Central Texas Classic Banana Pudding
Chapter 5 — Drinks & Sweets
You spent twelve hours managing a firebox, pushed a prime brisket through the stall, and now it is resting in a cooler. Your reward is this pudding. It honors the old-school Texas meat markets by skipping the instant boxed powders entirely in favor of a rich, velvety stovetop custard, fortified with a mashed banana and layered with wafers that transform in the icebox into a delicate cake. It is the perfect, cooling counterpunch to a heavy, fat-rendered, smoke-ringed meal—and gives you an option to utilize that dying smoker heat for a bourbon-glazed upgrade.
Ingredients
- granulated sugar3/4 cup
- all-purpose flour1/3 cup
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- whole milk2 cup
- heavy cream1 cup
- large egg yolks4 large
- unsalted butter3 tbsp
- pure vanilla extract2 tsp
- medium very ripe banana1 med
- premium vanilla wafers11 oz
- medium bananas5 med
- fresh lemon juice1 tsp
- heavy whipping cream1 1/2 cup
- confectioners' sugar3 tbsp
- pure vanilla extract or bourbon1 tsp
Method
- 01
Whisk together the dry ingredients and dairy
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the granulated sugar, flour, and kosher salt, then gradually pour in the whole milk and heavy cream while whisking constantly.
- 02
Heat the base and prepare to temper the eggs
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk continuously until it begins to steam and gently bubble.
- 03
Temper the egg yolks to prevent them from scrambling
Take a half cup of the hot milk mixture and slowly stream it into the beaten egg yolks while whisking vigorously, then pour the warmed egg mixture back into the main saucepan.
- 04
Thicken the custard over medium-low heat
Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and corners, until the custard is thick, glossy, and coats the back of a spoon.
- 05
Stir in the flavorings off the heat
Remove the pan entirely from the heat and stir in the softened butter, vanilla extract, and the thoroughly mashed ripe banana. Press plastic wrap directly against the pudding surface to prevent a rubbery skin, and let it cool for 20 minutes.
- 06
Assemble the pudding architecture
In a 9x13-inch baking dish or glass trifle bowl, lay down a tight single layer of vanilla wafers. Top each cookie with a banana coin tossed in optional lemon juice, then ladle half of the cooled custard evenly over the fruit to submerge them completely. Repeat with a second layer of wafers, bananas, and the remaining custard.
- 07
Rest the pudding in the icebox
Cover tightly and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. This is non-negotiable; moisture must migrate from the custard into the cookies, transforming them into a delicate, cake-like sponge.
- 08
Crown with Chantilly cream right before serving
In a chilled metal bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla or bourbon until stiff peaks form. Spread it over the chilled pudding in rustic swoops and garnish with crumbled wafers.
Notes
Elevate this to a craft-BBQ Smoked Bourbon Banana Pudding using residual pit heat
While your brisket rests in the cooler, your pit is dying down to around 200F. Place a cast-iron skillet on the smoker grates with 2 tablespoons of butter, cook the sliced bananas in the ambient smoke for 10 minutes, toss with a tablespoon of dark brown sugar, and deglaze with 2 tablespoons of good bourbon. Use these smoky, caramelized bananas in the layers. For an indoor oven workaround, simply add a half teaspoon of liquid smoke to the skillet.
Seek out authentic Texas vanilla wafers if you can
Nabisco Nilla Wafers are the accepted national standard, but if you want true regional authenticity, source Slaton Bakery Wafers from West Texas to give the dish its proper textural pedigree.
From Cook BBQ at Home.