Grandma’s Southern Banana Pudding Recipe [Video!]
Grandma’s Southern Banana Pudding Recipe is a homemade from-scratch banana pudding that has layers of crunchy vanilla wafers, perfectly fresh bananas, and the best homemade cooked vanilla pudding you’ve ever had the opportunity to taste!
Originally published February 2022, updated February 2024
Is there a recipe in your family that’s been passed down for generations? One that makes you feel all warm & fuzzy and every bite is pure comfort food?
This is one of those recipes. A classic banana pudding recipe has been in my family for a long time. At least my whole life and then some.
Grandma’s Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
This is my great-grandmother’s banana pudding recipe. A from-scratch no-bake recipe that is the definition of ‘comfort food’ if there ever was any. You won’t find any Cool Whip or vanilla pudding mix in this recipe. This is the real deal.
At our family get-togethers, it is affectionately called “Aunt Jessie’s Banana Pudding” because that’s what everybody called my great-grandmother… “Aunt Jessie.” And it’s a famous banana pudding recipe. At least in our family.
I never knew Aunt Jessie – she died before I was even a year old. And my grandmother was not in our life either so the only person who’s ever made this recipe for me is my Mama. And she makes it a lot!
Let me tell you – this classic southern dessert is present at all family gatherings, sometimes at our church potlucks, and occasionally Mama will make it for a birthday gift. It’s always a big hit!
t’s easily both of my brothers’ favorite dessert, and my Mama never misses an opportunity to make real southern banana pudding for them. They will all tell you that grandma’s old-fashioned banana pudding is the BEST banana pudding recipe!
This homemade southern banana pudding recipe is a no-bake, completely from-scratch recipe. You won’t find any instant pudding mix here.
Instead, the pudding is a rich vanilla egg custard creation. And I guess you could say my family are purists… they never add meringue or whipped cream to it (although if you want to… go for it. I won’t tell Mama! 😉)
So let’s get to it – you’ll find the ingredients, tools, and instructions below, and here’s a video to get you started:
Video
Ingredients
This homemade banana pudding recipe relies on simple ingredients and fresh banana slices for the banana flavor. And it doesn’t require lots of dishes or bowls or even a stand mixer.
Sugar
Self-rising flour – I rarely use self-rising flour these days but I often find it in old recipes so it must have been a staple in kitchens many years ago.
Eggs
Milk – we prefer whole milk, but 2% will work as well.
Salted butter – again, all of my Mama and Grandmother’s recipes used salted butter, so that’s what we use in this recipe. If you only have unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt to the recipe and you’ll be all set.
Vanilla extract – use the real stuff (not imitation) and if you make it homemade (recipe here), even better!
Bananas – this recipe is best with just barely ripe bananas, but not overly ripe. You want them to still be a little bit firm to hold up in the hot cooked pudding
Vanilla Wafers – you’ll need a whole box of these cookies. I’m not super picky on brands but we usually use Nilla Wafers. But you can use whichever ones you like best!
Equipment
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How to Make Southern Banana Pudding
If this is your first time to make homemade pudding, don’t be intimidated. With these instructions, it’s an easy banana pudding recipe; especially since I’ve got step-by-step photos and a video to help you along!
Making the Homemade Vanilla Pudding
- In a saucepan, mix together sugar, flour, eggs, and 1 cup of milk. You can do this with whisk or a hand mixer.
- Mix the egg mixture l it’s smooth with no clumps of flour. I like to use a whisk for this, but Mama usesIt a spoon most of the time.
- Then add another cup of milk and ½ cup melted butter. Whisk until smooth.
- Finally add vanilla and whisk again.
- Cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.
- This will take probably 15-20 minutes. Once it’s thickened, remove the pan from heat and let the pudding mixture rest for 10 minutes.
Assembling the Banana Pudding
- Line a 9×13 baking dish with vanilla wafers (prop some up on the sides too).
- Then top with sliced bananas (about ¼ inch thick). See tips below.
- Pour the warm homemade vanilla pudding over the cookies and bananas.
- Then cover the top with another layer of sliced bananas.
- Finally, top the homemade custard with another layer of nilla wafers. Mama usually uses whole vanilla wafers but if you have a box with a bunch of broken ones in the bottom (like me!), crumble them up and top the whole thing with crushed cookies! Either way, it’ll be a delicious dessert!
