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Creamy Banana Pudding with Homemade Vanilla Custard

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A comforting and luscious banana pudding featuring a rich homemade vanilla custard, layered with ripe bananas and vanilla wafers, perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups whole milk (480 ml)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (120 ml)
  • 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch (16 g)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 medium ripe bananas, sliced
  • About 40 vanilla wafer cookies (or graham crackers)
  • 1 cup whipped cream (240 ml), homemade or store-bought

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add the scraped seeds from 1 vanilla bean and the pod itself (or 2 tsp vanilla extract later). Heat over medium heat until just about to simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together 4 large egg yolks, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp cornstarch, and a pinch of salt until pale and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Slowly pour about 1 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
  4. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 6-8 minutes.
  5. Remove the vanilla bean pod and strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
  6. In a serving dish, layer vanilla wafer cookies, sliced bananas, and a generous layer of custard. Repeat layers, finishing with custard on top.
  7. Whip 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form, optionally sweetened with sugar or vanilla extract. Spread or pipe over the top layer.
  8. Refrigerate the pudding for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Notes

Cook custard over medium-low heat and whisk constantly to prevent curdling. Temper eggs slowly by adding warm milk gradually. Use ripe but not overly ripe bananas for best texture. Chill pudding for several hours to allow flavors to meld and wafers to soften. Whipped cream topping is optional but recommended for added lightness.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana pudding, homemade custard, vanilla custard, creamy dessert, easy banana pudding, classic dessert

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/creamy-banana-pudding-with-homemade-vanilla-custard-easy-recipe/