Growing up, I would do anything to not eat bananas. And as I aged, I never grew out of it. I have never been a big fan of bananas. So when I first heard about banana pudding, I refused to try it. Eventually, I was in a situation where not eating it would have been rude to the host, so I had my serving and I planned to struggle through my plate.
But let me tell you, I have never been more glad to be wrong! Banana pudding is essentially a vanilla pudding with slices of banana and some sort of cookie or snap.
This revelation inspired a long train of testing all the different kinds of puddings and cookies, ratios and proportions. Finally I created my favorite banana pudding combination — a homemade vanilla pudding that sets firm, thin slices of banana along the bottom, and Lorna Doone (shortbread) cookies all around. Yes and Yes!
This recipe is easy and straightforward. Prepare the pudding, prepare the dishes, slice the bananas and assemble! I like this dish because it can be prepared well in advance and stored in the refrigerator which cuts down of prep time while hosting guests. Additionally, you can put in it pretty much any dish you please. It works in individual cups, a skillet, or double the batch and prepare it in a casserole dish! So versatile!
I hope this banana pudding sparks a love of bananas (or maybe just banana pudding) for all your guests! Enjoy!
Print Recipe
Banana Pudding Cups
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- A dash of salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 cups milk (2% is best, but any regular milk will do)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12-15 large shortbread cookies (I like Lorna Doone)
- 6 medium bananas
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a heavy sauce pan, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the egg yolks and milk and whisk until combined.
- Place the sauce pan over medium heat until bubbling. Once bubbling, cook 3-5 minutes further until the mixture has thickened. Whisk very often to prevent burning. You will know the pudding is thick enough when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove the pudding from heat and transfer to a clean bowl.
- Add in the vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Set aside to cool while you continue.
- Prepare the cups or dishes you plan to use for the pudding. You can use a few serving cups, two miniature pie plates, or an 8×8" pan. The nice thing about this dish is you can really customize the presentation to suit your needs. There is not need to grease the dishes, just ensure they are clean and ready to go.
- Place the shortbread cookies in a gallon size sealable bag. Using a rolling pin or a mallet, crush up the cookies into small bits.
- Slice the bananas into thin to medium slices, or to preference.
- Spread the crushed shortbread cookies over the bottom of your cups or dishes. Lay the banana slices in an even layer over the top of the cookies. Finish by pouring equal amounts of the pudding into each container.
- Cover the containers with plastic wrap and press it against the surface of the pudding, to prevent a film from forming. Place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
- Shortly before you serve the dish, prepare the whipped cream topping.
- Using a hand beater or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin to whisk the heavy whipping cream and vanilla in a medium bowl. Slowly add in the confectioners sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat the mixture until it has thickened and your desired consistency is achieved, approximately 5-8 minutes.
- Spoon dollops of the whipped cream onto each of the banana pudding cups. If desired, sprinkle extra bits of cookies on top.
Notes
- For the shortbread cookies, I prefer this method of crushing so I get small and large bits of cookies. I have found this to be more texturally interesting. However, if you prefer a very even crush, you can also blitz the cookies in a food processor.