- Allow it to sit and thicken at room temp for up to an hour so the creamy vanilla pudding will continue to thicken.
My family enjoys this classic dessert warm or at room temperature. Just scoop out a bowl and dig in! But if you’re making it ahead of time, you can also refrigerate it for 3-4 hours and serve it cold straight out of the fridge.
Variations
Make a Banana Pudding Trifle! If you want to change up this classic southern banana pudding, you can make it in a trifle bowl. Layer the cookies, fresh banana and pudding in the same order, but you will likely end up with an extra layer of vanilla wafers (or two) than you get spread out in a 9×13 dish.
Add Whipped Cream. Whip up some heavy whipping cream for the top of it to add another layer of yumminess to this southern comfort food. See my homemade Whipped Cream recipe here.
Serving Tips
Many old-fashioned banana pudding recipes include meringue or whipped topping (homemade whipped cream with heavy cream or Cool Whip).
My family enjoys this recipe without either of those, but they would certainly not mess up the dessert if you want to add them! Or if you want the same flavors, in a summer-friendly ice cream version… try this No Churn Banana Pudding Ice Cream.
Note: If you decide to top with meringue, this is no longer a no-bake banana pudding. Meringue will require that you bake the pudding for a few minutes.
FAQ
Banana pudding is known as a southern food but there is no real source for why this is true. It is known that this dessert didn’t become popular until after the civil war when bananas became more popular and available in America.
Some think it’s because bananas come from more southern regions and therefore were easier to access for southerners. Others say that it’s a southern thing because we (in the south) are known for our sweets and desserts and this is definitely a sweet, sweet dessert!
I also read that it became known as southern style banana pudding because it is a dessert that can be made without an oven (since the pudding or custard is cooked on the stovetop).
And let me tell you, I can believe that because we Southerners definitely avoid using the oven when the summer heat kicks in.
Absolutely yes! My family enjoys it warm and I’d say even prefers it that way. But it’s really a matter of personal taste.
If you prefer it cold or you’re making it ahead of time, you can refrigerate for 3-4 hours and serve it cold straight out of the fridge.
Exposure to air is what browns or ripens the bananas, so you want to avoid that. There are a few things you can do to avoid ripening the bananas or them turning brown. First, don’t prep them ahead of time – only cut them when you’re ready to assemble the pudding. This is one step you want to wait and do this step last minute.
Also, if you’re going not going to serve immediately, wait to add the top layer of bananas until just before serving. OR cover the top of the pudding with plastic wrap with the plastic touching the bananas on top so there’s as little air as possible.
Last – use a plastic knife to cut the bananas. When you use a steel knife a chemical reaction occurs that causes the sliced bananas to ripen faster.
Ultimately the bananas will start to turn brown in the pudding, which is why I recommend using just-ripe bananas. That will extend the life of your dessert. See below for a few other tips!
Recipe Pro-Tips
- If you plan to make this old fashioned banana pudding ahead of time, one thing you can to to extend the life of the pudding is cover all the sliced bananas with pudding. Here’s how I’d recommend doing that: layer cookies, banana slices, 1/2 the pudding, more bananas and cookies, then top with the pudding again so that all the bananas are “sealed” with pudding. Garnish the top with cookies only so there are no bananas exposed on top.
- Keep the pudding tightly covered with plastic wrap in the fridge. Place the wrap all the way down onto the pudding so that there’s no air.
- If you must slice the bananas ahead of time, which I don’t recommend, you can sprinkle them with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown or mushy. You shouldn’t be able to taste the lemon after the pudding is all assembled.
- As mentioned before, use barely ripe bananas (I like them almost green). The riper they are, the faster they’ll turn brown in your recipe.
- When pouring the pudding over the cookies and bananas – pour slowly!! If you go fast, the pudding will push the cookies out of the way and you’ll end up having to try and rearrange them in the hot pudding. It’s not fun!! Ask me how I know 😂
- I mentioned this earlier, but sometimes you open a pack of vanilla wafers only to find a bunch of them broken. That’s totally okay – use whole cookies, broken cookies or cookie crumbs. It may not look as pretty, but it’ll all taste the same in the end!
