Old Fashioned Banana Pudding Recipe (Homemade Cups)
This from-scratch old fashioned banana pudding recipe is a Southern classic – rich, creamy, made with simple ingredients, and served in individual cups with plenty of variations to suit your taste.
Like a banana cream pie turned single – pretty and easy to serve.
I’ve been making banana cream pies for a long time. It’s one of my husband’s all-time favorite desserts, and now my grandson’s too.
A few years ago, I tried the same recipe in individual cups for their birthdays, one day apart. Big success. It’s been a birthday tradition ever since.
Bottom line: Real ingredients, no boxed mix, no Cool Whip. Just a rich, old-fashioned homemade pudding layered with fresh bananas in individual cups – with a graham crumb base that makes it feel exactly like the pie it came from.
What to expect
This classic banana pudding features homemade vanilla pudding layered with bananas over cookie crumbs.
- From scratch: Real milk, egg yolks, butter, and flour. The flavor shows it.
- Well tested: This is the same recipe I’ve used for banana cream pie for years, tweaked to reduce the fat without losing the richness.
- Kids love it: So do adults. The individual cups make it easy to customize toppings per person.
- Serving and topping options: Individual cups, family-style bowl, or shooters. Topping ideas included.
- Perfect for Potlucks: Transport the pudding in a large bowl or individual servings. I like to use plastic cups from the dollar store for easy, portable banana pudding cups.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Variations and Substitutions
- Graham Crackers: There’s no need to buy a whole bag of pre-made graham cracker crumbs (which you’ll throw out next year). Several graham crumb and cookie alternatives are in the recipe notes.
- Milk: Go as rich or light as you like. For a richer version, I replace some of the milk with half-and-half (10%) cream. For a dairy-free version, use lactose-free milk.
- Banana-free version: The beauty of individual servings is the adaptability. If someone is not keen on or allergic to bananas, leave them out. Or… skip the bananas and make coconut pudding instead. Instructions are in the recipe card.
- Gluten-free version: Either leave out the cookie crumbs or crush up gluten-free cookies. And use a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute that contains xanthan gum or a similar binder.
Step-by-step instructions
Mix flour, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate pot (or microwave), scald the milk until tiny bubbles appear.
Slowly add the hot milk to the flour-sugar mixture over medium heat and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
Lightly beat egg yolks in a cup, add a little hot milk mixture to the eggs, and stir well. Then add the tempered egg mixture back to the pot.
Stir and cook another minute. Remove from the stove and add butter and vanilla extract. Let pudding sit until lukewarm.
Prepare the individual serving cups by adding a tablespoon of crumbs to the bottom. Layer with a bit of pudding on top of crumbs, then banana slices. Repeat with two more layers.
Garnish with a few cookie crumbs and a banana slice (or see other serving suggestions below).
Tips
- There are two techniques worth knowing for this recipe
- Scalding milk: For a smooth, creamy pudding texture, add scalded milk to the flour-sugar mixture. You are heating the milk below the boiling point. Instructions for how to scald milk are in the recipe for stove top and microwave.
- Tempering eggs: You can’t add raw egg yolks to a hot mixture or they will begin to cook and curdle. So you have to temper the eggs. This simply means mixing some of the hot milk mixture with the eggs first, then incorporating the tempered eggs back into the hot milk mixture.
- If you burn the bottom of the pan: It happens. You turn your attention away and boom. You feel a coating on the bottom. When you stir it, you will get little brown bits floating in the pudding. All is not lost. Try not to scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring. Then strain the pudding through a fine mesh sieve. Saved.
- Storing in fridge: Cover the pudding with plastic wrap, directly touching the top of the pudding. This will prevent skin from forming on the pudding. Not a taste issue, just looks. Add extra banana slices on top before serving.
Shortcuts
- Scalding milk in the microwave takes about half the time as on the stove top, but you will still need to be hands-on for stirring.
- Skip the graham crumb ‘crust’ or just use crushed cookies sprinkled on top or bottom or both. Or one whole vanilla wafer on the bottom.
Serving suggestions
Banana pudding in many communities is often served at church gatherings, holiday events and tail-gaiting parties. I can see why. Comfort food at its best. Here are a few ideas on how to serve it.
Individual cup servings:
- Serve in small glasses, espresso cups, mini mason jars, or plastic cups. You could also use mini cups, like shooters.
- Layer with banana slices or add mini vanilla wafers for a cake-like texture.
- Include a crumb bottom as per the recipe, or leave it out.
Family style
- Pour the pudding into a serving bowl and add your toppings. For this option, you can skip the crust to focus on the toppings.
Toppings/Garnish
- Extra graham crumbs or cookie crumbs
- Fresh homemade whipped cream (yes, you can also use Cool Whip)
- Drizzle with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce
- Extra sliced bananas or fresh berries
- Sprinkle with toasted shredded coconut.
- Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or nutmeg
Recipe FAQ
Yes you can. Use a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium high for about 3-4 minutes, stirring 5-6 times in between to distribute heat evenly. When small bubbles form at the sides, it’s done. 180F/82C.
Yes – many! Some use sweetened condensed milk. Others cook it in a double boiler. Some layer with wafers. Others use a boxed pudding mix. Southerners often top it with meringue.
If you want to go full tilt on comfort food, try serving the banana pudding cups with this shortcut chicken pot pie or baked hicken and cream of mushroom soup.
Love bananas?
Try one of these delicious banana recipes.
Please leave a 5-star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe. Thank you so much!
Old Fashioned Banana Pudding
Equipment
- 6-8 small glasses, espresso or plastic cups to hold about 1/2 cup/118 ml each
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced thinly
- 1/3 cup graham or cookie crumbs, Note 1 (plus 2 teaspoons butter)
Homemade vanilla pudding
- 3 cups milk, Note 2
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, rounded (or up to 3/4 cup/150 g if you like it sweeter)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg yolks in a cup, lightly beaten with fork have this ready
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- SCALD MILK: Pour milk into a medium sauce pan. Heat to medium heat until tiny bubbles/foam appear on side of pot and milk starts steaming. The temperature on an instant read thermometer should be about 180F/82C when done (which is before the boiling point). Note 3 for faster microwave directions.
- COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS: In another saucepan, mix together the dry ingredients.1/2 cup granulated sugar, rounded, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- MAKE PUDDING: Slowly add scalded milk to dry ingredients in pot. Heat on medium until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. This will take about 6 minutes. Cover pot and cook 2 more minutes.
- TEMPER AND ADD EGG YOLKS: Scoop about 1/2 cup/118 ml of hot pudding mixture into cup with beaten egg yolks and stir to combine well. Then add egg mixture to pudding. Cook for 1 minute.
- FINISH PUDDING: Remove pudding from heat. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir until smooth. Let it sit until lukewarm.
- ASSEMBLE PUDDING CUPS: Put about 1 tablespoon graham crumbs on bottom of each cup, pressing down with your fingers or back of a measuring spoon. Add a small amount of pudding. Place 2-3 banana slices on top. Repeat with pudding-bananas-pudding-bananas -pudding. Add toppings as desired e.g. sprinkle graham crumbs and a slice of banana. Note 4 for serving options.
Recipe Notes
- Graham crumb options: if you don’t want to buy a whole bag of pre-made graham cracker crumbs, here are some options:
- Buy 5-6 graham crackers at a bulk food store, blend with an immersion blender for food processor with 2 teaspoons of soft or melted butter.
- Buy a $2-3 premade packaged graham crust and use the crumbs from that.
- Use any wafer or cookie – vanilla wafer cookies, gingersnaps, shortbread, chocolate wafers – and crush with a rolling pin or in a food processor. You’ll need about 10 wafers and 2 teaspoons soft or melted butter. Skip the butter if you like.
- Milk options:
- For richer pudding, use whole milk. Or replace 1/4 cup/59 ml of the 2% milk with half-and-half or heavy cream.
- Use lactose free milk for a dairy-free version.
- How to scald milk in microwave (shortcut): Place milk in a microwave-safe bowl (glass or pyrex). Microwave on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes total, stirring in between every in 30-40 seconds to distribute the heat evenly.Â
- Serving and topping options
- Serve in small glasses, espresso cups, mini mason jars or plastic cups. Or use mini cups – like shooters.
- Layer just with banana slices (or go super decadent and caramelized bananas!)
- Layer with bananas and mini vanilla wafers (these will turn into a cake texture)
- Use a crumb bottom as per the recipe or leave it out.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce
- Sprinkle with toasted shredded coconut or toasted nuts
- Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or nutmeg
- Variations:
- If you don’t like bananas, try coconut pudding. Stir in 1 cup/80 grams shredded coconut while heating the milk (and skip the bananas).
- Skip the graham ‘crust’ and just make banana pudding.Â
- Gluten-free version: Either leave out the cookie crumbs or crush up gluten-free cookies. And use a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute that contains xanthan gum or a similar binder.
- Make ahead
- The banana pudding cups can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge or covered in plastic wrap. Place wrap directly on top of pudding to avoid a skin forming.Â
- Top with extra banana slices just before serving. The bananas in the pudding will start turning softer and slightly discolored after a day. So the maximum fridge time is 2 days. One is better.
- Freezing is not recommended – the texture of flour-thickened pudding changes after thawing and won’t be the same. And bananas will darken and get mushy.
Nutrition
I’ve been using the same banana cream pie recipe for years that I found on food.com. It’s well tested and well tweaked.
Hi! I’d like to make this recipe, but would it work with Almond or Oat milk?
Yes, since this is a cooked (stovetop) pudding, both oat milk and almond milk work. Oat milk will be richer and creamier, so I would choose that one if you can. Let us know how it comes out 🙂