Evaporated Milk Banana Pudding

Evaporated milk banana pudding is a dreamy dessert made with a rich vanilla pudding, an abundance of fresh bananas, and layers of sweet vanilla wafer cookies. The perfect treat for holidays and special occasions!

Don’t miss out on some of our other favorite evaporated milk recipes, like evaporated milk cake, rice pudding, and key lime pie.

Can you make banana pudding with evaporated milk?

Yes, you can make fabulous banana pudding with evaporated milk, and in this post, I’ll show you how to do it!

You may already know banana pudding with condensed milk and Southern meringue banana pudding, but this recipe is perfect when you crave banana pudding and only have evaporated milk available.

And let me tell you, this evaporated milk banana pudding has it all!

The pudding base is made with evaporated milk, which makes it super rich and creamy.

Then it includes a generous amount of sweet bananas and, of course, nostalgic Nilla wafers.

The pudding can be served laid back as a casserole in a baking dish or elegantly layered into individual dessert cups.

It’s a year-round dessert that you can make for a holiday celebration, a fancy weekend dinner, or just because you want to treat yourself!

We also have strawberry banana pudding, red velvet banana pudding, and old-fashioned banana pudding.

Ingredients

Let’s talk about the ingredients in this homemade banana pudding with evaporated milk! Please refer to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• Evaporated milk makes the pudding unbelievably rich and creamy.
• Granulated sugar sweetens both the pudding and the whipped topping.
• Cornstarch is necessary to thicken the pudding.
• Salt: A pinch of salt helps to balance the sweetness.
• Egg yolks help to further thicken the pudding and add richness. Reserve the egg whites for lemon meringue pie, coconut macaroons, or meringue cookies.
• Vanilla extract laces the pudding with a delightful vanilla aroma. You could also use banana extract to give the pudding a stronger banana aroma.
• Butter: Salted or unsalted butter is fine here.
• Vanilla wafer cookies: I use the Nabisco brand Nilla wafer cookies.
• Bananas: Yellow, slightly underripe bananas are ideal for banana pudding. They should be firm and just slightly sweet, not green or spotted.
• Lemon juice: We drizzle the bananas with fresh lemon juice to reduce browning.
• Heavy cream is needed for the topping. Make sure the cream is cold so it whips up nice and fluffy.

How to make evaporated milk banana pudding

Old-fashioned banana pudding with evaporated milk is as good as it gets! Don’t be put off by the long instructions – each step is easy, and I’ll show you exactly how to do it.

1. Heat milk

• Pour the evaporated milk into a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until just simmering.

2. Whisk sugar and cornstarch

• Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt until fluffy and pale, about 1 minute. It will be thick at first, just keep whisking.

3. Temper the yolks

• Once evaporated milk is simmering, slowly pour 1 cup hot milk into the sugar egg yolk mixture while constantly whisking.
• Then, return the sugar egg yolk mixture to the saucepan while whisking vigorously.

4. Cook until thickened

• Cook, whisking vigorously (scrape down the bottom as you whisk), until large bubbles appear in the center. Then cook and whisk for 30 seconds longer.

5. Add butter and vanilla

• Scoop the pudding into a bowl and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until combined.

6. Cool pudding

• Place a piece of plastic wrap onto the pudding, directly touching the pudding, to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for 2 hours or until cooled.

Assemble banana pudding

Now that we have our delicious vanilla pudding, it’s time to layer and assemble our evaporated milk banana pudding!

1. Layer the cookies

• Cover the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch serving dish with wafer cookies, slightly overlapping them.

2. Add pudding

• Dollop half of the chilled pudding over the cookies in spoonfuls and spread out evenly.

3. Top with bananas

• Place half of the banana slices evenly over the pudding layer.

4. Repeat layering

• Place more cookies onto the banana layer, followed by the remaining pudding and bananas.

5. Finish topping

• Spread the whipped cream over the bananas. Garnish the top with some banana slices and more cookies if desired.
• You can serve the pudding right away, but it will taste best if you chill it for 2 hours. This allows the flavors to mingle and the cookies a chance to soften.

Variation ideas

• Meringue topping: Feel free to finish the banana pudding with toasted meringue instead of whipped cream.
• Add-ins: Add chocolate chips or chopped nuts when layering to make it taste more like banana split.
• Spices: For a cozy touch, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the pudding.
• Swap the cookies: Try graham crackers, shortbread cookies, or Biscoff cookies instead of vanilla wafers.
• Cocoa powder: For a chocolate version, combine the cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and cook the pudding according to the recipe.

Storage instructions

How to store evaporated milk banana pudding

Because of the dairy and egg yolks, banana pudding needs to be refrigerated.

It can sit for 2 hours during serving, or 1 hour on a hot day. If it is too warm, the topping starts to melt.

How long does banana pudding last?

Banana pudding keeps well in the fridge for 3 days. Just note that the banana slices may brown, and the cookies get softer after the first day.

I like a slight bite to the Nilla wafers in the center with a soft exterior, so I serve the banana pudding the day I make it.

More desserts

If you love creamy, pudding-like desserts, try these easy dessert recipes next!

• Evaporated Milk Chocolate Pie
• Cherry Yum Yum
• No Bake Cheesecake
• Strawberry Cheesecake
• Creamy Lemon Bars
• Cinnamon Roll Peach Cobbler
• Strawberry Shortcake Parfait
• Bisquick Strawberry Cobbler