Banana Pudding
If you've got whole milk, granulated sugar and cornstarch, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 65 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
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How to make it
- In a medium saucepan off the heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt, then gradually whisk in the cold milk until completely smooth with no lumps.
- Set the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil, about 6 to 8 minutes; let it bubble for 1 minute to fully cook out the cornstarch.
- In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks, then temper them by slowly drizzling in about half a cup of the hot milk mixture while whisking, then pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
- Cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes more, whisking, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until glossy.
- Spread a thin layer of custard in the bottom of a serving dish, then cover with a layer of vanilla wafers and a layer of sliced banana.
- Repeat the layers of custard, wafers and banana, finishing with a smooth layer of custard on top, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 hours so the wafers soften into a cake-like texture, then crush a few extra wafers over the top just before serving.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch (as thickener)
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Banana Pudding take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Banana Pudding vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Banana Pudding is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Banana pudding, homemade.jpg by Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.