Banana Pudding with Biscuits and Whipped Cream Recipe
Banana pudding is a classic dessert from the American South, often served at family dinners and holidays. Layers of vanilla custard, banana slices and biscuits create something between tiramisu and a layered pudding in a bowl. The dessert tastes best after a few hours in the fridge, when the biscuits soften slightly and meld with the cream.
This banana pudding combines simple pantry ingredients into an impressive layered dessert that feels both nostalgic and elegant.
Chef's tips
Let the custard cool to room temperature before assembling so it doesn’t make the whipped cream melt and the biscuits overly soggy.
How to serve
Top each serving with a fresh banana slice and a sprinkle of crushed biscuits just before serving for extra texture.
Ingredients
- milk - 500 ml
- egg yolk - 3 pieces
- sugar - 70 g
- cornstarch or potato starch - 30 g
- vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
- butter - 20 g
- banana ripe but not overripe - 3 pieces
- butter biscuits round or rectangular - 150 g
- heavy cream 30–36% chilled - 200 ml
- powdered sugar for the whipped cream - 20 g
Preparation
- In a saucepan, heat 400 ml of the milk, but do not bring it to a boil – it should be hot.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, starch and the remaining 100 ml milk until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking vigorously all the time.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens to the consistency of a thick custard (usually 3–5 minutes after it starts to boil). Remove from the heat, add the butter and vanilla extract and stir. Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap so a skin doesn’t form, and set aside to cool.
- Peel the bananas and slice them thinly. Keep the biscuits whole.
- Whip the cream with the powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip, or it will turn into butter.
- In a glass bowl or dessert glasses, layer: a thin layer of cream, a layer of biscuits, a layer of banana slices. Repeat until you use up the ingredients, finishing with a layer of cream.
- Spread the whipped cream over the top and smooth with a spoon. You can decorate with a few banana slices or some crushed biscuit.
- Refrigerate the dessert for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, so the biscuits soften and the flavors meld.
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator and eat within 1–2 days; over time the bananas will darken and the biscuits will become very soft.
I like to assemble this dessert the evening before serving – by the next day the flavors have blended beautifully and the texture is perfectly creamy.
