Banana Pudding Layered Dessert (Printable)

A layered Southern dessert with creamy vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, and light whipped topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pudding

01 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
02 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3 cups whole milk
05 - 4 large egg yolks
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Assembly

08 - 1 box vanilla wafers (12 oz; about 45–50 cookies)
09 - 4 medium ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

→ Topping

10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt until evenly combined.
02 - Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and just begins to bubble, about 6 to 8 minutes.
03 - In a separate bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper, then return the yolk mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly.
04 - Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes while stirring until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Transfer pudding to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent skin formation. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, approximately 1 hour.
06 - In a 2 to 2.5 quart serving dish, layer one-third of the vanilla wafers, banana slices, and pudding. Repeat twice more, ending with pudding as the top layer.
07 - Cover and chill the assembled layers for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.
08 - Just before serving, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe over the top pudding layer.
09 - Optionally garnish with extra vanilla wafers or banana slices. Serve chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks fancy enough for company but comes together in about 20 minutes of actual work.
  • The texture contrast—crisp wafers turning tender, cold pudding, soft bananas—keeps every spoonful interesting.
  • It actually tastes better after sitting overnight, so you can make it ahead and stop worrying.
02 -
  • Tempering the eggs is not optional—skip it and you'll have sweet scrambled eggs in your pudding, and there's no coming back from that.
  • Don't slice the bananas until you're ready to assemble; they brown and soften too quickly otherwise.
  • The two-hour chill isn't just for texture; it's when the magic happens and everything tastes like it belongs together.
03 -
  • Use room-temperature milk when you start; cold milk takes longer to thicken and gives you more time to mess up the eggs.
  • If your pudding breaks or curdles, pour it through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, press gently, and start the whipped cream topping immediately—no one will know.
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