JUMP TO RECIPES

Thanksgivings from my childhood always included one very important item—extravagantly mouthwatering banana pudding. As a young girl I remember watching my granny make it. It is a dessert with the best possible associations because it was reserved for special times—like holidays and family reunions. She made an enormous quantity for her large family. This was back in the day when all the family, to the last cousin, would faithfully appear to spend the day together. Makeshift tables were scattered across three rooms in a heroic effort to give everyone a place to sit. There was no standing with plates of food back then.

All the food was fantastic but the banana pudding at the end even topped the cake that had more layers than I could count. Banana pudding was, and still is, my Number One Favorite Dessert.

The history of banana pudding is hard to pin down. An early version from just before the turn of the 20th century called for chilled custard layered with sponge cake. Perhaps a variation of a trifle? The newest version is an instant affair calling for boxed pudding mix and frozen whipped topping. It’ll do in a crisis.

A Favorite Family Dessert

The dessert my family has known and loved for at least the past 80 years is full of warm custard, fresh bananas and vanilla wafers. Granny’s version was a bit similar to one from the 1920s but it used flour instead of corn starch and it ALWAYS had meringue. My mom also has a lifetime of memories watching this dessert being made. She remembers a variation of it that had cocoa in the custard and no bananas. That was an even rarer delight.

Although it is my hands-down favorite, in younger days I struggled to make banana pudding because of the custard. How could anything so apparently simple and straightforward pose so many obstacles? How could it end up lumpy sometimes or more thin than thick at other times? Why would it sometimes defy thickening altogether, leaving me with a limp arm from whisking for well over the time on Granny’s recipe?

I confess, a couple of times I left out the flour altogether and added an arrowroot starch slurry in desperation. If you need a gluten-free custard, this or corn starch is a wonderful solution. But I wanted to make Granny’s version.

The Finer Points of Pudding (aka Custard)

One day when Mom and I were deep in discussion on the finer points of banana pudding and memories of having it, I asked how she always got the perfect custard. Because believe me, she has mastered the Number One Favorite. A major secret method was revealed—you MUST have all the ingredients except the vanilla extract perfectly blended before you ever turn the heat on. Ever since, banana pudding has been not only Number One but also Easy.

Other than the secret method my mother taught me, there are a couple of other things that can help—when making the meringue, be sure the bowl and beaters are dry before adding the egg whites, and be sure there is no trace of egg yolk in the whites. One way to ensure this is to use a small bowl and crack one egg at a time in it, and transfer the yolks and whites separately to other bowls. That way, if you crack an egg and the yolk breaks, you can save that one for another use without losing whatever else you’ve prepared.

An Adaptable Classic

Banana pudding is a classic among those who know it but, true to its history, is adaptable. After making this delightful concoction you may discover other variations. Years ago when I lived in South America, there were no vanilla wafers so I substituted with the closest cookie I could find. Depending on what you have available, you might choose butter cookies or ladyfingers. Someday I want to try the chocolate version with chocolate wafers. This would be in the true 1940s spirit when homemakers had to make do with what they could find. Banana pudding is wonderfully adaptable.

In recent years, I have made my own small change to Granny’s recipe by making homemade vanilla wafers instead of using boxed cookies. They are quick and simple to make and add more rich, vanilla flavor. I am including the recipe here, along with both versions of the custard, so you can try them all.

But the original, Ruby’s Banana Pudding, is the gold standard. It would make a coma-inducing addition to the dessert array when your family gets together—or a private treat you could make in half an hour to enjoy on your own. If you make it this holiday, you’ll have one more thing to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”

Psalm 7:17