Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding from Scratch

• servings: 10 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 c. granulated sugar, divided

4 T. all-purpose flour

pinch salt

1 whole egg

4 eggs, separated (place egg whites in refrigerator until needed)

3 c. whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

about 40 Nilla wafers

4 or 5 bananas

Directions

In a saucepan, combine ¾ cup granulated sugar, flour, and salt; whisk until mixed.

Whisk in the 1 whole egg and additional 4 egg yolks.

Turn the heat on to medium-low and whisk in milk. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly with a whisk, until thickened (about 15 to 20 minutes). -- It’s tempting to stop stirring, or to turn up the heat, but this will cook the eggs too quickly and result in lumping pudding. For smooth creamy pudding, keep it low and slow. And keep stirring.

Remove pudding from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Crumble Nilla wafers and place in a 9x13” baking dish to cover the bottom. Top with a layer of sliced bananas, using half of the bananas.

Pour about half of the vanilla pudding over the banana slices.

Repeat with another layer of bananas and then remaining pudding.

Place cold egg whites in a bowl and beat with a stand mixer or electric mixer until soft peaks form.

With the mixer going, gradually add the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

Pile meringue on top of pudding and spread to cover the entire surface. Bake at 400℉ for 5-8 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned.

Cover loosely and chill until ready to serve.

When it comes to making the pudding, be patient and keep it low and slow! -- Meaning, keep the heat at medium-low and cook the pudding slowly. Heating the eggs slowly and stirring the entire time with a whisk creates a smooth and creamy pudding. Turning up the heat to quicken the process can easily lead to lumps or little bits are scrambled eggs in the finished pudding. Only turn up the heat to medium (and no higher!) if after about 15 minutes your pudding is just not thickening at all.

When layering the pudding and bananas, make sure to get each banana slice coated with at least a thin layer of pudding. This keeps the bananas "protected" from air and helps keep them from turning brown.

When spreading on the meringue, be sure to spread it over the entire top of the pudding all the way to and touching the edges of the pan. Meringue tends to shrink a bit as it bakes, and touching the sides of the pan helps reduce this shrinking.