Authentic Southern Banana Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Place a layer of wafer cookies on the bottom of a large glass bowl. Top with a layer of banana slices. Alternate layers, reserving 10 wafer cookies to crumble for topping.
• Mix sugar, flour, and salt together in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in cream, about 1/4 cup at a time. Add milk and butter. Place pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until custard begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
• Place egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of warm custard mixture into the egg yolks. Add the egg/custard mixture back to the saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract. Remove from heat; allow to cool about 20 minutes.
• Pour mixture slowly over the layers of wafers and bananas. Gently shake bowl so custard seeps to the bottom of the bowl. Crumble the remaining wafer cookies and sprinkle over the top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and flour. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. , Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot milk filling into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; gently stir in butter and vanilla. , In an ungreased 8-in. square baking dish, layer a third of the vanilla wafers, bananas and filling. Repeat layers twice., For meringue, beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to sides of dish. Bake until meringue is golden, 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Heat 2 1/2 cups of the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until steaming.
• Whisk 3/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup milk.
• Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture until smooth, and then gradually whisk the egg-milk mixture into the milk in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until it has thickened to a puddinglike consistency, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
• Layer a third of the pudding, half the banana slices and half the vanilla wafers in a 9-inch square baking dish. Layer with half the remaining pudding, all the remaining banana slices and all the remaining wafers. Top with the last of the pudding. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the pudding surface, and refrigerate overnight to soften the cookies.
• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bring the egg whites to room temperature. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high, and slowly sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar a tablespoon at a time, whipping for 15 seconds after each addition, until glossy firm peaks form. Spread the meringue on top of the pudding with an offset spatula so it reaches the edges of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, mix vanilla pudding and 1 2/3 cup of milk together until well blended, let stand until firm. Fold in whipped topping.
• In a large glass bowl or trifle bowl, layer vanilla wafers to cover bottom, cover with pudding mixture, banana slices to cover pudding then cover banans with crushed pineapple. Continue layering, ending with pudding on top. Crush remaining vanilla wafers and cover pudding with crumbs. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve cold.
• **Please note, I don't recommend using Fat Free Whipped Topping as it doesn't have enough body to hold the fruit and tends to be runny**.

Steps:

• Reserve 30 vanilla wafers.
• Coarsely crush the remaining wafers in a food processor; combine with the butter until blended.
• Firmly press the crumbs from the bottom of a 9" pie plate all the way to the outer edge of the plate.
• Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
• When completely cool, arrange banana slices in the crust.
• Vanilla Cream Filling: In a saucepan, combine the 3/4 c sugar, flour, eggs, egg yolks, and milk.
• Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes or until it has thickened to the consistency of pudding.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla.
• Pour half of the vanilla cream filling over the bananas.
• Layer 20 vanilla wafers on top of the filling.
• Pour the remaining filling over the wafers.
• Meringue: Beat the egg whites on high speed with a mixer until foamy.
• Add the sugar, 1 T at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Spread the meringue evenly over the filling and be sure to seal the edges.
• Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour or until completely cool.
• Coarsely crush the remaining 10 wafers and garnish the top of the pie.
• Chill for 4 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min.
• Arrange half the wafers on bottom and up side of 2-qt. serving bowl; top with layers of half each of the banana slices and pudding. Repeat all layers. Cover with COOL WHIP.
• Refrigerate 3 hours.