Southern Banana Pudding
This old-fashioned southern banana pudding recipe layers vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, homemade vanilla pudding, and piles of meringue! Eat it warm (the Southern way) or after it’s been chilled; a classic dessert that’s perfect for weeknight dinners, Sunday suppers, or the fanciest of holidays.
Quite a long time ago (nine years, to be exact), I shared a recipe for an easy banana pudding. It had Nilla wafers, sliced bananas, homemade vanilla pudding, and I topped it with homemade whipped cream.
There was a tremendous amount of feedback about how true banana pudding should be made with meringue on top, not whipped cream… And it really should be eaten warm, not cold. I’m not going to lie… I much prefer whipped cream to meringue and I like my pudding cold, not warm, but I put it on the back burner and figured I would give it a go one day.
Seven years later, it finally happened!
Since making the original banana pudding recipe, I’ve dabbled in the world of pavlova (traditional, chocolate, and even layered), and fell in love with lemon meringue pie bars. Which is to say, my taste buds have evolved and I’ve definitely come around to the idea of meringue on top of my banana pudding.
So I went all guns blazing into this totally homemade Southern banana pudding recipe, and I was thrilled with the results.
I mean, LOOK at that massive pile of meringue down there… perfectly glossy, stiff peaks are one of my favorite kitchen accomplishments, and they were plentiful in this recipe!
The verdict? I loved it!
The meringue gave it an airiness with a subtle toasty flavor that you miss with the whipped cream. I did have a bowlful warm, and was actually surprised by how much I liked it. I really doubted that I would like it at all, but it was delicious. I think I still prefer my pudding chilled, but there was something so satisfying and comfort food-like about digging into a bowl of warm pudding. I totally get it now.
If you’ve never experimented with the real deal Southern pudding, give it a shot! It’s not at all difficult and you’ll probably be surprised by how much you like it!
More Pudding Recipes
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Homemade Chocolate Pudding
- Best Butterscotch Pudding
- Chocolate Pots de Creme
- Rice Pudding with Bourbon-Soaked Raisins
Watch How to Make Southern Banana Pudding:
Two years ago: Boston Cream Cupcakes
Three years ago: Symphony Bars
Six years ago: Toasted Coconut Dark Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
Seven years ago: Filled Raisin Cookies
Southern Banana Pudding
Ingredients
For the Pudding
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 3½ cups (854 ml) whole milk, divided
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the Assembly
- 11 ounce (311.85 g) box vanilla wafers
- 6 medium bananas, sliced ½-inch thick
For the Meringue
- 8 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1⅓ cups (266.67 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the Pudding: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in ½ cup of the milk and the egg yolks. In a large saucepan, place the remaining 3 cups milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Whisk the egg mixture into the remaining hot milk in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add the butter and vanilla, stirring until the butter is melted. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Assemble the Dish: Arrange vanilla wafers in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish (you can reserve some to garnish, if you wish), and top with the banana slices. Pour the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve over the bananas and spread into an even layer.
- Make the Meringue: In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon the meringue over the pudding, spreading it right up to the edges of the pan.
- Bake until the meringue is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with vanilla wafers, if desired. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I don’t recommend using super ripe bananas in this recipe, as they will break down too much when the pudding is in the oven.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in August 2017; it was updated in July 2019 with new photos, a video, and better recipe instructions.
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]
This Southern Banana Pudding sounds absolutely divine! I love that you’ve incorporated meringue based on feedback, and the emphasis on eating it warm, the true Southern way, is fantastic. It’s great to see a classic evolve to its most authentic form. Can’t wait to try this perfect dessert for any occasion!
Oh my goodness! I have tried many banana pudding recipes and this is hands down the best! My husband said it is time to stop- I’ve found THE KEEPER! No soupy mess at all. Follow the directions and mine came out perfectly and thickened fast.
RESEARCH HSITORY BEFORE NAMING A RECIPE!!
HISTORY OF PUDDINGS WITH MERINGE TOPPINGS IN THE USA.
No ingredient ever goes to waste in a chef’s kitchen, the yolks were used to make the custard/pudding and the leftover egg whites had to go somewhere. Although the use of meringue had been documented in Europe as early as the 1600s, it was not linked with pudding or custard until 19th-century Philadelphia.
So unless Pennsylvania moved sputh of the Mason-Dixon line prior to your recipe, IT IS NOT A SOUTHERN RECIPE!!!
Professional Chef here: WTFare you talking about?
Cry harder ya weirdo
Like…do you think there were bananas or Nilla wafers in Philadelphia in the 1600s?
My pudding thickened immediately, not sure why others didn’t come out thick. I used a little bit smaller pan and ended up with way too much meringue but I put it all on anyway lol. Also I did put vanilla in my meringue, it was very good ! Thank you
I’m so glad to have found this recipe. This is the third time I’ve made it and it’s exactly like my granny used to make with the homemade pudding. I really like it better than the 13 x 9 dish she used to make it in a large clear bowl, but the meringue ratio to the pudding and the wafers is better in the 13 by 9 baking dish. Thank you, thank you thank you
Just as good as what I remembered from childhood! My aunts would be proud!
