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There are two kinds of banana pudding in this world. One comes out of a box and gets a tub of whipped topping spread over it, and it is perfectly pleasant. The other is older: a real custard cooked on the stove, poured hot over vanilla wafers and sliced bananas, with a meringue on top that goes into the oven until the peaks are brown. In a lot of Southern families that second one is simply called banana pudding.
The meringue is not decoration. The custard takes four egg yolks, which leaves four whites, and the cooks who wrote this recipe did not waste anything. So the whites are beaten with a little sugar, spread over the top and baked. And it was served warm, an hour or so out of the oven, once the wafers had gone soft.
Why this old-fashioned banana pudding works
- A custard cooked on the stove. Milk, egg yolks, sugar and a little flour give a pudding that tastes of vanilla and eggs, not of a packet.
- Poured hot. Hot custard sinks between the wafers and starts to soften them at once, and it coats the banana slices so they do not brown.
- Meringue sealed to the edges. Spread right to the rim of the dish, the meringue anchors itself, so it does not shrink back in the oven or slide when you serve.
- An hour of rest. The wafers need that time to turn cake-soft. Crunchy wafers mean somebody was in a hurry.
Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10 from one deep 2-quart baking dish. US cups with grams in brackets.
For the custard
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (40g)
- A pinch of fine salt
- 3 cups whole milk (720ml)
- 4 large egg yolks (save the whites)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the layers
- 1 box vanilla wafers (11 ounces, 311g), about 60 to 70 wafers
- 5 or 6 ripe bananas
For the meringue
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- A pinch of cream of tartar (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
Choose bananas that are yellow with a few brown freckles: ripe and sweet, but still firm enough to slice cleanly. Separate the eggs while they are cold, then let the whites come to room temperature. They whip higher.
How to make old-fashioned banana pudding
The custard
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a large, perfectly clean mixing bowl. Set the whites aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, off the heat, whisk the 3/4 cup sugar, the flour and the salt together. Whisk in the milk a little at a time so no lumps form, then whisk in the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth.
- Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring without stopping and scraping the bottom and corners of the pan, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the custard is thick and coats the spoon. A finger drawn across the back of the spoon should leave a clean line.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and the vanilla until the butter has melted.
The layers
- In a deep 2-quart oven-safe baking dish, arrange a layer of vanilla wafers, then a layer of bananas sliced about 1/4 inch thick, then a layer of hot custard. Repeat, two or three times depending on the depth of your dish, and end with custard.
The meringue
- Beat the 4 egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. With the mixer running, add the 1/4 cup sugar slowly, a spoonful at a time, then raise the speed and beat to stiff, glossy peaks.
- Spoon the meringue onto the hot custard and spread it over, all the way to the edges of the dish so it seals. Pull up peaks all over with the back of the spoon.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the peaks are gold and the valleys are pale tan.
- Let the pudding sit for at least an hour before serving, so the wafers go soft. Serve it warm or at room temperature, scooping straight down through all the layers.
Tips that make the difference
- Stir the custard with a flat-edged wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula, not just a whisk. The flour settles in the corners of the pan, and that is where it scorches.
- Any trace of yolk or grease in the bowl stops egg whites from whipping. Wipe the bowl and beaters with a paper towel dampened with a little vinegar or lemon juice first.
- Put the meringue on while the custard is still hot. That is what keeps a watery layer from forming between the two.
- Slice the bananas at the last minute, straight onto the wafers. Sliced ahead, they brown in the bowl.
Variations
- Whipped cream, served cold. Skip the meringue, cover the pudding and chill for at least 4 hours, then top with 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream whipped with 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Individual puddings. Layer in 8 oven-safe ramekins or custard cups, top each with meringue and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- A taller meringue. Use 6 egg whites with 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of sugar (80g).
- Shortbread. Replace the vanilla wafers with plain shortbread cookies. Richer and more buttery, and they need 2 hours to soften.
Storage and make-ahead
Once it has cooled, cover the dish loosely and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Tent the foil so it does not touch the meringue. The bananas darken a little by day three, but the flavor holds.
Banana pudding with meringue is at its best the day it is made. If you need to work ahead, cook the custard the day before, press plastic wrap onto its surface and refrigerate it. Reheat it gently, stirring, until hot before you layer, so the meringue still goes onto a hot base.
This dessert does not freeze. The custard separates and the bananas turn to mush.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my meringue weeping?
Beads of syrup on top mean the sugar was not fully dissolved or the meringue was baked too long. A watery layer underneath means the custard was too cool when the meringue went on. Add the sugar slowly, spread it on hot custard and seal it to the edges.
Why did my custard not thicken?
It did not cook long enough. A flour-thickened custard needs the full 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat, and it thickens further as it cools in the dish.
Is banana pudding served warm or cold?
The old cooked version with meringue was served warm or at room temperature, about an hour out of the oven. The chilled version with whipped topping came later.
How do I keep the bananas from turning brown?
Use bananas that are ripe but firm, slice them at the last moment, and make sure every slice is covered by hot custard. Air is what browns them, and the custard seals it out.
Make it once from scratch and the box will be hard to go back to. And when somebody at the table asks why there is meringue on the banana pudding, tell them the truth: there were four egg whites left, and nothing was wasted.
Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding (Cooked Custard and Baked Meringue)
Real old-fashioned banana pudding: a custard cooked on the stove, poured hot over vanilla wafers and sliced bananas, and topped with a meringue baked at 350°F until the peaks are gold. No box, no tub.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- A pinch of fine salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 box vanilla wafers (11 ounces, 311g), about 60 to 70 wafers
- 5 or 6 ripe bananas
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- A pinch of cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a large, perfectly clean mixing bowl. Set the whites aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, off the heat, whisk the 3/4 cup sugar, the flour and the salt together. Whisk in the milk a little at a time so no lumps form, then whisk in the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth.
- Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring without stopping and scraping the bottom and corners of the pan, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the custard is thick and coats the spoon. A finger drawn across the back of the spoon should leave a clean line.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and the vanilla until the butter has melted.
- In a deep 2-quart oven-safe baking dish, arrange a layer of vanilla wafers, then a layer of bananas sliced about 1/4 inch thick, then a layer of hot custard. Repeat, two or three times depending on the depth of your dish, and end with custard.
- Beat the 4 egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. With the mixer running, add the 1/4 cup sugar slowly, a spoonful at a time, then raise the speed and beat to stiff, glossy peaks.
- Spoon the meringue onto the hot custard and spread it over, all the way to the edges of the dish so it seals. Pull up peaks all over with the back of the spoon.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the peaks are gold and the valleys are pale tan.
- Let the pudding sit for at least an hour before serving, so the wafers go soft. Serve it warm or at room temperature, scooping straight down through all the layers.
