Classic Banana Pudding With Flambéed Bananas
45 min
|
intermediate
|
vegetarian
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
This is the banana pudding you actually want to eat: silky vanilla custard, real whipped cream, and crisp wafers crowned with rum-kissed, cinnamon flambéed bananas.
Think grandma's classic meets Bananas Foster, perfect for make-ahead parties, potlucks, or date night when you want a quick, dramatic finish and that caramelized banana hit.
Ingredients (8 servings)
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Ingredients for Vanilla Pudding Base
- 2 cups whole milk whole milk 16 fl oz
- 1 cup heavy cream heavy cream 8 fl oz
- ¾ cup granulated sugar granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks large eggs 3 ct (for large egg yolks)
- ¼ cup cornstarch cornstarch 1.14 oz
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter unsalted butter 1 oz
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract pure vanilla extract 2 tsp
- 1 tsp banana extract banana extract 0.17 fl oz
- pinch salt salt
Ingredients for Layers
- 20 vanilla wafers vanilla wafers 27.5 oz
- 3 ripe bananas, sliced bananas 3 ct ripe
Ingredients for Homemade Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream, very cold heavy cream 8 fl oz
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar powdered sugar 0.55 oz
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract pure vanilla extract 0.5 tsp
Ingredients for Flambéed Banana Topping
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced diagonally bananas 2 ct ripe
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter unsalted butter 0.5 oz
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar brown sugar 0.86 oz
- 1 Tbsp dark rum dark rum 0.5 fl oz
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon ground cinnamon 0.05 oz
Ingredients for Garnish
- vanilla wafers, crushed vanilla wafers
How to Make Classic Banana Pudding With Flambéed Bananas
-
Set up and prep
Chill a mixing bowl and whisk for the whipped cream and set out a 2 quart dish or 6 to 8 glasses for layering.
Slice the bananas for the layers right before assembly to limit browning, or toss lightly with a teaspoon of lemon juice if you need a buffer.
-
Cook the vanilla pudding
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan, then whisk in milk and cream until smooth.
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until steaming and slightly thick, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl, then slowly stream in a cup of the hot mixture while whisking to temper.
Return the tempered yolks to the pot and cook, whisking, until the pudding bubbles and thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla extract, and banana extract until glossy.
-
Strain and chill
Strain the hot pudding through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl for a silky texture.
Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin and chill until cold, 1 to 2 hours or 30 to 45 minutes over an ice bath.
-
Whip the cream
Beat very cold heavy cream to soft peaks, add powdered sugar and vanilla, and whip to medium peaks so it stays plush but pipeable.
-
Assemble the layers
Spread a thin swipe of pudding in the bottom of your dish to anchor the wafers.
Add a layer of vanilla wafers, a layer of sliced bananas, and a generous layer of pudding, then repeat and finish with pudding on top.
Dollop or pipe the whipped cream over the pudding and chill 2 to 4 hours so the wafers soften to cakelike bliss.
-
Flambé the banana topping
In a skillet, melt butter with brown sugar and cinnamon over medium heat until syrupy, about 1 minute.
Add diagonally sliced bananas and cook until glossy and just tender, about 60 to 90 seconds.
Turn off the gas flame or remove the pan from the electric burner, add the dark rum, and return to low heat.
Ignite the vapors with a long lighter, let the flames subside naturally in 10 to 20 seconds, and swirl gently to coat.
Let the topping cool 1 minute so it does not melt the whipped cream on contact.
-
Finish and serve
Spoon the warm flambéed bananas over the chilled pudding, shower with crushed wafers, and serve immediately.
Substitutions
- Swap dark rum with orange juice plus vanilla
- Orange juice reduced in the pan with a few drops of vanilla gives a bright citrus caramel without alcohol, and you still get a glossy, sticky topping that plays beautifully with the custard.
- Use Biscoff or shortbread instead of vanilla wafers
- Biscoff adds warm spice and a gentle crunch that mellows into a gingerbread vibe as it softens, while shortbread brings buttery heft and a firmer bite if you prefer more texture.
- Whipped cream with coconut cream
- Well chilled coconut cream whipped with powdered sugar gives a lush, dairy free cap with subtle coconut notes that flatter banana and cinnamon without making the dessert heavy.
Tips
- Temper like a boss
- Stream hot dairy into the yolks slowly while whisking so the eggs do not scramble and you get a custard that sets clean and smooth.
- Let cornstarch fully activate
- Keep the pudding at a gentle bubble for at least 30 seconds after thickening so it holds its shape in the dish without weeping.
- Strain for silk
- A quick pass through a fine sieve catches any stray bits of cooked egg or cornstarch and makes the texture restaurant level.
- Chill strategically
- Use an ice bath if you are in a rush and spread the pudding in a shallow dish to drop the temperature fast and evenly.
- Flambé safely on a gas stove
- Kill the burner before adding rum, stand back, use a long lighter to ignite, and keep a lid nearby to smother flames if needed.
- Control wafer texture
- For softer, cakey layers add a little extra pudding between wafers, and for more crunch assemble closer to serving so they do not fully hydrate.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 522 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5 | g |
| Total Fat | 29 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 61 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- My pudding is thin, what happened and how can I fix it?
- It likely did not bubble long enough to activate the cornstarch or the ratios were off, so return it to the pot, whisk over medium heat until it boils for 30 to 60 seconds, and if needed whisk in a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 teaspoons cold milk and cook briefly again.
- The pudding turned lumpy, can I save it?
- Yes, take it off the heat and whisk hard, then push it through a fine sieve and it will smooth out, and next time keep the whisk moving and temper the yolks slowly.
- My whipped cream will not hold peaks, what should I do?
- Chill the bowl and whisk, make sure the cream is very cold, then whip to soft peaks before adding sugar and finish at medium speed to medium peaks so it stays stable without turning grainy.
- How do I keep the bananas from browning in the layers?
- Slice right before assembling or toss lightly with lemon juice or pineapple juice, and keep the dessert covered and chilled which slows oxidation.
- The rum will not ignite when I flambé, what is wrong?
- The pan may be too cool or the rum too low in alcohol, so warm the rum in the pan off heat, relight the burner to low, and use a long lighter to ignite, and avoid over stirring which can snuff the flame.
- Can I make this ahead without losing texture?
- Assemble the pudding and whipped cream up to 24 hours ahead and keep chilled, flambé the banana topping right before serving, and for more bite reserve a handful of wafers to add on top at the last minute.
Serving Suggestions
Warm the flavor even more by tucking a few spoonfuls of dulce de leche between layers and finishing with a pinch of flaky salt for that sweet salty snap.
If you are feeling playful, serve it with espresso or a small pour of the same dark rum you used in the pan, because a little bitterness or boozy caramel makes each bite land harder.
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