Mama’s Old Fashioned Banana Pudding with Meringue

Do you remember the kind of banana pudding that showed up at every reunion, every funeral dinner, every Sunday table — the kind with the meringue swirled up high and browned just right on top? That’s the banana pudding I grew up eating and still make today. This was my mama’s recipe and I’ve been making it for the whole of my 35 years as a homemaker and I’ve now passed it down to my own grown kids. Today I’m sharing our tried and true, family favorite recipe for banana pudding with meringue.

This banana pudding recipe is not the shortcut version with a box of instant pudding and a tub of Cool Whip. It’s the real thing — cooked custard, sliced banana, vanilla wafers, and a proper meringue that gets baked until the peaks go golden. It takes a little more time than the shortcut. It’s worth every minute of it.

Why This One’s Different

Most banana pudding recipes floating around today lean on instant pudding mix because it’s fast and it’s foolproof. And I understand the appeal — well, not really, haha. But there’s a texture and a flavor to a cooked custard that instant pudding just can’t touch. It’s silkier. It’s richer. It tastes like someone made this, not like it came from a box.

Not to mention the simple decadance of a perfectly piled up meringue. A lot of banana puddings skip it entirely now, or they top it with whipped cream instead. But the baked meringue is what made this dessert feel special — it turned an everyday pudding into something you brought out for company, something that got its own spot on the dessert table next to the pound cake.

This Banana Pudding is the one I make for church potlucks, Easter dinner, summer picnics, and any time one of my kids or husband requests it. I know you will love this recipe as much as we do!

Mama’s Old Fashioned Banana Pudding with Meringue

Ingredients

For the pudding:

• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 cups milk
• 4 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the meringue:

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar

For the layers:

• 1 box vanilla wafer cookies (you won’t need the whole box)
• 4 bananas, sliced

Instructions

1. Make the pudding base. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, then cook and stir 2 minutes more.

2. Temper the egg yolks. Remove the pan from heat. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks — this keeps them from scrambling. Return all of the egg mixture to the saucepan.

3. Finish the pudding. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.

4. Chill the pudding. Pour it into a bowl, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap (this keeps a film from forming), and chill until completely cool. Don’t stir it once it’s set.

5. Make the meringue. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute, or until soft peaks form and the tips curl.

6. Beat to stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 4 minutes, or until the peaks are stiff and glossy and the sugar has dissolved.

7. Layer the dish. In a 9×13 casserole dish, layer vanilla wafers, then sliced bananas, then about half the cooled pudding. Repeat with another layer of cookies, then bananas, then the rest of the pudding.

8. Top with meringue. Spread the meringue over the top, sealing it all the way to the edges of the dish so it doesn’t shrink back while it bakes. Swirl the top so it’s pretty — this is the part that makes it look like it came from somebody’s grandmother’s kitchen.

9. Bake. Bake until the meringue is lightly browned and the swirls are golden. It doesn’t take long, so keep an eye on it.

Makes about 8 servings.

A Note From the Kitchen

Use egg yolks — not whole eggs — in the pudding, so you have the whites left over for the meringue. And let the pudding chill in the fridge all the way before you start layering. If it’s still warm, it’ll turn everything soupy instead of set.

Yield: 8

Mama's Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

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Ingredients

For the Pudding

Toggle ingredient group

• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 cups milk
• 4 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the meringue:

Toggle ingredient group

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar

For the layers:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 box vanilla wafer cookies (you won’t need the whole box)
• 4 bananas, sliced

Instructions

1. Make the pudding base. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, then cook and stir 2 minutes more.
2. Temper the egg yolks. Remove the pan from heat. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks — this keeps them from scrambling. Return all of the egg mixture to the saucepan.
3. Finish the pudding. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
4. Chill the pudding. Pour it into a bowl, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap (this keeps a film from forming), and chill until completely cool. Don’t stir it once it’s set.
5. Make the meringue. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute, or until soft peaks form and the tips curl.
6. Beat to stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 4 minutes, or until the peaks are stiff and glossy and the sugar has dissolved.
7. Layer the dish. In a 9×13 casserole dish, layer vanilla wafers, then sliced bananas, then about half the cooled pudding. Repeat with another layer of cookies, then bananas, then the rest of the pudding.
8. Top with meringue. Spread the meringue over the top, sealing it all the way to the edges of the dish so it doesn’t shrink back while it bakes. Swirl the top so it’s pretty — this is the part that makes it look like it came from somebody’s grandmother’s kitchen.
9. Bake. Bake until the meringue is lightly browned and the swirls are golden. It doesn’t take long, so keep an eye on it.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 140mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 2gSugar: 43gProtein: 9g

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