This is not a drill people – Trisha Yearwood’s banana pudding recipe makes the most spectacular banana pudding ever!
Banana pudding is a rich and creamy dessert made with layers of vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, and creamy custard.
As if that’s not good enough, it’s also got a crisp meringue to top it all off.
If you’re bananas about banana pudding, you have to try this recipe. It’s a super easy, fool-proof way to make the most ridiculously tasty banana pudding.
Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself to find out!
Tips for Making Trisha Yearwood’s Banana Pudding
Before we get to the recipe card, I have several tips to help ensure your pudding is a success:
- Use an electric mixer. If you don’t have one, you aren’t out of luck. However, if you DO have one, it will give you the smoothest, most velvety custard.
- Save time with instant pudding. Simply combine banana pudding mix, milk, and vanilla extract. Then, beat them well using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes.
- Using cooked pudding? Be patient! Take your time when cooking the pudding. Do NOT turn up the heat to speed up the thickening process. If you do, you’ll likely overcook the custard.
- Use firm bananas. To prevent them from browning, brush the slices with a bit of lemon juice. Orange, pineapple, and lime juice also work. Also, be sure to work quickly. The less time the bananas are exposed to the air, the better.
- Chill before serving. The pudding needs at least 4 hours in the fridge. It’s even better if you make it a day ahead of time and let it chill overnight.
- Display the layers. Banana pudding tastes so good that people sometimes forget how pretty it is! Assemble your pudding in a transparent glass bowl to show off this lovely dessert.
- Intimidated by meringue? That’s okay! You can use whipped cream or Cool Whip to top your pudding instead.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. Aside from vanilla wafers, you can use Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies. You can also opt for vanilla or cheesecake pudding. You may even want to add a dash of rum or banana liqueur. (Just cut back on the milk if you do.)
- Add garnishes. Dress up your banana pudding with crumbled wafers, mint leaves, cinnamon sugar, etc. Your options are endless here, so be as creative as you want! You can also drizzle it with caramel sauce or top it with ice cream.
How Long Does Banana Pudding Last?
Banana pudding will keep well for 4 days, so you can definitely make it ahead of time.
If possible, though, you should eat or serve your banana pudding within 2 days. Otherwise, you’ll start to see unappetizing brown bananas in there.
- To store. Cover your pudding with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge. The plastic wrap will prevent the bananas from being exposed to air. But again, keep in mind that the bananas will brown eventually, even when covered.
Unfortunately, banana pudding does not keep well in the freezer. The pudding will become all mushy and thin when you defrost it.
How Long Can Banana Pudding Be Left Out?
Banana pudding can only sit at room temperature for 2 hours. If it sits out for longer, the pudding will get runny.
So be sure it chills in the fridge as much as possible.
Trisha Yearwood Banana Pudding
8
servings30
minutes5
minutes285
kcalTrisha Yearwood’s banana pudding recipe makes the best ever banana pudding! It’s a rich and creamy dessert made with layers of vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, and creamy custard.
Ingredients
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 pinch, divided
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
30-40 vanilla wafers
3-4 medium ripe bananas, sliced 1/8-inch thick
Instructions
- Separate 3 eggs, adding the whites to one bowl and the yolks to another. Be careful not to get any yolk in the egg whites, or they won’t whip. Add the last full egg to the bowl with the yolks and lightly beat with a fork.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the 3 egg yolks and the remaining whole egg plus the milk. Whisk to combine, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the vanilla and mix well. Then, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to cool. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When cool, spread a thin layer of pudding over the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish (or an 8×8-inch baking pan). Cover the pudding with an even layer of vanilla wafers, followed by a layer of sliced bananas. Spread about 1/3 of the pudding over the bananas, then repeat the layers until the dish is full, ending with the pudding on top. Set the dish aside.
- To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites on low in a stand mixer. When they look foamy, add a small pinch of salt, turn the speed to medium, and very slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. When all the sugar is in the bowl, turn the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the meringue over the top pudding layer and bake for 5 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- Let the pudding cool before assembling the layers of the dessert.
The instructions for whipping egg whites says use remaining salt – Sugar Is Combined With Egg Whites To Make Meringue Never Salt.
Hi Sharon! A pinch of salt can help enhance the sweetness in the meringue. And it’s in Trisha Yearwood’s original recipe π But if you want to leave it out, the top layer will be just fine!
If I make the pudding part ahead and refrigerate until the next day (not adding the wafers at that time) is it going to be a problem if I put it together and add the meringue and brown it in the oven with the pudding being cold? Or, would it just be better to put it all together, including the meringue part and then refrigerate until the next day? in worried about the bananas browning too much and it starting to separate.
Hi Mary!
That should be totally fine. The pudding needs to be cooled anyway.
I just recommend pressing some cling film onto the surface and then wrapping the bowl/dish so it doesn’t form a skin. Then assemble it the next day when you’re ready.
That said, you could brush the bananas with lemon juice, layer everything but the meringue, and chill it until the next day. As long as the bananas are completely covered in pudding, they should be fine overnight.
Then you can add the meringue and bake it when ready to serve.
Hope this helps!
I know this banana pudding recipe above is good, as it is one I grew up on. However, I just have to tell you, if you haven’t tried Paula Dean’s recipe for, “Not Your Mama’s Banana Pudding” with the Chessmen Cookies from Pepperidge Farm, you MUST try it. I quit making Mom’s Banana Pudding (like the recipe above) when I found Paula’s recipe. I hate to get on one site and tell you to look to another for a recipe, but because it is “that” good, I must bring this up, so you can have the recipe in your files. We foodies stick together! BTW, I love your blog.
Hi Sara!
I just looked up the recipe and you’re right – it looks amazing!
I think I’ll need to make a run to the store to try it π
Thanks for the recommendation!!
Looks yummy ! Thank you so much πππLiz