Southern Banana Pudding Recipe (With Meringue)
This Southern banana pudding is an old-fashioned, from-scratch dessert made with creamy vanilla custard, fresh banana slices, and a fluffy meringue topping. Perfect as a classic Southern dessert for holidays, family gatherings, or any time you crave homemade banana pudding. Adapted from Maya Angelou.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 559kcal
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Custard
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- Pinch salt
- 3 cups milk
- 8 room-temperature eggs, separated
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Meringue and to Assemble
- 4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
- 4 cups vanilla wafer cookies (such as Nilla)
- 8 egg whites (from separated eggs, above)
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (or a little squeeze of lemon juice)
- 1/4 cup sugar
Instructions
For the Vanilla Custard
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a shallow 2-quart casserole. In a large saucepan, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the milk and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and boiling, about five minutes. Boil one minute, and remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the 8 egg yolks. Temper the yolks by adding in about 1/2 cup of the thickened, hot milk mixture. Pour the egg yolk and milk mixture back into the pot. Whisk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, for two minutes, until thickened and thick, lazy bubbles appear. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla. PRO TIP: As the eggs cook into the custard, it is important to constantly stir the custard, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot, so you don't get lumps. But if you do get lumps, don't worry! Just pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer.
For the Meringue and to Assemble
- Layer half the vanilla wafers into the bottom of the casserole. Top with half the bananas, then evenly spread half of the custard on top. Repeat: wafers, bananas, pudding.
- Using a whisk or whisk attachment of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl until frothy. Add the cream of tartar or a squeeze of lemon juice. Beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form. PRO TIP: The bowl of the mixer and whisk must be very clean and free from any fats or oils, which will deflate the meringue. Room-temperature egg whites beat better than cold. Acid helps stabilize the meringue.
- Spoon the meringue all over the warm custard, making sure the meringue touches all sides of the baking dish. Don't smooth the meringue too much; make some peaks and swoops. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cool on the countertop for one hour, and refrigerate at least four hours (uncovered) before serving. Serve on its own or with crumbled vanilla wafers. This will keep for up to two days, but is best the first day.
Notes
Preparing in Advance
This banana pudding should not be served hot, so should be prepared in advance so it can chill. The entire thing can be prepared up to one day in advance, and stored in the refrigerator, uncovered to prevent weeping. Letting it rest overnight will soften the vanilla wafers, though, and the meringue will deflate a bit.
My favorite way to make banana pudding in advance is to make only the pudding in advance and store it, covered, in the fridge since this is the most time-consuming part.
The next day, give the pudding a good stir until it's creamy again, then layer it in the casserole with bananas and wafers, top with fresh meringue, and bake. This is an especially good method for those who like crisper wafers.
Nutrition
Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 354mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