I made this recipe and it was one of the BEST banana pudding ever!!! The pudding was rich and creamy and the entire pan was eaten up FAST!!!
Just like my moms
Several commentors said “watery ss”. Try subbing 1/4 cup cornstarch for the flour. Flour will cause separation, cornstarch doesnt. Stir mixture constantly with a whisk while cooking to make really creamy custard. Then cool completely before assembly. Will warm back up when browning meringue. Brown at high temp like 425 for short time. Can chill pudding becore browning. We just use whipped cream and use the whites for omelett or frittata or some in cornbread n cook some for dogs.
I haven’t made this yet but enough people commented with what I kind of thought might happen that I figured I’d pre-comment on what I intend to do and then reply to it once I’ve tested it out.
I, too, felt like this would turn into a soupy mess due to the bananas + sugary custard releasing liquid during baking, plus the meringue itself (especially with the meringue layered directly on the bananas.)
My “gonna try it this weekend” solution will be to use the custard recipe as-is cuz it do be lookin’ fire 🔥, and then layer it trifle-style (like it usually is) and then top it with a stabilized whipped cream (i.e. homemade cool whip, except cream based and not vegetable based.)
Another option I might take is just making a fresh, regular whipped cream on the day and topping it right before it’s served.
The meringue looks nice, but I don’t have a torch and baking just does not seem like it would yield consistent results. Too much depends on the ripeness of the bananas, the freshness of the egg whites, how well the baker can gauge the temp of them before whipping, etc etc. Wish me luck, I’ll post an update if my adhd allows me to remember 😂
Dunno if you made it or not, but I plan to use the egg whites to make a cooked meringue instead of a torched/broiled one. I really hate how weepy and gross uncooked meringue can be, so I just take out the guesswork and cook it in a double boiler with some sugar.
Simple instructions turned out good thank u
This was soooo good! But I do have issues. Normally the pudding part would need to be heated longer than 3 minutes- right? It was super soupy so I did leave it longer as I generally do with pudding. Then, it was still soupy and didnt look like the pic, so I let it cool about an hour to thicken up. It looked perfect and I continued. After baking though, it was runny. Now, it still tasted amazing amazing amazing. But please, what happened to the pudding texture. Even the next day chilled, it was a soupy mess. I would though, try this again because the taste is worth it. The meringue was surprisingly wonderful.
This is a fantastic recipe- and pretty quick once you’re familiar with the process! We’ve made this several times and always with great results. I prefer a trifle dish to a casserole pan (definitely improves the presentation) and most recently swapped out the Nilla Wafers for Biscoff cookies. I also like to add a layer of meringue in the middle, bake until cooked and use a torch to add a little crunch here or there, then finish with additional meringue on top. It adds about 15 minutes of cooking time but we prefer having some of the meringue mixed up in the middle of the pudding.
This is an amazing recipe. The meringue mounded up 3 inches. A hit
So glad you enjoyed it!
I love it!!!
I love this recipe
Good but can be better :(
If you think that then you must not know how to cook becuase this dish was the best in the world.
Rude comment.
I made this twice now for different get togethers. It is wonderful! Everyone loves it. Great recipe! Thanks!
Can this be made a day ahead? Or would the wafers and meraing get soggy?
This recipe works well with Monk Fruit sweeter, even when making the meringue. I made my vanilla wafers instead of using store-bought; my children loved the change.
This recipe exceeded my expectations in both taste and visual appeal. The brown-tipped meringue topping looks so pretty and perfect.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Made this and grandkids beg me to make more!
My mother aways separated the eggs, egg yolks with flour, butter, milk and sugar. When this was thickened she incorporated the whipped egg whites into the custard, then put it together. Pretty much same ingredients, just a different way of putting it together.
Hi Michelle, I never made banana pudding before… so using 8 extra-larges, will that be to much egg yolks ?
Hi Ben, I would use 7 extra-large egg yolks. Enjoy!!
Why did my pudding turn watery after baking?
Mine has a clear watery layer between the meringue and the pudding. I’m not sure what happened. Can I still eat it?
IM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE RIGHT NOW!! i WISH i knew!
I made this cake out great just the meringue I cannot get it won’t peak at all so I used cool whip which was so good still can you use allulose instead of sugar for this?
I made this, layered with bananas on each layer, as well as the wafers…and took a bite and completely melted inside! I couldn’t believe I made my 1st banana pudding and it’s so DELICIOUS!! Thank you, AB!
Get ready to scream (both in frustration and victory) as you navigate neon landscapes and pulsating beats in this deceptively simple, insanely addictive geometry dash lite game.
It was the best banana pudding I have ever eaten and made.
Tried this recipe last night for a sweet Christmas dessert and followed the instructions to the T. It turned out like soup, sadly wasted money as inflation is kicking my but this holiday season & disappointed everyone, myself included! I’ll stick to the cold version with the Jello pudding and cool whip! Smh. It looked great before serving it tho! I even put chessman cookies on top ;(
https://share.icloud.com/photos/010qDuknue1vTmduE3CMivHMA