Caramelized Banana Pudding

Bake #64 for 2025: Caramelized Banana Puddings by Edd Kimber

As a girl raised in the South, I’ve tasted a lot of banana puddings, some definitely better than others. Who knew my new favorite recipe would come from “across the pond!” Kimber’s version comes from his fantastic cookbook Small Batch Bakes (available here) and is such a delicious take on this classic bake, I have to share it.

Ingredients:

For the custard:

• 1 large ripe banana, sliced
• 35g (1-1/4oz / 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp) light brown sugar
• 35g (1-1/4oz / 2 Tbsp +1 tsp) unsalted butter
• pinch of sea salt
• 10oz (284g / 1-1/4 cups) whole milk
• 75g (2-3/4oz / 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
• 25g (1oz / 3 Tbsp) cornstarch
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

For assembly:

• 8-1/2oz (227g / 1 cup) heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 2 Tbsp (38g) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced
• 3-1/2oz (100g) Nilla wafers, broken into small pieces
• 4 heaped Tbsp (~120g) dulce de leche (optional, see note)

Instructions:

1. Place the banana, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 min, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted and the banana has become soft and caramelized. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
2. Place the milk and half the sugar (38g) in the empty saucepan (no need to clean it out), over medium-low heat.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar (38g) and the cornstarch. Add the egg, yolks, and vanilla, whisking until smooth. When the milk is at a simmer, temper the eggs by slowly pouring a two-thirds of the milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking the eggs continuously. Pour the egg-milk back into the saucepan, cooking over medium heat until thick and bubbling. Continue cooking, whisking constantly for an additional 30-45 sec to make sure the starch has been cooked. Remove from heat.
4. Use a fork to mash the caramelized banana, then add the custard to the large bowl. (Optional – pass it through a strainer to ensure there are no cooked eggs bits.) Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard, then refrigerate until cold through; it will keep for a couple days.
   
   To assemble the dessert:
5. Whip the heavy cream, vanilla, and condensed milk together until it holds soft peaks.
6. Stir or beat the chilled custard until it is smooth again.
7. Layer the wafers, custard, sliced banana, dulce de leche, and whipped cream into glasses, jars, or a smallish baking dish. Repeat layers. Chill until required – it can be served immediately, but the wafers will soften nicely after a bit of a rest.

 

Notes:

• The recipe says this makes four servings, but depending on the glass/jar size, could easily be six instead. I used five recycled Bonne Maman jars, which is a generous helping and also super cute presentation.
• Kimber calls for a layer of drizzled dulce de leche, but honestly, we found this to be a little too much – the custard, cream, bananas, and wafers are delicious on their own! Dulce de leche is also a bit hard to find here, so if you have the same problem & don’t want to make your own, you can easily omit it.