HOMEMADE BANANA PUDDING RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Whisk 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in a medium saucepan to combine, then whisk in 1 large egg and ¾ cup whole milk. Set pan over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking, 1 minute more. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter and ¾ tsp. vanilla extract. Scrape pudding into a large bowl with a rubber spatula and chill while you prep the banana and condensed milk mixture (no need to cover).
• Peel 1 banana and chop into ½" pieces. Whisk ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk and ½ cup mascarpone or room-temperature cream cheese (if using) in a small bowl until combined and smooth.
• Fold banana and sweetened condensed milk mixture into warm pudding with rubber spatula (adding the banana to the warm pudding helps flavor it). Return pudding to the refrigerator and chill 1 hour (no need to cover). It’s okay if the pudding is still quite loose at this stage. (If you aren’t using the mascarpone, add the banana and sweetened condensed milk when you transfer the warm pudding from the saucepan to the large bowl.)
• Using an electric mixer, beat 1½ cups heavy cream in another small bowl until stiff-peaks form, about 4 minutes. (Err on the side of too stiff rather than too loose.) Whisk chilled pudding if lumpy and gently fold two thirds of whipped cream into pudding; set remaining whipped cream aside for serving.
• Slice remaining 4 large or 5 medium bananas into ½"-thick rounds. Set aside a large handful of cookies from one 11-oz. box Nilla Wafers and set the rest next to a 2-qt. or 8x8" baking dish or pan.
• Evenly spread about one third of pudding across bottom of dish in an even layer. Top with a layer of cookies, spacing evenly apart and not covering the pudding completely. Top with half of the bananas. Repeat layers once more, using half of the remaining pudding. Then top with a final layer of pudding and reserved whipped cream. (You will not use the entire box of cookies—the extras are the chef’s treat!)
• Place reserved cookies in a resealable plastic bag, close, and finely crush with a rolling pin. (A mortar and pestle also works well.) Sprinkle crushed cookies over pudding. Cover with plastic wrap or a silicone lid and chill at least 6 hours before serving. Do ahead: Pudding can be assembled 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Steps:

• Make the pudding: Combine the milk, sugar, flour and salt in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until it becomes thick, about 8 minutes. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and beat lightly. Whisk a little bit of the milk mixture into the egg yolks until tempered. Slowly add the egg mixture to the milk mixture, and whisk until combined. Cook 2 more minutes to cook the eggs, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and butter, stirring to melt the butter. Let stand until cooled, about 30 minutes. (You can also chill the custard over an ice bath for 10 minutes.)
• Make the vanilla bean whipped cream: Chill a mixing bowl and beater in the freezer. Scrape the vanilla seeds from pod with a paring knife into the chilled bowl. Add the whipping cream and sugar to the bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
• To finish: Arrange a single layer of vanilla wafers in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of sliced bananas on top. Cover with half of the pudding. Repeat the layers once. Top the last layer with the whipped cream. Garnish with the crushed vanilla wafers and sliced bananas, if desired. Cover and chill 1 hour, or until ready to serve.