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Delicious banana pudding cups served in clear glass dishes

Banana Pudding Cups

These Banana Pudding Cups layer silky pastry cream, crisp Nilla wafers, and ripe banana slices for a nostalgic and elegant dessert.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8 cups
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pastry Cream
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract Vanilla bean paste adds flecks
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups whole milk Substitute: 2% works but pudding will be less rich
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Whipped Cream
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Assembly Ingredients
  • 4 medium ripe bananas Firm ripe is best — sweet but not mushy
  • 1 11-ounce box Nilla wafers

Method
 

Prepare Pastry Cream
  1. Whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a medium bowl until pale and smooth.
  2. Warm the milk in a separate saucepan over medium-low heat until it’s just steaming (don’t boil).
  3. Temper the eggs: slowly stream about one cup of the warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the yolks.
  4. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 10–15 minutes.
  5. Strain the hot pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps. Stir in the cubed butter until melted and smooth.
  6. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and chill until completely cold (2 hours or overnight).
Whip Cream
  1. Chill a mixing bowl and beaters for about 10 minutes.
  2. Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until medium-stiff peaks form.
  3. Reserve half of the whipped cream for topping the cups.
  4. Fold the remaining whipped cream gently into the chilled pastry cream until fully combined and airy.
Assemble Cups
  1. Place broken Nilla wafers in the bottom of each cup.
  2. Spoon a layer of the pudding mixture on top.
  3. Add a layer of banana slices, then another layer of pudding.
  4. Finish with a dollop of the reserved whipped cream and a few cookie crumbs for crunch.
  5. Chill the assembled cups for at least 2 hours before serving to let flavors meld.

Notes

To keep banana slices from browning while assembling, toss them lightly in a teaspoon of lemon juice. Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.