios of vanilla pastry cream to whipped cream, I discovered that the pastry cream by itself was essentially the most flavorful. Steeping the milk used within the pastry cream with actual vanilla—on this case a vanilla bean break up and scraped or a teaspoon or pure vanilla paste—helps to infuse the pastry cream with subtly floral notes that complement the banana’s sweetness. And as with many desserts, a contact of salt helps to spotlight all these flavors.

Along with having a greater taste, pastry cream is far silkier than pudding. Whereas some pudding mixes could be stodgy, the pastry cream is concurrently mild and simply thick sufficient to be spoonable and durable sufficient to face up to the burden of the bananas. 

A typical pitfall of pastry lotions and custards is that they begin to weep as soon as they’re made. On this recipe, I’ve averted that catastrophe by adequately cooking the pastry cream on the range and permitting it to bubble for a full minute. This deactivates amylase—an enzyme in egg yolks that dissolves starches and can lead to watery sauces—and ensures that the custard to your banana pudding stays wealthy and silky even after it sits for an prolonged time period.

Don’t Shy Away From Retailer-Purchased Nilla Wafers

Point out banana pudding, and likelihood is somebody will carry up Nilla Wafers. As we speak, the cookie has change into such an intrinsic a part of banana pudding that it’s uncommon to return throughout a recipe that requires one thing else. A fast have a look at the history of the dish, although, tells us that sponge cake was as soon as the norm. Whereas utilizing cake is okay and dandy, what I need is banana pudding—not trifle—full with wafers and all.

Which brings us to the query: Is it value making your individual wafers for banana pudding? In contrast to custard, the place there’s a tangible distinction between store-bought combine and home made, the distinction between home made and store-bought cookies, particularly once they’re stacked between layers of pastry cream and bananas, is negligible. Except you need a true baking mission the place you’re making each single part from scratch, store-bought vanilla wafers work simply high-quality.

Preserve the Topping Easy

Pay attention, I attempted topping my banana pudding with meringue and baking it, in addition to folding a portion of the pastry cream into whipped cream for a topping. These variations simply weren’t for me. I a lot favor a chilly banana pudding with evenly sweetened smooth whipped cream. Generally easy is greatest, and in my assessments I discovered that holding the whipped cream comparatively impartial helps to steadiness the sweetness of the pastry cream and ripe bananas and provides a pleasing lightness. You could possibly high the banana pudding with crushed up wafers for further crunch, however the dessert actually doesn’t want any garnishing.

Chill the Banana Pudding for at Least Eight Hours

For the most effective banana pudding, I like to recommend permitting the assembled dessert (minus the whipped cream topping) to relax for at the least eight hours. This provides the vanilla wafers satisfactory time to melt and permits the flavors to meld, leading to a extra cohesive dessert. Should you’re feeling impatient and resolve to dig in sooner, it’s possible you’ll encounter some dry cookies. A handful of wafers with bananas, pastry cream, and whipped cream is tasty sufficient however it doesn’t make a banana pudding—the dessert is greater than the sum of its elements. Let time do the onerous be just right for you and also you’ll find yourself with what my colleagues—together with Megan, our affiliate editorial director, who’s from the South!—say is the most effective banana pudding they’ve ever had.