Beloved by many, banana pudding is a delightfully rich and creamy dessert with a fruity bite and a vanilla wafer crunch.

Thanks to the wonderful innovations that gluten-free baking companies have brought us, we present to you a gluten-free version of this classic dessert; and it’s just as delicious as the original. Enjoy it with friends and watch it disappear before your very eyes. 

Ingredients:

3 cups milk (whole is best, but use whatever you prefer)

1 cup sugar

1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

3 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 box Kinnikinnick™ vanilla wafer cookies

3 ripe bananas 

For the topping:

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream 

1 tbsp sugar

½ tbsp cornstarch

8 reserved vanilla wafers

Instructions:

On your stovetop, create a double boiler. You can do this by using a large pot and a heat-safe bowl that fits on top of the pot without falling inside of it. For the amount of banana pudding this recipe makes, I recommend using a soup pot and a very large heat-safe mixing bowl. Simply fill the pot with water, filled low enough that it wouldn’t touch the bowl. Bring the water to a boil and set the bowl on top to begin. 

Leave your water boiling on medium-high heat. 

Add your milk, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to your bowl. Whisk well to combine. 

While the pudding is heating up, prepare your eggs. Crack them into a bowl and whisk them well, until scrambled completely. 

Add about a tablespoon of egg to the pudding mixture. Whisk until it’s completely combined and you no longer see streaks of egg. Repeat this process until you’ve run out of eggs, adding a little bit more egg each time.

Stir frequently while you assemble your other ingredients. You know your pudding is ready when it becomes thick and resists the whisk slightly, but still stirs. It will create small “ribbons” when whisked, but should not be so thick that it’s difficult to whisk. This will take about 10 -15 minutes. 

You can use any kind of dish that holds up to 2 quarts of food to assemble your banana pudding. I recommend a 11 inch by 7-inch pan, since the length of the pan will allow you to spread out the ingredients in an even layer. 

First, set down a layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom of your pan. Make sure you set about 8 cookies for your topping. 

Next, peel your bananas and cut them into thin slices. Arrange them in an even layer on top of your vanilla wafers. 

Your pudding should be thick and ready by this time. 

Remove the pudding from the double boiler and whisk in your vanilla and butter. Whisk until everything is well combined. 

Pour your pudding into your prepared pan in an even layer, covering all the ingredients well. Feel free to go over it with a spatula to smooth it out. 

Set the pan in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to allow everything to cool and set.

Before serving, make whipped cream to go on top. Add your heavy cream to a mixing bowl along with the sugar and cornstarch. Whip with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.

Spread the whipped cream in an even layer on top of the pudding. 

Crush your reserved vanilla wafers and sprinkle them on top.

Serve immediately and enjoy this banana pudding with good company.