I am pleased to bring you this how-to article on “How To Make Banana Pudding The Black Way.” By the way, it’s delicious. Just saying.
I can’t wait to tell you how to make banana pudding, The Black Way! A die-hard fan of banana pudding, I tried many recipes and found that with the right ingredients, a little know-how, and the right process you can make banana pudding like a pro.
Black Folks Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
Homemade banana pudding is Southern comfort food at its finest! We call it soul food.
Growing up in the South, I’ve had the pleasure of indulging in this sweet treat all my life.
But how do you make banana pudding the Black way?
Is banana pudding a Black thing?
Bananas are another of those fruits with an African heritage traced back as far as about 650 AD. Two African banana varieties crossbred to yield the seedless banana we know and enjoy today.
My great-grandmother was an esteemed caterer from African descendants. She taught my dad how to make banana pudding with a top meringue layer (a fluffy topping made of egg white). It became the signature dessert he’d make for us on special occasions.
My mom’s Southern North Carolina banana pudding recipe is similar to my dad’s but omits the meringue. And we love her recipe just the same!
The southern banana pudding soul food tradition has carried on into my home with The Mister as the one who usually makes banana pudding at our house.
It’s our go-to dish for traditional African-American cookouts and celebrations. So I’m excited to share with you my family’s soul food banana pudding recipe!
Banana pudding the Southern Black way is the best way!
Bananas are a staple in the South. Southern banana pudding is a delicious dessert that can be whipped up in minutes. It’s perfect for any occasion!
The best part about Southern banana pudding is that it can be prepared in the morning for a same-day treat!
Whether you like your banana pudding with or without the cookie crust, this soul food version has all the best flavors and texture combinations that will make it a family favorite.
You’ll never be able to look at other banana pudding the same way once you’ve tried this soul food delicious delight – Southern banana pudding prepared the Black way
Black Folks Chocolate Southern Banana Pudding RecipeThis chocolate banana pudding recipe is as quick and easy as the original soul food banana pudding recipe.You simply add an additional layer of chocolate pudding and crunchy buttery Nilla Wafers for pure chocolate bliss!
What is Black folks Southern banana pudding?
Banana pudding is a signature southern soul food dessert served on a bed of Nilla Wafer cookies and layered with round slices of bananas in between yummy whipped topping, pudding, and cream cheese.
It’s pure bliss – also known as soul food!
Banana pudding has a Southern identity that stretches back more than half a century. This dish became quintessentially Southern, probably due to the source of where it was primarily being prepared, providing the South with a more extraordinary claim to the dish!
Black southern banana pudding is an elevated version of the Americanized English trifle. This layered homemade custard dish was reimagined to perfection by African-American cooks in the South.
James Hemings, an enslaved African-American chef in Virginia, created baked mac and cheese and used whole milk as the recipe’s vital ingredient.
Similarly, the African-American recipe for banana pudding incorporates whole milk to give the pudding a rich, smooth, and silky consistency.
What makes this the best banana pudding recipe?
Soul food banana pudding also includes another unassuming secret ingredient – cream cheese.
Enjoyed by generations from North to South and East to West. Southern banana pudding (the Black way) is a delightful dessert with a rich, creamy texture and banana flavor profile that’ll make your mouth water!
The preparation of this dish may seem complicated at first glance because of its layers. But, it’s pretty simple to prepare once you know what ingredients are needed.
Before I dive into the instructions and details for preparing this tantalizing treat, let’s first look into the ingredients for soul food banana pudding.
Ingredients for Southern banana pudding the Black way
- Cream cheese – is the secret ingredient for soul food banana pudding. It enhances the pudding’s flavor and thickens the consistency to keep it from getting watery and the bananas spoiling.
- Whole milk – is another key ingredient to a pudding. Whole milk adds rich milky flavor and smooth texture to your dessert.
- Whipped cream – To add extra creaminess, add whipped cream! Banana pudding tastes more decadent and more luxurious when topped with heavy cream.
- Nilla Wafers – The dessert base is made from the brand of cookies called Nilla Wafer.
- Bananas – You will need ripe (but not overripe) bananas sliced into round discs to prepare this recipe.
- Vanilla pudding – You could make homemade pudding. But Black foodies over the years have found that soul food banana pudding is still just as tasty and easily accessible for anyone to quickly prepare with instant pudding.
How to make banana pudding the Black way
This banana pudding recipe is quick and easy, and it’s banana pudding with cream cheese – the Black way! So even if you’re running short on time, this Southern dessert will be ready in no time!
The instructions are simple so that anyone can whip up this sweet treat.
So without any further due, let’s prepare this delicious soul food sampler!
Black folks banana pudding with cream cheese
Homemade Banana Pudding
Homemade Banana Pudding – a classic Southern no-bake dessert with decadent layers of vanilla wafers, fresh banana slices, whipped cream, and vanilla pudding all made from scratch. This is a fantastic make-ahead dessert that is a hit all year round
Have you ever been thankful for all the things you can do with bananas? As a pantry staple in most American homes, bananas have always been a part of our day.
Whether you make it as breakfast in this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, a refreshing Strawberry Banana Smoothie, or as a dessert-like in this Banana Foster, bananas never fail to amaze me with their versatility.
So for today’s dessert special, I’m bringing to you this Southern classic no-bake dessert that is as equally as indulgent as its baked counterparts. It has layers upon layers of vanilla wafers, made-from-scratch vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, and a whipped cream topping. No wonder they’re an easy favorite.
