The Best Homemade Banana Pudding with Fresh Vanilla Wafers
There’s nothing quite like the creamy, dreamy comfort of homemade banana pudding made with farm-fresh milk and butter! Here at Hardmead Farm, our 80-acre regenerative operation, we’re passionate about raising pasture meat products and healing the soil through thoughtful farming practices. Our two beautiful Jersey dairy cows serve our family with the most incredible milk while helping restore our land naturally.
Jersey cows produce the richest, most flavorful milk with the most gorgeous cream caps you’ve ever seen. We start by skimming those thick, golden cream caps and churning them into the most incredible butter – it’s like liquid gold! This fresh butter makes all the difference in our vanilla wafers, and the remaining milk creates the silkiest custard for our pudding. My kids come running when they see me layering this pudding, and honestly, I can’t blame them. The combination of silky vanilla custard, fresh bananas, and homemade vanilla wafers made with our own butter creates pure magic in every spoonful.
Why This Recipe Works
This isn’t your typical store-bought pudding mix recipe. We’re making everything from scratch at Hardmead Farm – starting with churning our own butter from fresh cream caps, then making the custard, the vanilla wafers, and the whipped cream topping. The result is a banana pudding that’s incredibly rich, perfectly sweet, and has that authentic farm-to-table flavor that you simply can’t get from a box.
The key to perfect banana pudding lies in using the freshest dairy possible from our pasture-raised Jersey cows. Those thick, golden cream caps from pasture-raised cattle churn into the most incredible butter that gives our vanilla wafers an unmatched richness. The remaining milk creates a silky-smooth custard texture that’s absolutely divine. When your cows are healthy and happy on regenerative pastures, you can truly taste the difference in every bite!
Ingredients
First, Make Fresh Butter from Cream Caps:
- Heavy cream caps skimmed from 2-3 gallons of fresh Jersey milk or the best cream you can find
- Pinch of salt (optional)
For the Vanilla Wafers:
- 115g (1/2 cup) fresh churned butter, softened or the best butter you can find
- 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 large farm fresh egg whites
- 1 large farm fresh egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Vanilla Custard:
- 3 cups raw milk (the milk remaining after cream skimming)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh churned butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Assembly:
- 4-5 ripe bananas, sliced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Fresh Butter from Cream Caps:
- Collect the Cream: After milking, let your fresh milk sit for 12-24 hours. Those gorgeous golden cream caps will rise to the top – Jersey cream is incredibly thick and rich!
- Skim the Cream: Carefully skim the cream caps using a large spoon or cream skimmer. You’ll get about 1-2 cups of cream from 2-3 gallons of milk.
- Churn the Butter: Pour the cream into your KitchenAid mixer bowl (using the whisk attachment) or a high-speed blender. If using a KitchenAid, start on medium speed and gradually increase – you’ll see it go from cream to whipped cream, then suddenly it will separate into butter and buttermilk! In a blender, pulse in short bursts to avoid overheating. The whole process takes about 5-10 minutes depending on your method.
- Rinse and Salt: Strain out the butter, rinse with cold water until the water runs clear, and add a pinch of salt if desired. Press out excess water with wooden spoons.
Make the Vanilla Wafers:
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the softened fresh butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the whole egg first, then add the egg whites one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
- Combine: Gradually fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Shape and Bake: Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 18 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool: Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Make the Vanilla Custard:
- Make a Slurry: In a mason jar with lid, shake together ¼ cup of your fresh raw milk with the cornstarch until smooth. This little trick prevents lumps – trust me on this one! Set it aside.
- Heat the Milk: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining milk, that pinch of salt, and sugar. Heat over medium heat until it’s steaming nicely – you’ll see little wisps rising from the surface. Don’t let it boil though, or you’ll have a mess on your hands!
- Temper Those Eggs: While the milk is heating, whisk your egg yolks in a separate bowl. Once that milk is steaming, here’s the important part – slowly stream about ½ cup of the hot milk into those egg yolks, whisking like crazy the whole time. This keeps the eggs from scrambling. Then slowly add the egg mixture back to the pot, followed by your cornstarch slurry. Keep cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it starts to simmer and thickens up beautifully.
- Finish with Love: Remove from heat and whisk in that gorgeous fresh butter and vanilla extract. The butter will make it extra silky!
- Prevent the Skin: Pour the custard into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface – this prevents that annoying skin from forming. You can serve it warm if you’re impatient like my kids, or chill it for several hours for the perfect consistency.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- Whip: In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
Assemble the Pudding:
- Layer: In a large glass bowl or individual serving dishes, create layers in this order:
- Vanilla wafers
- Sliced bananas
- Vanilla custard
- Repeat layers as desired
- Top: Finish with a generous layer of whipped cream.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld and wafers to soften slightly.
