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Old Fashioned Banana Pudding!







There is something about Spring and especially Easter that makes me want to make a banana pudding.  I like all banana pudding, the cold,  pudding based ones, the layered trifle ones like my
White Chocolate Caramel Banana Pudding, but sometimes I just want a good old fashioned, cooked banana pudding with a meringue on it.  

 It's the kind of banana pudding I grew up with. I want to eat it slightly warm the first time and if we are lucky enough have leftovers, cold out of the fridge the next day.  This is the banana pudding that is pure comfort food. 

I think those who have not attempted this variety of banana pudding might be a little intimidated by it, but don't be, it's not that difficult.  If it's the meringue that just really has you not even attempting it, I am going to take you step by step through a 'how to make meringue' guide and you will be making meringue that will rival your grandma's or your neighborhood bakery or whoever you used to know who made meringue.  It's not that hard with a few easy tips.  If you don't care for meringue or just cannot convince yourself to attempt it, top it with whipped cream and it will still be excellent.


Here is what you will need:

6 Tbs. butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tbs. flour
pinch of salt
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup water
4 egg yolk, save whites for the meringue
2 tsp. vanilla
1 (12 oz.) box of vanilla wafers
4 bananas, sliced

Meringue
4 egg whites
1 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla


Separate the eggs.  Beat the yolks until they are a lemon yellow.  Set the whites aside for meringue.

In saucepan over medium heat melt butter, stir in brown and white sugars, flour and salt until sugar is dissolved.  Slowly add in the evaporated milk and water.  Whisk until it just starts to boil, turn the heat down a bit and whisk and cook it for about 15 minutes.  It should be thick enough to coat our spoon really well.  You will need to whisk this the whole time or it will stick.  If you are not good at whisking for 15 minutes constantly, you can put this in a double boiler.   I never do, but I have done this quite  a few times in my life.   Take a little of the hot custard and stir it into the egg yolks to temper them before adding them to the pan.  Once you have done this, you can add the egg yolks to the warm pudding mixture.  Whisk them in for about two minutes to cook them.  Remove from heat and add in the 2 tsp. vanilla. 


Line a 2 quart casserole or baking dish with half of the vanilla wafers.  Layer two of the sliced bananas next.


Pour half of the pudding mixture over the bananas.  Repeat all of the layers again, ending with the pudding.  You will notice the slightly caramel color of my pudding.  That is the brown sugar and to me it just makes it really special.



For the meringue, add 1 tsp. of baking powder to the egg whites and start to beat the whites with an electric mixer on high. Gradually add in 4 Tbs. of sugar, continuing to beat. When stiff peaks start to form (this takes some time) add in 1 tsp. of corn starch and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Don't go too heavy on the vanilla or it will change the color of your meringue or use the colorless.  Make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean and dry before you start making the meringue.   Any oil or residue will cause the meringue not to be high and light.  Meringue also does better if you use eggs that have been out of refrigerator for an hour or so and are not cold. 

 This is my mother's tried and true meringue and it is wonderful.  You know how they always told you that you have to buy that expensive can of cream of tartar to use, maybe once or twice, you don't.  This uses what you have on hand, baking powder and cornstarch, and they are not expensive!  Shhhh....don't tell everyone, it's Mama's secret!



 This is how your meringue looks when it's stiff enough.


Spread the meringue over the pudding, making sure to seal it to the edges of the dish all the way around.  That just means to not leave any air pockets or gaps around the edges.   When your meringue shrinks back or pulls away from the sides or sinks in the middle, it's because you have not 'sealed' it to the edges and have left spaces open.    Place in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes or until it just starts to brown.  Watch it carefully! 


Old Fashioned Banana Pudding!

35 comments:

  1. Have you ever had banana pudding make with cake, instead of cookies? There's a barbecue restaurant that makes it like that, but I cannot find a recipe.

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    1. Barbara, here is a recipe for banana pudding made with pound cake...looks good.

      http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pound-cake-banana-pudding-10000001168052/

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    2. My Grannie used to have bananna pudding for me everytime we visited in Corbin Kentucky. She knew it was my favorite. It was sratch made and piled so high with meringue. No one could make it like her. I really miss it..Mine never turns out the same. Think I will try this.

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  2. Just like my Moms...yummy good {:>

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  3. This looks wonderful, I am going to try it. Thankyou for your posts I really enjoy them. Josie

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  4. Made this tonight with my husband and everyone loved it! Thank you! :)

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  5. OMGosh I am dying here.. this is just like the recipe my step-grandmother made in Tennessee. I watched her make it many times from scratch. She never gave us the recipe. My mother tried to make it like hers but it never tasted the same way. It must have been the brown sugar. I NEVER would think to put that in it. This makes my mouth water.. Yummmy..Easter to me reminds me of the coconut cake you made.. My aunt always made it from scratch,my Uncle grating the raw coconut. Ahh the memories.. Thanks for this I am definitely trying it. :-)

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  6. I cant wait to try this. I am having company next week, what a perfect umm "reason" to make it!

