Banana Pudding Parfaits
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This banana pudding bucks tradition a bit but still tastes nostalgic and delicious.
Banana pudding is an old-fashioned Southern dessert traditionally made with layers of Nilla wafers, vanilla pudding, and sliced bananas. Depending on the cook, it’s either topped with baked meringue, sweetened whipped cream, or cookies. The most famous banana pudding is served at Magnolia Bakery in NYC. This version is a little fancier – it’s made with homemade rum-spiked vanilla pudding and served in parfait glasses. It also bucks tradition a bit by using shortbread cookies instead of Nilla wafers, but it still tastes nostalgic and delicious. The pudding requires a few hours to chill, and the parfaits are best made 3 to 4 hours ahead of time, so plan accordingly.
What you’ll need to make Banana Pudding Parfaits
How to make Banana Pudding Parfaits
Instead of the classic Nilla wafers, I use crumbled shortbread cookies because they have a rich, buttery flavor and stay crunchy even when completely covered with pudding. The crunch of the cookies against the creamy smoothness of the bananas and pudding is what makes these parfaits unique. If you want to stick with tradition and use Nilla Wafers, that’ll work too; just keep in mind that they will have a softer texture.
To begin, combine the egg yolks, the sugar, corn starch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
Whisk to combine.
Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Once the mixture bubbles, turn the heat down and whisk constantly until the pudding thickens. Then, off the heat, add the butter, vanilla and rum.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Transfer the pudding to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a few hours until cold. (Placing the plastic wrap directly over top keeps the pudding from forming a film.)
Or, if you’re in a hurry, you can place the pudding in an ice bath and whisk occasionally until cold.
Once the pudding is cold, whip the heavy cream.
Add the whipped cream to the pudding.
Gently fold it into the pudding and refrigerate until ready to assemble the parfaits.
To assemble, spoon a large dollop of pudding into the bottom of each glass. Cover with a layer of crumbled cookies and bananas and repeat, finishing with a layer of pudding.
Crush some of the cookies into crumbs and sprinkle over top of each parfait. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.
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Banana Pudding Parfaits
This banana pudding bucks tradition a bit but still tastes nostalgic and delicious.
Ingredients
For the Pudding
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 3½ cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ tablespoons dark rum
For the Sweetened Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
For Assembling
- 4 bananas, very ripe but not mushy, sliced*
- 2 (5.3 oz) boxes Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread Cookies, or similar, broken into ¼-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks. Whisk in the milk and bring to simmer, stirring frequently, over medium heat (it will take 5 to 8 minutes). When the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low and continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter, vanilla and rum. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the pudding to prevent a film from forming. Chill in the refrigerator until cool, a few hours. (To hurry it up, you can place the bowl in an ice bath and whisk occasionally until cold.)
- Once the pudding is cold, place the heavy cream in a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip on medium-low speed until the whisk or beaters begin to leave tracks in the cream. Add the confectioners' sugar and whip until the cream holds medium, silky peaks. Go slowly towards the end; if it gets grainy or curdled, you’ve gone too far. Use a rubber spatula to fold the whipped cream into the cold pudding.
- Spoon a large dollop of the pudding mixture into the bottom of each parfait glass. Top with one layer of cookie pieces and one layer of sliced bananas. Repeat once and top with a final layer of pudding. Crumble some of the cookie pieces and sprinkle over top. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.
- *Do not slice the bananas until you are ready to assemble the parfaits.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 573
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 73 g
- Sugar: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 339 mg
- Cholesterol: 158 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hello, just wanted to check if I can use whipping cream instead of heavy cream? I previously used double cream and it was great but now can’t find it.
Yep that’s fine. 🙂
My husband loves banana pudding and this hit the spot with him. A little more sophisticated than the usual banana pudding I make and oh so delicious. The addition of short bread cookies is great. I couldn’t find the brand Jenn used so I used the common “pecan short bread cookies” found in most stores. Turned out fantastic! Thank you, Jenn for another great recipe!
Does not need the rum.
Had high expectations since jenn’s recipes are wonderful. This one fell flat from flavor standpoint. The pudding came together beautifully no issue with execution. I experimented using Walker shortbread cookies , coconut cookies and chocolate wafers. SPrinkled shredded coconut on top, others have chocolate shavings. From color to flavor, it was lacking wow factor. Pudding was sufficient to make eight portions.
Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your recipes,and looking forward to getting lots more. Thank you Patricia Martin
So glad you’re enjoying them Patricia– thanks for letting me know!
This recipe is so delicious. I do think next time I would cut each serving in half as it is filling. My kids loved it.
What could I use instead of rum in the banana parfait. Diane
Hi Diane, you could leave the rum out (it’ll still be delicious) or replace it with cognac or apple cider.
I have been using a similar pudding for my banana cream pie (from my mom). I do not like custards or creme brûlée- too eggy for me, but this is the perfect proportions. My recipe only uses 2/3 c. sugar and I find it sweet enough.
This looks delicious, thanks for sharing your recipe. I’ve never seen Walker’s butter anywhere. How much would that be, in terms of cups or ounces? Thank you.
Hi Sashine, it would be the equivalent of about 8 ounces. Hope you enjoy!
What a simple but elegant dessert! I made this for my mother who is gluten free and lactose problematic. I used gluten free pecan shortbread cookies and almond milk. It was fabulous. Rave reviews not only from mom, but also from my husband who typically does not like puddings. Thanks for sharing your expertise Jen!