Southern Banana Pudding

I don't know why I've waited so long to post this recipe. Banana pudding is one of my all time favorite desserts. It might be because I'm from North Carolina and banana pudding is the dessert of the south (in my humble opinion). But it also might be because the combination of creamy vanilla pudding, sweet sliced bananas, and chewy vanilla wafers is nearly impossible to beat. Not to mention how simple this recipe is to make. Stick around for a bit and I'll explain.

You see, a lot of people make the mistake of buying that little box of instant pudding in the baking isle at the grocery store. I'll admit, I used to do the same thing. Making a pudding from scratch just seemed like a waste of time when I could mix together a packet of pudding and milk and have pudding ready in two minutes flat. It wasn't until I tried making pudding from scratch that I realized a) it wasn't that hard at all and b) it tasted significantly better than any pudding I bought at the store. Sayonara pudding mix!

If you are crunched for time, feel free to use pudding mix, but I highly recommend making the pudding from scratch. And if you do, you can proudly call this a true southern dessert (otherwise, you might get a lot of frowns from women in the south if they find out you used pudding mix!). In attempts to keep this recipe as easy, quick, and simple as possible, I did not include a meringue, which is found on top of many traditional southern banana puddings. Instead, I topped my individual servings of this amazing dessert with a dollop of whipped cream. Both are equally scrumptious.

Whether you are from the south, craving southern food, or just want a good, easy, summertime dessert, you should give this delicious banana pudding a try!

Southern Banana Pudding
(2 servings)

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
dash of salt (about 1/8 tsp)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup milk*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large, ripe banana, sliced
18-24 vanilla wafers

In a medium saucepan, add the granulated sugar and egg. Whisk ingredients together until combines. To the egg mixture, add the salt, cornstarch, and milk; mix everything together. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking the ingredients together constantly. Continue to stir ingredients until the mixture comes to a boil; boil for one minute, stirring constantly, and then remove from heat. Add the vanilla extract to the pudding mixture and stir. Allow to cool slightly.

In two serving bowls, layer three or four vanilla wafers on the bottom. Top the vanilla wafers with a thin layer of pudding. Top the pudding with a few slices of banana. Repeat layers until ingredients are used, ending with pudding on top. Cover the pudding and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. When ready to eat, crumble a few vanilla wafers and sprinkle on top of pudding. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

*Use dairy milk only. Soy, almond, or other milk varieties will not set up properly. You can also use a combination of milk and cream for a thicker, creamier pudding.

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Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 427.7
Total Fat: 8.2 g

Cholesterol: 113.2 mg

Sodium: 187.7 mg

Total Carbs: 83.5 g

Fiber: 2.5 g

Sugars: 56.7 g

Protein: 8.8 g

Pros:

-Simple list of ingredients
-Very quick and easy to make
-Delicious, classic southern dessert
-Can easily be doubled or tripled to make more servings

Cons:

-Ideal to let the pudding refrigerate overnight. This allows the flavors from the bananas, pudding, and wafers to meet each other and become best friends

This recipe can also be found on Reading and Recipes! Check it out!