Now shall we go ahead and make our homemade banana pudding?
What is Banana Pudding?
Banana pudding is a classic Soul food (South American Cuisine) that can be baked or refrigerated (I like this version though!). It actually has similarities with a Trifle that uses custard instead of pudding in the recipe
In this recipe, the pudding that I made is a cross between pudding and custard coz of the egg yolks that I added. It turns out really delicious! Then, I arranged these layers of ripe bananas, vanilla wafers, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream into one gorgeous presentation in a trifle dish. After that, I just refrigerate it and DONE!
You know, there may be TONS of varieties for this classic Southern recipe, but I can proudly say that this Immaculate Bites’ easy no-bake banana pudding recipe is one for keeps. You really have to try it!💛
Recipe Ingredients
Vanilla Pudding
- Cornstarch – is used as a thickener for the pudding because if you don’t add this you might have trouble working on it.
- Granulated Sugar – gives a sweet flavor to the pudding and it also helps to evenly distribute the egg proteins to the mixture, thus, preventing lumps from forming.
- Salt – just put a pinch to enhance the flavors of the vanilla pudding.
- Whole Milk – one of the basic ingredients in making a pudding and, of course, it adds a rich milky taste and smooth texture to our dessert.
- Heavy Cream – it’s thicker than milk plus it tastes richer, too. I added this for extra creamy flavor!😉
- Egg Yolks – taste rich and creamy and contain a lot of protein which helps form a pudding. Plus, it gives a nice silky yellow color to it, too.
- Unsalted Butter – simply because you don’t need an additional salt for the recipe. Notice that I only put a pinch of salt? It’s because I just want to enhance the vanilla pudding’s creamy and rich flavors.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – it has a potent sweet and fragrant vanilla flavor that is a special ingredient for making custard. You can also use vanilla pods if you are feeling generous about this recipe (coz vanilla bean pods are really expensive).
Banana Pudding Layering
- Vanilla Wafers – this serves as the base for our dessert. The most popular brand for this dessert is Nilla Wafers, but if you don’t have one, feel free to switch it to ladyfingers or anything that will soften up and become cake-like in texture.
- Bananas – Fresh ripe bananas, but not overly ripe is what we need for this recipe.
- Whipped Cream – It’s light and delicious; even better than store-bought ones.
How To Make Banana Pudding (With a Secret Ingredient!)
Learn how to make banana pudding the easy way (plus a secret ingredient you’ll never guess!) with things you probably already have at home! This quick banana pudding recipe will be your go-to dessert for any gathering. (And just as good as Paula Deen’s recipe for banana pudding!)
How To Make Banana Pudding
If you’re looking for a banana pudding recipe from scratch (you know, like a southern banana pudding recipe), I beg you to give this one a try first.
I’m a sucker for an old fashioned banana pudding recipe like my Southern family makes at our gatherings, but after my mom told me about this no bake banana pudding (or uncooked banana pudding) and how she makes it with a secret ingredient, I may never make it from scratch again!
Plus, banana pudding is a fun recipe to make with the kids! (And, most kids love it!)Affiliate links are used on this site
Before we get to the easy banana pudding recipe, here are some common questions that people have about making banana pudding
Does banana pudding have to be refrigerated?
Yes, after making banana pudding you should refrigerate it. Place the pudding in an airtight container and immediately into the refrigerator.
How long does banana pudding last in the fridge?
Pudding will last in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container. After that, the wafers will become soggy and it will start to get melty and watery and should be discarded.
How long is banana pudding good for?
Unfortunately, a banana pudding recipe is one of those desserts that must be consumed fairly quickly. If you leave it out in the sun (like at a family picnic), you should probably discard any remaining pudding. However, if you’re storing it in the refrigerator right after making it, the banana pudding will last up to 5 days.
Snickers Salad with Apples
How ripe should bananas be for banana pudding?
There’s actually a lot of discussion about how ripe bananas should be for banana pudding. Some people say overripe, while others say the bananas should just start to ripen. You should use ripe bananas for banana pudding, but not overripe or when they start to turn black.
How do you keep bananas from turning brown in banana pudding?
After a few days, the bananas in banana pudding are naturally going to start to turn brown. To slow the browning, you can use bananas that aren’t as ripe or you can lightly toss the banana slices in lemon juice.
BEST BANANA PUDDING RECIPE
YIELD: 10 SERVINGS
Easy Banana Pudding
The secret ingredient in this vanilla wafer banana pudding is the sour cream! It gives this easy dessert an extra rich, creamy taste!PREP TIME15 minutesTOTAL TIME15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (5-ounce) package of instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 (8-ounce) frozen whipped topping, thawed,
- 1 (16-ounce) package Vanilla Wafers, reserve 8-10 cookies (for topping)
- 4-6 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced in 1/2-inch slices
Instructions
- In large mixing bowl, mix together pudding mix, milk, and sour cream. Mix well.
- Fold in one (thawed) whipped cream topping and mix well. Set aside.
- In the bottom of a trifle bowl or other serving dish, place a layer of wafer cookies (side-by-side).
- Next, spread a layer of pudding mixture on top of the wafers.
- On top of the pudding, add a layer of bananas.
- Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with the pudding mixture.
- Spread the second thawed whipped topping on top of the pudding. (You may not use all of it.)
- Place the reserved 8-10 wafer cookies in a sealable bag. Using a rolling pin or mallet, crush the cookies into small, fine pieces. Sprinkle the crushed cookies on top of the whipped topping.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.