This old-fashioned baked banana pudding recipe is the perfect dessert for parties and potlucks. It has vanilla wafers, homemade pudding, and meringue on top.
It’s topped with meringue and baked in the oven—just like grandma used to make it!
When it comes to classic, nostalgic, grandma desserts, old-fashioned banana pudding is hard to beat. It’s the kind of dish that shows up at church potlucks, family reunions, and summer suppers, and disappears the second it hits the table. Picture layers of vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, and creamy homemade pudding, all crowned with a cloud of meringue that turns perfectly golden and toasted as the dessert bakes in the oven—no kitchen torch or broiling required. It’s a timeless, comforting treat that feels right at home on any dessert table.
While many modern versions of the dish are topped with whipped cream, old-fashioned banana pudding is traditionally finished with a fluffy, toasted meringue. Whipped cream is typically reserved for chilled or no-bake versions.
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Step
1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl.
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Step
2
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, salt, and 1 cup of the sugar. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan, until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
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Step
3
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the sugar until lightened in color, about 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper. Then add the yolk mixture to the saucepan and whisk to combine.
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Step
4
Return the mixture to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it comes to a simmer, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla bean paste. Strain through the prepared sieve and set aside.
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Step
5
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until the mixture is frothy and soft peaks form, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining ¾ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between each addition. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat until the egg whites are glossy and stiff but not dry, about 5 minutes more.
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Step
6
Arrange half of the vanilla wafers in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Peel and cut 2 bananas into ½-inch-thick slices and arrange them in an even layer on top of the wafers. Spoon half of the pudding over the bananas and spread into an even layer. Peel and slice the remaining 2 bananas. Repeat the layering process again with the remaining wafers, bananas, and pudding. Spoon the meringue over the pudding and use the back of a spoon to create decorative swoops to cover the entire pudding.
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Step
7
Bake the banana pudding until the meringue is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and serve warm. Alternatively, refrigerate the pudding for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours and serve it chilled.
