Description
A creamy, no-bake banana pudding dessert served in individual layered cups. This easy recipe uses a homemade custard base, fresh bananas, and Nilla wafers for a nostalgic treat that looks fancy but takes minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups whole milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3–4 medium ripe bananas
- 1 box Nilla wafers (approx. 45 cookies)
- Lemon juice (optional, for preventing banana browning)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Slowly whisk in the milk and egg yolks until smooth.
- Place the pot over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble (about 5 minutes).
- Let the custard boil gently for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw cornstarch taste, then remove from heat.
- Stir in the butter and vanilla extract until fully melted and combined.
- Pour the hot custard into a blender and blend for 30 seconds until silky smooth (or strain through a fine-mesh sieve).
- Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until completely cool.
- While the custard cools, peel and slice the bananas into 1/4-inch rounds. Toss with a little lemon juice if not serving immediately.
- In a cold bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Once the custard is cool, gently fold in the whipped cream until just combined.
- To assemble, layer Nilla wafers, custard mixture, and banana slices in clear glasses or jars. Repeat layers, finishing with custard on top.
- Garnish with crushed cookies or a banana slice. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow cookies to soften.
Notes
Cool the custard completely before assembling to prevent the bananas from getting mushy and the cream from melting. For best texture, chill assembled parfaits for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Do not freeze, as the dairy custard and bananas do not freeze well. To keep bananas from browning, toss slices with a little lemon juice.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Parfait
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 32
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
Keywords: banana pudding, no-bake dessert, parfait, easy dessert, custard, Nilla wafers, make-ahead dessert