Why Banana Pudding is Easier to Make in the Microwave

Name: Microwave Banana Pudding
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h 7 min
Total time: 3 h 17 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2/3 cup sugar; 3 egg yolks; 3 tablespoons flour; 2 cups milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole); 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (use vanilla bean paste if feeling extravagant); 2 tablespoons butter; 2 medium bananas; 1 recipe of shortbread or vanilla wafers

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Want to know why Banana Pudding is so much easier to make in the microwave?

You’ve come to the right place. If you would prefer not to slave over a hot stove, dig out a double boiler, or worry about scorching, the microwave is your rescuer.

MICROWAVE BANANA PUDDING with spoons in serving dishes

This Could Change Your Life, but not dramatically…

The day I discovered I could make vanilla pudding in my microwave changed my life. No more scorched custard, hot stoves or instant pudding mix.

Why Microwave Banana Pudding is so simple:

This recipe is so simple you can memorize it.

For me, this is a huge plus when I don’t feel like cooking.

Throw all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and press GO.

No more tempering the egg yolks. No more bothers about lumps. It will go into the microwave smooth and should come out smooth–as long as you don’t forget to give it the occasional whisking treatment.

Clean up is easy.

No worries about scorching and then having to scrub the pan. The blender and pyrex bowl you use in the microwave will clean up easily.

The microwave reduces cooking time.

My microwave is SLOW but 7 minutes is all the time required to thicken the pudding. If your oven is relatively new, the time may be less. Pay attention the first time or two you make the pudding to determine the proper cooking time.

There’s more…

Store-bought vanilla wafers are my go-to cookie for this but sometimes I like to make my own shortbread crumbles for a dessert that tastes like banana cream pie in a bowl. Oh my! It is wicked good!!

HOW TO MAKE BANANA PUDDING IN THE MICROWAVE:

Add sugar, egg yolks, flour, milk and salt to a blender or food processor bowl. Pulse 5 times until mixed well. Pour into 2-quart batter bowl. If desired, pour through a strainer into batter bowl.

Microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes. Stop and whisk well. MW for 2-3 more minutes stopping and whisking when pudding starts to rise up in a bowl or at least once a minute. When the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon (see picture), remove from microwave and whisk till smooth.

ASSEMBLING THE LAYERS:

First layer: a thin layer of pudding.
Second layer: vanilla wafers
Third layer: bananas
Fourth layer: pudding
Fifth layer: vanilla wafers
Sixth layer: bananas
Final layer: pudding
Cover with plastic wrap and push down on top of the pudding to eliminate any air pockets.

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If you make this recipe and enjoy it, consider helping other readers and me by returning to this post. Leave a rating on the recipe card itself underneath the picture. Although always appreciated, comments aren’t required. Thank you for visiting! Paula

Microwave Banana Pudding

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 7 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 17 minutes

These instructions are designed to cook the vanilla custard in the microwave but of course, you can use your stove instead. Layer pudding with bananas and vanilla wafers or shortbread crumbles.

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (use vanilla bean paste if feeling extravagant)
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium bananas
1 recipe of shortbread or vanilla wafers

Instructions

Add sugar, egg yolks, flour, milk and salt to a blender or food processor bowl. Pulse 5 times until mixed well. Pour into 2-quart batter bowl. If desired, pour through a strainer into batter bowl.
Microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes. Stop and whisk well. MW for 2-3 more minutes, stopping to whisk when pudding starts to rise in a bowl or at least once every minute. When the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon (see picture), remove from microwave and whisk till smooth.
Allow pudding to cool a bit before adding butter and vanilla. Whisk well. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of cream and allow to cool to room temperature. If you are in a hurry, set bowl in sink of ice water for faster cooling.

Assembly

Cover bottom of 1 1/2 quart dish with thin layer of custard.
Add layer of vanilla wafers or shortbread followed by layer of sliced bananas.
Add 1/2 of remaining custard, followed by another layer of vanilla wafers and bananas.
End with a layer of custard.
Cover with plastic wrap placed in a way that it touches the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours. Overnight is even better--especially if using vanilla wafers. Serve with whipped cream.

Notes

1.If you decide to make your own shortbread, Let it cool, then crumble and layer in the same way as vanilla wafers.

2.Because I keep only skim milk and heavy cream in my fridge, I sometimes put 2 tablespoons of heavy cream in a 2-cup measure and use skim milk for the rest to make it a touch richer but it's certainly not necessary.

3.I don't normally use a sieve for this pudding because mixing in a blender before microwaving prevents lumps. However, if cream turns out a bit lumpy after it is cooked, push it through a coarse sieve before it cools.

4.I also use this recipe to make banana cream pie, coconut cream pie and chocolate cream pie.

5.Many people put meringue on top of their banana pudding but I'm a whipped cream girl. Suit yourself.

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