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Sweets · American-Southern

Southern Banana Pudding

Vanilla wafers, ripe bananas and warm vanilla pudding under a cloud of browned meringue.

Hands-on
30 min
Hands-off
30 min
Oven preheat
10 min
Total
1 h
Makes
12 servings (about 2/3 cup each)
Serves
12

15-30 min prep and 45 min total, plus 15 minutes of cooling before serving warm. The oven heats while you cook the pudding. To serve it cold, chill it after cooling; there's no tested minimum chilling time. Total = 30 min active + 30 min hands-off (15 min baking, 15 min cooling).

Oven 180 °C · 160 °C fan (350 °F)

Pan 2 L (2-quart) ovenproof baking dish (US: 2-quart ovenproof baking dish)

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • southern
  • potluck
  • classic
  • meringue

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Southern Banana Pudding
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: medium saucepan · whisk and heatproof spatula · 2 small bowls plus a clean medium bowl for the whites · electric mixer · 2-quart (about 2 L) ovenproof baking dish · offset spatula or spoon · instant-read thermometer (optional) · oven mitts and a wire rack

Contains: milk · egg · wheat

Method

  1. Heat the oven, separate the eggs

    Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Separate the 3 eggs: yolks into a small bowl, whites into a clean, dry medium bowl.

  2. Start the pudding

    In a medium saucepan, whisk the 2 packages of Cook & Serve pudding mix with 1065 ml (4 1/2 cups) milk until blended. Beat the 3 yolks until smooth, then gradually stir them into the milk mixture.

    Otto tried this firstOtto grabs a box of INSTANT pudding because it looks the same. This recipe is written for Cook & Serve pudding, which is cooked to a boil with the egg yolks. Check the box.

  3. Boil the pudding

    Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and corners, until it comes to a full rolling boil. Take it off the heat.

    Ready when: A full rolling boil: big bubbles break all over the surface and keep going even while you stir. By then the pudding has thickened and the yolks are fully cooked; a boil is far above the 71°C (160°F) food-safety target for egg dishes. This takes several minutes.

  4. Layer while hot

    Line the bottom and sides of the 2-quart (about 2 L) dish with the 42 wafers. Spread on one-third of the hot pudding and half of the 2 sliced bananas. Repeat with another third of the pudding and the rest of the bananas, then cover with the last of the pudding.

  5. Whip the meringue

    Beat the 3 egg whites with a dash of cream of tartar on high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in 66 g (1/3 cup) sugar, a spoonful at a time.

    Ready when: Stiff peaks: lift the beaters and the peak stands straight up without flopping over. The meringue is thick and glossy.

  6. Seal the top

    Spread the meringue over the warm pudding right away, pushing it out until it touches the dish all the way around.

    Otto tried this firstOtto leaves a gap at the edge, and the meringue shrinks into an island. Sealing it to the dish stops it pulling away.

  7. Bake the meringue

    Bake for about 15 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F).

    Ready when: The meringue is browned all over, including the tips. Baking a meringue made with raw egg whites at 350°F (180°C) until the tips brown, 12-15 minutes, makes it safe. With a thermometer, the centre of the meringue reads at least 71°C (160°F).

  8. Cool, then serve or chill

    Set the dish on a wire rack and let it cool for 15 minutes to serve warm. To serve it cold, let it cool completely, then refrigerate it, within 2 hours of baking.

Swaps

  • Instead of vanilla wafers: any brand of vanilla wafers, about 45

Don’t swap

  • instant pudding for Cook & Serve: the recipe boils the pudding with the egg yolks
  • an unbaked or torched-only meringue: the raw whites need the full bake

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
It's best the day it's baked. You can bake it a few hours ahead and chill it, but an overnight stay in the fridge makes the meringue soggy and spongy.
Storage
Cover and refrigerate leftovers. It's an egg and milk dessert, so don't leave it out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F). Eat within 3 days. The meringue softens and weeps after the first night. Don't freeze it; there's no tested freezing guidance.

If something goes wrong

  • Meringue shrinks away from the sides Why: It wasn't spread right to the edge of the dish.
    Seal the meringue to the dish all the way round before baking.
  • Meringue turns wet and spongy Why: It sat in the fridge overnight.
    Serve it the day you bake it.

Good to know

  • Toss the banana slices with 1 tbsp lemon juice so they brown more slowly.
  • Spread the meringue over the pudding while the pudding is still hot, or at least warm.

Safety

  • Don't taste the meringue before baking: it is raw egg white. Bake it fully, at 180°C (350°F) until the tips brown, about 15 minutes.
  • Boiling pudding is very hot and spits. Stir with a long spoon, and keep kids back from the pan. Children can layer the wafers and bananas once the pudding is in the dish, with an adult pouring.
  • The dish comes out of the oven very hot. Use oven mitts and set it on a rack.
  • Refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F).
  • Vanilla wafers contain wheat, and some brands contain egg or milk. Check the labels.