The Best Homemade Banana Pudding

This homemade banana pudding recipe is thick, creamy, and bursting with so much delicious banana flavor! It's truly the absolute best banana pudding from scratch (and it's secretly healthier). Cute individual minis are easy to make-ahead, or make one big dish for bringing to summer cookouts.

Summer is unofficially banana pudding season! We've been on a huge banana pudding kick in our house lately. Mr. Table loooves banana pudding, so when he asked me to make some recently, of course, I said I would! He thought I'd buy some banana pudding mix at the store, but (oh hell no) I was making the REAL thing! No boxed mixes in my kitchen, thank you.

What happened was the BEST banana pudding from scratch that you've ever had. This is the only homemade banana pudding recipe you'll ever need. You're welcome.

What Makes This Banana Pudding Recipe The Best

Most southern banana pudding recipes are actually vanilla pudding with sliced bananas and vanilla wafers. Which is delicious. But if you want to make really banana-y banana pudding, you need more than that. Simply adding bananas to the pudding while cooking will result in brown pudding. No thanks. So how do you add a ton of banana flavor? My answer is banana liqueur. It adds the absolute perfect amount of delicious banana flavor without relying on a mix or mushy brown 'naners.

To make this homemade banana pudding extra special, I used real vanilla beans in the pudding along with the banana liqueur, and homemade vanilla wafers from a local bakery. All topped with real homemade whipped cream. Dessert heaven, my friends.

How To Make Banana Pudding From Scratch

Homemade pudding is actually very easy to make. All you need is a few simple ingredients: cornstarch, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter. Plus the flavoring (banana and vanilla here) and homemade whipped cream! Here's how you make this delicious banana pudding from scratch:

1. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Wish in the eggs and milk.
2. Heat the mixture over medium (or medium-low if your stove runs hot), whisking constantly, until it's thickened to pudding consistency.
3. Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and banana liqueur. Mix well.
4. Chill the pudding. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a crust from developing and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. You can leave it in the pan to chill or transfer it to another container.
5. Make the whipped cream by whipping the cream on high speed in a chilled bowl until very soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla, and continue whipping until more firm, but still soft, peaks form.
6. After the pudding has chilled, assemble the pudding. Place a layer of vanilla wafers in the bottom of a dish (or in each individual dish, if you're making minis). Add a layer of sliced fresh bananas. Spoon the pudding on top of the bananas and spread it into a smooth layer with the back of a spoon. Finish with a layer of whipped cream.

Tips For Making The Best Banana Pudding

• When making the pudding, be sure to whisk constantly, and make sure you get the edges, too. This helps prevent clumps and scorched bits.
• Use ripe bananas that aren't too ripe for both the best flavor and presentation. You want bananas that don't yet have and brown spots in the middle.
• I highly recommend making the banana liqueur yourself if you can't find it at a spirits store.
• If you don't like soft cookies in your banana pudding, leave them out when you're creating the layers. Place them in the bottom of your bowl just before serving for crispy cookies.
• When making the whipped cream, don't over-whip. It should be fluffy, but not too stiff.

How To Make Banana Liqueur

To make the banana liqueur that I typically use, simply place a ripe few banana slices in a jar, cover with white rum or vodka (about ¼ cup) and cover. Let the mixture sit for at least 3 days. Then remove the bananas and store in the refrigerator.

What Makes This Banana Pudding Healthier

Most banana puddings are made with whole milk or half and half, plus a whole lot of butter and sugar. This recipe is lightened up just a little with 2% milk (though you can certainly use whole milk if you'd like) and less sugar and butter. The result is a thick, rich banana pudding that's not too sweet, but still has tons of flavor thanks to the banana liqueur and vanilla beans.

Can Banana Pudding Be Made In Advance?

Banana pudding can absolutely be made in advance! I recommend it, actually! It tastes better when the flavors have had a chance to hang out together in the fridge for a little bit. I'd recommend making it up to a day in advance, but not much more than that, because the bananas will turn brown.

How To Store Homemade Banana Pudding

There seems to be a little confusion as to whether banana pudding should be refrigerated. YES. Banana pudding does need to be refrigerated. It's made with milk and eggs, which pose a food safety risk if left out too long. So please make sure you refrigerate your banana pudding after making it. It will keep up to 4 days.

Ingredient Substitutions

• This pudding is naturally gluten-free if you use gluten-free vanilla wafer cookies.
• I don't recommend making this pudding dairy-free. Using dairy-free milk (such as soy or nut milk) will work but the taste isn't the same. Oat milk and chia milk will not give you the right consistency.
• You can use tapioca starch or arrowroot starch in place of cornstarch.
• If you don't have vanilla beans, vanilla bean paste is excellent. If you can't find the paste, regular vanilla extract will also work.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

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