- Boxes of vanilla wafers vary from 10-16 oz. I usually use a whole (15-ounce) box of the cookies but you could get by with less. When in doubt, buy an extra box of cookies.
- Cut this recipe in half and it works perfectly in an 8×8 baking dish!
How long can you store banana pudding?
Banana pudding is best fresh or the next day, but it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days if tightly covered in plastic wrap or moved to an airtight container.
More Delicious Recipes and Banana Desserts to try…
Grandma’s Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 15 1x
Description
Grandma’s Southern Banana Pudding Recipe is a homemade from-scratch banana pudding that has layers of crunchy vanilla wafers, perfectly fresh bananas, and the best homemade cooked vanilla pudding you’ve ever had the opportunity to taste!
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 tablespoons of self-rising flour
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups of milk, divided
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5–6 bananas
- 1 (15 or 16 ounce) box or bag of vanilla wafers
Instructions
In a saucepan, mix together sugar, flour, eggs and 2 cups of milk. Mix until it’s smooth with no clumps of flour. I like to use a whisk for this but Mama uses a spoon most of the time.
Then add another 2 cups of milk, the melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Cook on medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. This will take probably 15-20 minutes. Once it’s thickened, remove the pan from heat and let the pudding mixture rest for 10 minutes.
Line a 9×13 baking dish with vanilla wafers (prop some up on the sides too), then top with sliced bananas (about ¼ inch thick). Pour the warm homemade vanilla pudding over the cookies and bananas and cover the top with sliced bananas.
Finally top the dish with more vanilla wafers. Mama usually uses whole vanilla wafers but if you have a box with a bunch of broken ones in the bottom, crumble them up and top the whole thing with crushed cookies! Either way it’ll be delicious!
Allow it to sit and thicken at room temp for up to an hour. Serve warm or chill for 3-4 hours (or overnight) to serve cold.
Notes
- Use barely-ripe bananas to extend the life of the pudding.
- Top with whole cookies or broken/crumbled cookies.
- Boxes of vanilla wafers vary from 10-16 oz. I usually use a whole box of the one-pound cookies but you could get by with less. When in doubt, buy an extra box of cookies.
- Cut this recipe in half and it works perfectly in an 8×8 baking dish!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: American
This looks so much like my family recipe – thanks for sharing!
So happy to hear this!!
This looks DELICIOUS!
Could gluten free flour be used instead?
As long as you convert it to self-rising flour, then YES, that should work just fine! See this post for how to make it self-risinig: https://gfreefoodie.com/gluten-free-self-rising-flour/
Want to make this for my family for Easter. Grandma (96) says she thinks she made it with heavy cream. Could I use milk and heavy cream?
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work!
Delicious!! My mom made the pudding the same way. Thank you for taking me back to my childhood desert
I just made it and think it’s way too sweet and buttery. Next time I will cut the sugar and butter in half.
THIS IS KID APPROVED!! my boys ate this up in no time, definitely going to make again!!
This is my son’s favorite dessert! It was easy to make and so good!
While I give this recipe 5 stars,(it truly is devine). However, my momma used to cook same way except she did the ole fashioned meringue, hand beating with fork no mixer in her kitchens
My husband made this and for some reason it turned out really soupy. He did it all exactly by the recipe. Help!!! We really wanted to try it. Is there a way to get it to thicken?
You may not have cooked it long enough OR if you’re eating it fresh, it’s definitely more on the soupy side compared with “normal” (boxed) pudding. If you let it chill, it will thicken up. Maybe still not as thick as boxed pudding, but definitely thicker!
What’s with the self-rising flour? In banana pudding?
Flour serves as a thickener in from-scratch pudding.
it was very easy to make and everyone loved it
Just wondering why self rising flour? My grandmother always used AP flour! Is there a reason? I love this recipe! Always preferred over the pudding mix versions!
I honestly have no idea – my Mama never had all-purpose flour in the house growing up and maybe Aunt Jessie didn’t either?! I’m afraid to mess with perfection
This sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing and for joining Fiesta Friday Party! We hope to see you again soon.
I cut the sugar down to 60% and used 5tbsp of flour because first batch was too sweet and more runny than than I liked before chilling. I made homemade whipping cream instead of meringue then garnished with Nilla cookie crumble! Winner!!