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Southern banana pudding

Layers of vanilla custard, wafers and bananas under meringue

Banana pudding is the potluck and barbecue-joint dessert of Tennessee, the Carolinas and Mississippi, scooped from a deep dish next to the pulled pork. Vanilla wafers, sliced bananas and a stove-top custard are layered so the biscuits soften to cake, then the top is finished with toasted meringue the old-fashioned way. Chef's tip: pour the custard on while it is still warm so it seeps into the wafers.
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
8
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Ingredients

Serves8

For the custard

For layering

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Fresh ingredients (5)

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Whisk the 5 ½ oz sugar, 1 ¼ oz plain flour and 1 pinch salt in a saucepan, then whisk in the 3 cups whole milk and 4 egg yolks.

    3 min
  2. Step 2: Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly, for 8–10 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon thickly and it bubbles once or twice. Off the heat, stir in the ⅔ oz butter and 2 tsp vanilla extract.

    10 min
  3. Step 3: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). In a 2 litre baking dish layer a third of the 9 oz vanilla wafer biscuits, a third of the 5 ripe bananas and a third of the warm custard; repeat twice.

    8 min
  4. Step 4: Whisk the 4 egg whites to soft peaks, then add the 2 ⅞ oz sugar a spoonful at a time and whisk to stiff, glossy peaks. Spread over the pudding right to the edges to seal.

    6 min
  5. Step 5: Bake for 12–15 minutes until the peaks are golden. A common mistake is leaving gaps at the edge, which makes the meringue shrink and weep. Cool, then chill at least 2 hours.

    135 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
380 kcal
Protein
8 g
Carbs
58 g
Fat
13 g
Fibre
2 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does southern banana pudding take?
About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.
What can I use instead of plain flour?
Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).

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