Alright, so a couple of weeks ago, I got this mad craving for some good ol’ banana pudding. But, I wanted to kick it up a notch and try it with a graham cracker crust instead of the usual vanilla wafers. Figured it might give it a nice little crunch and a different flavor profile. So, I rolled up my sleeves, hit the kitchen, and got to work.
Prepping the Pudding
First things first, I had to get the pudding sorted. I grabbed a saucepan and whisked together some milk, sugar, and cornstarch. Now, I didn’t measure everything out perfectly, I just kind of eyeballed it, you know? Like, a good splash of milk, a few spoonfuls of sugar, and a healthy sprinkle of cornstarch. I got that mix going over medium heat, stirring it constantly so it wouldn’t stick or burn. It started to thicken up after a bit, and I kept it on the heat, stirring for another two minutes or so, just to make sure it was cooked through. I took it off the heat and let it cool down a bit while I moved on to the next step.
Making the Creamy Filling
While the pudding was cooling, I grabbed a big bowl and dumped in a couple of boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix. Yeah, yeah, I know, homemade custard is the “right” way, but hey, I was feeling a bit lazy, and instant pudding works just fine. I also threw in some Dream Whip mix, because why not? It’s supposed to make things extra fluffy. Then I poured in some cold milk and started whisking away until it was all smooth and creamy. I tasted it, and it was pretty darn good, but it needed something extra. So, I folded in some whipped cream that I had in the fridge. That really took it to the next level. It was like, super light and airy, almost like a mousse.
Putting it All Together
Now comes the fun part – assembling the whole thing! I grabbed my trusty 9×13 inch baking dish and started layering in the graham crackers. I used the whole ones, not the crumbs, because I wanted that solid crust. I broke some of them up to fit snugly in the bottom of the dish. Then, I sliced up a bunch of bananas – I think I used like, five of them? I chose the ones that were nice and ripe, but not too mushy. I spread half of the banana slices over the graham crackers, and then poured half of that glorious pudding mixture on top. I repeated the layers – graham crackers, bananas, pudding – until I ran out of ingredients. I ended with a layer of pudding on top.
The Final Touch
I covered the dish with some plastic wrap and popped it in the fridge. I let it chill for at least four hours, but honestly, it’s even better if you leave it overnight. That gives the flavors a chance to really meld together, and the graham crackers soften up a bit from the moisture of the pudding. When I finally took it out and served it up, it was a hit! The graham cracker crust added this nice, subtle sweetness and a bit of a crunch, which was a nice contrast to the soft, creamy pudding and the sweet bananas. The whipped cream in the pudding really made a difference – it was so light and fluffy. Honestly, I think this might be my new go-to banana pudding recipe. It was super easy to make, and it tasted amazing. Definitely give it a try if you’re a banana pudding fan. You won’t be disappointed!
- Pudding Ingredients:
- A splash of 2% cold milk, a few spoonfuls of sugar, a sprinkle of cornstarch
- A couple of boxes of instant French vanilla pudding mix
- A box of dry whipped topping mix, Dream Whip
- Leftover whipped cream from the fridge
- Other Ingredients:
- 16 sheets of honey Graham crackers
- 5 ripe bananas, sliced
Enjoy!
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