Banana Parfaits

These banana parfaits are a slightly fancier take on classic banana pudding, the Southern dessert made with layers of vanilla pudding, bananas, and vanilla wafers. While many versions rely on store-bought shortcuts for the pudding and whipped cream, this one goes the homemade route. A rum-spiked vanilla pudding, lightened with homemade whipped cream, is layered with bananas and buttery shortbread cookies in individual glasses. It’s a little more dressed up, but still pure comfort food. The pudding needs a few hours to chill, and the parfaits are best assembled a few hours ahead, so plan accordingly.

Step 1: Prep the base. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan and whisk together.

Pro Tip: Whisking the dry ingredients with the egg yolks before adding the milk creates a smooth paste. This prevents the cornstarch from clumping, ensuring your pudding has a silky texture.

Step 2: Add the milk. Whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.

Step 3: Thicken and flavor. Once bubbling, reduce the heat and whisk constantly until the pudding thickens; then, off the heat, add the butter, vanilla, and rum and whisk until evenly combined.

Step 4: Chill the pudding. Transfer the pudding to a large bowl and refrigerate for a few hours until cold, placing plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a film from forming. 

Pro Tip: If you’re in a hurry, place the bowl of hot pudding inside a larger bowl filled with ice and a little water. Whisking the pudding occasionally in this ice bath will rapidly draw heat out and chill it more quickly.

Step 5: Prep the cream. Once the pudding is cold, whip the heavy cream on medium-low speed.

Pro Tip: For texture, you’re aiming for silky peaks that hold their shape, and be careful not to overwhip. If you accidentally overwhip the cream and it looks grainy, gently fold in another tablespoon or two of the heavy cream with a spatula to smooth it back out.

Step 6: Fold the mixture. Add the whipped cream to the pudding and gently fold it in, then put it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the parfaits.

Pro Tip: Using a folding motion incorporates the airy cream into the heavy pudding without deflating it, resulting in a fluffy mousse.

Step 7: Assemble the parfaits. Spoon a large dollop of pudding into the bottom of each glass, cover with a layer of crumbled cookies and bananas, and repeat the layers, finishing with the pudding.

Step 8: Garnish and Refrigerate.  Crush some of the remaining cookies into crumbs and sprinkle over top of each parfait. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.