Pro Tip: I love using Weck jars for individual servings – they have those wonderfully wide lids, and I’ve got some cool rubber lids that seal perfectly. The kids can just grab their own serving straight from the fridge, and it keeps everything fresh and mess-free!
Tips for Success
- Use ripe but firm bananas – they should be sweet but not mushy
- Don’t skip the overnight chill – this is when the magic happens and all the flavors come together
- Fresh milk makes all the difference – if you have access to farm-fresh milk, use it!
- Make extra wafers – they’re delicious on their own and perfect for snacking
Storage
This banana pudding is best enjoyed within 2-3 days of making. Store covered in the refrigerator. The wafers will continue to soften over time, which many people actually prefer!
Variations
- Chocolate Banana Pudding: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the custard for a chocolate twist
- Peanut Butter Banana: Swirl in 1/4 cup peanut butter to the custard while it’s still warm
- Caramel Banana: Drizzle caramel sauce between layers
The Best Homemade Banana Pudding with Fresh Vanilla Wafers
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Wafers:
- 115 g 1/2 cup fresh churned butter, softened or the best butter you can find
- 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 large farm fresh egg whites
- 1 large farm fresh egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Vanilla Custard:
- 3 cups raw milk the milk remaining after cream skimming
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh churned butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Assembly:
- 4-5 ripe bananas sliced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Fresh Butter from Cream Caps:
- Collect the Cream: After milking, let your fresh milk sit for 12-24 hours. Those gorgeous golden cream caps will rise to the top – Jersey cream is incredibly thick and rich!
- Skim the Cream: Carefully skim the cream caps using a large spoon or cream skimmer. You’ll get about 1-2 cups of cream from 2-3 gallons of milk.
- Churn the Butter: Pour the cream into your KitchenAid mixer bowl (using the whisk attachment) or a high-speed blender. If using a KitchenAid, start on medium speed and gradually increase – you’ll see it go from cream to whipped cream, then suddenly it will separate into butter and buttermilk! In a blender, pulse in short bursts to avoid overheating. The whole process takes about 5-10 minutes depending on your method.
- Rinse and Salt: Strain out the butter, rinse with cold water until the water runs clear, and add a pinch of salt if desired. Press out excess water with wooden spoons.
Make the Vanilla Wafers:
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the softened fresh butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the whole egg first, then add the egg whites one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
- Combine: Gradually fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Shape and Bake: Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 18 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool: Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Make the Vanilla Custard:
- Make a Slurry: In a mason jar with lid, shake together ¼ cup of your fresh raw milk with the cornstarch until smooth. This little trick prevents lumps – trust me on this one! Set it aside.
- Heat the Milk: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining milk, that pinch of salt, and sugar. Heat over medium heat until it’s steaming nicely – you’ll see little wisps rising from the surface. Don’t let it boil though, or you’ll have a mess on your hands!
- Temper Those Eggs: While the milk is heating, whisk your egg yolks in a separate bowl. Once that milk is steaming, here’s the important part – slowly stream about ½ cup of the hot milk into those egg yolks, whisking like crazy the whole time. This keeps the eggs from scrambling. Then slowly add the egg mixture back to the pot, followed by your cornstarch slurry. Keep cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it starts to simmer and thickens up beautifully.
- Finish with Love: Remove from heat and whisk in that gorgeous fresh butter and vanilla extract. The butter will make it extra silky!
- Prevent the Skin: Pour the custard into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface – this prevents that annoying skin from forming. You can serve it warm if you’re impatient like my kids, or chill it for several hours for the perfect consistency.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- Whip: In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
Assemble the Pudding:
- Layer: In a large glass bowl or individual serving dishes, create layers in this order:
- Vanilla wafers
- Sliced bananas
- Vanilla custard
- Repeat layers as desired
- Top: Finish with a generous layer of whipped cream.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld and wafers to soften slightly.
Why Kids Love This Recipe
There’s something magical about watching children discover the joy of homemade desserts. This banana pudding has become a regular request in our household, especially during the summer months when we’re looking for cool, refreshing treats. The layers create such a beautiful presentation, and kids love helping with the assembly process.
The combination of creamy custard, sweet bananas, and tender vanilla wafers creates the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Plus, knowing that we’re using milk from our own cows makes it feel extra special – there’s a real connection to the ingredients that you just can’t get from store-bought products.
This recipe serves 8-10 people and takes about 2 hours of active time (plus chilling time). It’s perfect for family gatherings, potluck dinners, or any time you want to create something truly special from scratch. The smiles on my children’s faces when they dig into this homemade goodness make every minute of preparation worth it!
At Hardmead Farm, we believe that when you care for the land, it cares for you back. Our regenerative practices create healthier soil, which grows better grass, which feeds happier cows, which produce more nutritious milk. It’s a beautiful cycle that you can taste in every spoonful of this pudding.
Happy baking from our farm family to yours!