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  7. Hands down the BEST banana pudding ever!! Thank you so much for the recipes. I adore your site!

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  8. My husband loves banana pudding. Just so happens I have some ripe bananas I need to use up today. My problem is that my husband is lactose intolerant which creates a problem with using evaporated milk. Can I use the equivalent in Lactaid brand milk? Do I need to substitute quantities or add/delete anything else? Thanx.

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  9. If you do not use the evaporated milk, you do not need to add as much water. Evaporated milk has had the water removed.

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  10. having MS, I would not be able to wisk, how do I do this in DB pan? want to try this look's so yummy.TY

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    1. Hi, Jackie, I'm sorry about the MS - I know it must be difficult for you. My stepmom uses a robo whisk. She does a lot of cooking with many pans going at once so it is a big help to her. You can by them online & in some stores. The best one has two attachments - a shorter & a taller. It is quite easy to use. you put batteries in the top of the unit - it is just a round disc up top big enough to fit the batteries with four or five long "legs" - when needed you just place in in the pan you are using, turn it on & let it do the work for you. It will move, randomly, around the pan at a good easy speed constantly mixing. It will take a bit longer since it will not be a Fast speed whisk but it will work & get the job done. Good Luck...Susan

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  11. When you make your own pudding from scratch, instead of a boxed or canned pudding, it makes all the difference in the world in taste.

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    1. It sure does...I am not fond of the instant pudding taste..The made from scratch custard that is not hard to make sure taste so much better..

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  12. My Mother made the best Banana Pudding ever. And when she passed away in 2008, the only thing my brother wanted of her's was the bowl she made the pudding in. Our family got together after for Christmas and he surprised us all with Banana Pudding he had made, in Mothers bowl ! We loved him for that surprise! Thank you Arthur you are the best !

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  13. YUMMY!!!SOUNDS DELICIOUS!!!

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  14. I'm having a big Easter Party this weekend and I am going to serve this for sure. My mother always made hers from scratch and let me tell you that there was NEVER any left overs.

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  15. Jackie, if you cook this over double boiler (the pan over warm water in another pan) it doesn't require as much constant whisking. You will still need to whisk every now and then, but it won't stick nearly as quickly.

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  16. What is the difference between evaporates milk and regular milk? I just recently started cooking new recipes. I'm making this for our family this weekend for Easter!!

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  17. Tana, evaporated milk is milk that has been cooked at high heat to take a lot of the water out of it and then canned. It is better for custards and sauces like this. If you use regular milk in this it won't thicken as well or be as rich.

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  18. I have told my daughter about your site, Sweet Tea and Cornbread", and she has thanked me so much for it. Her name is Michelle Wilson, and she says you are so much like her. She cooks from scratch like you. Pat Mann

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  19. helen.syme@yahoo.comMay 12, 2013 at 1:49 PM

    Kathy, in the last sentence of the meringue recipe where you said it was your Mom's secret, you said 2 ingredients we have on hand: soda and baking powder. You meant cornstarch and baking powder, right?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, that is what I meant. I fixed it. Thank you!

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  20. Do your bananas turn brown??

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    1. No, you don't slice them until you are ready to assemble.

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  21. dribble the bananas with lemon juice and they want turn dark as quickly...and you want taste the lemon...and then sometimes I mash my bananas up and just put the wafers and crushed bananas in the pan and mix it all up this way...the taste will be the same..

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  22. I am going to try this receipe for my Bible Study. :-)

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  23. never had with brown sugar! I would like to taste it, but don't know if I'll change from my white sugar only recipe! but, thanks...

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  24. What brand of wafers do you use. My mom always made this pudding and so did I for my kids. but about 15 years ago I noticed that the wafers became mush and disolved when you poured the custard over them, whereas before they sort of held together. I am not liking the mushy wafers so I have not made this in a long time.

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    Replies
    1. Nabisco is the only brand I use..They are the best..

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  25. My kids love my cooked banana pudding! Very much like your excepy I often use the little flower butter cookies with the hole in center or pecan sandies in place of nilla wafers. Awesome feed back from the kids! :)

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  26. The meringue looks very brown to me. I think that is the secret of good meringue. It should be like the candy you make from egg whites. I believe most people who say they don't like meringue have gotten hold of undercooked meringue - its pretty disgusting.

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  27. The meringue looks very brown to me. I think that is the secret of good meringue. It should be like the candy you make from egg whites. I believe most people who say they don't like meringue have gotten hold of undercooked meringue - its pretty disgusting.

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  28. I wonder how it would be with graham crackers? Or would that be sacrilege.?

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