Banana Pudding

Ingredients

For the Homemade Pudding:

• 1 cup cane sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1¼ cups heavy cream
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric (for natural golden color, you won't taste it)

For the Whipped Cream:

• 3 cups heavy cream, cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the Cream Cheese Mixture:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

For the Nilla Wafer Crumble:

• 2 cups Nilla wafers (about 50-60 cookies)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

For Assembly and Topping:

• 7 medium ripe bananas (3 chopped small for inside pudding, 3-4 sliced for layers and topping)
• 1 box mini Nilla wafers
• 1 bag mini Chessmen cookies
• Edible gold leaf sheets (optional, but gorgeous!)

Instructions

1. Make the Homemade Pudding
In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt until well combined. Add the milk and heavy cream, whisking until smooth. Add the beaten egg and whisk everything together. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to bubble. This is important, don't stop whisking or it might form lumps! Once it's bubbling, continue whisking and let it cook for 30 seconds. The pudding should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, and turmeric. The turmeric just adds a beautiful golden color without affecting the taste.

2. Chill the Pudding
Transfer the pudding to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until completely chilled and set.

3. Make the Whipped Cream
When you're ready to assemble, pour the cold heavy cream and vanilla bean paste into a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. The cream should hold its shape when you lift the beaters. Set aside in the refrigerator.

4. Make the Cream Cheese Mixture
In a separate large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk using a hand mixer or stand mixer until completely smooth and creamy with no lumps, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Combine Everything
Add the chilled pudding to the cream cheese mixture and beat until well combined and smooth. Now gently fold in the whipped cream using a spatula, being careful not to deflate it. You want to keep it light and fluffy. Once the whipped cream is incorporated, fold in the 3 chopped bananas.

6. Make the Nilla Wafer Crumble
Add the 2 cups of Nilla wafers to a food processor and pulse until they're finely ground into crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a few more times until the crumbs are moistened and hold together when pressed. If you don't have a food processor, you can put the cookies in a sealed plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin, then mix with the butter in a bowl.

7. Layer the Pudding
Grab a large trifle dish or a 9x13-inch baking dish. Start by pressing the Nilla wafer crumble into the bottom to create an even layer. Next, add a layer of mini Nilla wafers standing up around the sides if using a trifle dish, or just scattered on top of the crumble. Add a layer of sliced bananas, then spread about a third of the pudding mixture over the bananas. Repeat the layers, mini wafers, sliced bananas, pudding, for 2-3 layers total, ending with the pudding mixture on top.

8. Chill Again
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible. This chilling time allows the cookies to soften and all the flavors to meld together beautifully.

9. Top and Serve
Just before serving, top the banana pudding with mini Chessmen cookies, fresh sliced bananas, and if you're feeling fancy, delicate pieces of edible gold leaf for that wow factor. Scoop into bowls and enjoy this creamy, dreamy dessert!