Banana Pudding Without Condensed Milk

This banana pudding forgoes the condensed milk and boxed pudding and swaps in a luscuious vanilla custard. It's simple to make and deeply nostalgic.

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Servings 10

Prep Time 30

Total Time 10 45

Ingredients

1 l (4 cups) whole milk
1 vanilla pod split & scraped
¼ tsp salt
200 g (1 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
50 g (¼ cup) cornstarch/cornflour
8 egg yolks
50 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter chilled & cut into cubes
300 g (11 oz) Nilla Wafers one standard box (see note 1)
4 medium bananas cut into 5mm (¼in) slices
500 ml (2 cups) whipping cream
1 tbsp icing sugar

Instructions

Add the milk, vanilla pod & scraped seeds and salt to a small saucepan. Set over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, gently bring the heat up until the milk is steaming but just below a boil. Remove from the heat.
While the milk is heating, add the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks to a large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale, foamy and aerated. Then, whisking constantly, very slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks. Discard the vanilla bean.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Whisking constantly, cook the custard until it's noticeably thickened and one or two bubbles escape the top. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes longer, pausing occasionally to ensure it is still bubbling. Remove from the heat.
Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and press the custard through it. Then, one piece at a time, stir in the butter, ensuring that each piece is melted before stirring in another. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and chill for at least 2 hours, and up to 3 days.
When the custard has cooled, it's time to assemble the pudding. In a trifle dish (or any large, glass serving dish), add a quarter of the custard and spread it evenly. Then add a single layer of the biscuits, followed by a single layer of the banana slices. Repeat until you have 4 layers, ending on a custard layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Add the cream and the icing sugar to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), whip until it reaches medium peaks. Spread on the top of the pudding. Serve.

Notes

If you live outside of the USA where Nilla Wafers are hard to come by, substitute any other mild or vanilla-flavoured tea biscuit. In Australia, use Marie biscuits & in the UK use Rich Tea biscuits.

Make Ahead

The custard can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Once layered with the wafers and bananas, the assembled pudding needs at least overnight in the fridge for the wafers to soften and the layers to set, so plan to build it the day before you intend to serve it.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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