Banana Pudding

Vanilla pudding layered with wafers & banana, chilled until the cookies go cakey — a no-bake classic

Serves 6–8 · 20 min

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Pudding (scratch) — or use 1 large box instant vanilla
⅓ cup sugar · 3 Tbsp cornstarch · pinch salt
2½ cups whole milk
3 egg yolks · 2 Tbsp butter · 2 tsp vanilla
To layer
3 ripe-but-firm bananas, sliced
1 box vanilla wafers
1 cup cream, whipped (or whipped topping)

What you need

Pudding (scratch) — or use 1 large box instant vanilla

⅓ cup sugar · 3 Tbsp cornstarch · pinch salt

2½ cups whole milk

3 egg yolks · 2 Tbsp butter · 2 tsp vanilla

To layer

3 ripe-but-firm bananas, sliced

1 box vanilla wafers

1 cup cream, whipped (or whipped topping)

Cook the custard. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a pot; whisk in milk and yolks. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until it thickens and bubbles, ~5 min. Off heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Cool with plastic on the surface. (Instant: whisk per the box and chill.)
Layer. In a dish, alternate wafers, banana slices, and pudding — two or three layers — finishing with pudding so the top bananas don't brown.
Chill to set. Top with whipped cream, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight — this is when the wafers soften into cake and the layers meld.
Serve cold, scooped down through the layers. Best within 2 days.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Cook the custard. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a pot; whisk in milk and yolks. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until it thickens and bubbles, ~5 min. Off heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Cool with plastic on the surface. (Instant: whisk per the box and chill.)

2. Layer. In a dish, alternate wafers, banana slices, and pudding — two or three layers — finishing with pudding so the top bananas don't brown.

3. Chill to set. Top with whipped cream, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight — this is when the wafers soften into cake and the layers meld.

4. Serve cold, scooped down through the layers. Best within 2 days.

✨ Untested — Claude drafted this one from scratch; it hasn't been cooked and amended in our kitchen yet, so treat the amounts as a starting point. No alcohol? swap the wine or beer for the same amount of stock, with a splash of vinegar or lemon for the brightness. Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.