Banana Parfaits
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These banana parfaits are a more sophisticated take on the classic Southern pudding, using rich homemade vanilla pudding and buttery shortbread cookies.
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.
“This is absolutely sublime – perfection!”
What you’ll need to make Banana Pudding Parfaits
You’ll need sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, milk, butter, vanilla, rum, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, ripe bananas, and shortbread cookies.
Instead of the classic Nilla wafers, I use crumbled Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread cookies (any brand of shortbread cookies will work) because they have a rich, buttery flavor and stay crunchy even when completely covered with pudding. The crunch of the cookies against the creamy smoothness of the bananas and pudding is what makes these parfaits unique. If you want to stick with tradition and use vanilla wafers, that’ll work too; just keep in mind that they will have a softer texture.
Step-By-Step Instructions
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.
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Banana Parfaits
Ingredients
For the Pudding
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 3½ cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ tablespoons dark rum
For the Sweetened Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
For Assembling
- 4 bananas, very ripe but not mushy, sliced (see note)
- 2 (5.3-oz) boxes Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread Cookies, or similar, broken into ¼-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks. Whisk in the milk and bring to simmer, stirring frequently, over medium heat (it will take 5 to 8 minutes). When the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low and continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter, vanilla and rum. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the pudding to prevent a film from forming. Chill in the refrigerator until cool, a few hours. (To hurry it up, you can place the bowl in an ice bath and whisk occasionally until cold.)
- Once the pudding is cold, place the heavy cream in a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip on medium-low speed until the whisk or beaters begin to leave tracks in the cream. Add the confectioners' sugar and whip until the cream holds medium, silky peaks. Go slowly towards the end; if it gets grainy or curdled, you’ve gone too far. Use a rubber spatula to fold the whipped cream into the cold pudding.
- Spoon a large dollop of the pudding mixture into the bottom of each parfait glass. Top with one layer of cookie pieces and one layer of sliced bananas. Repeat once and top with a final layer of pudding. Crumble some of the cookie pieces and sprinkle over top. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I am planning to serve these at a brunch. Would it be OK to make the pudding the night before, then in the morning fold in the whipped cream and assemble the parfaits with the cookies and bananas ?
Sure, that should be fine. Just give the pudding a few stirs before you incorporate the whipped cream. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Mine turned out with fantastic flavor but is not firming up enough even after 4 hours. I used banana extract and rum instead of vanilla extract and rum. Any ideas what could have gone wrong?
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, it sounds like it was a bit undercooked. Did it thicken up at all?
Tasted great and i love your “tip” about using a mason jar! Grandkids lived that!!! You always seem to have a handy “tip” to make the recipe special
Thanks
If I wanted to make the banana pudding the day before serving
should I also fold in whipped cream or wait until the next day?
Hi AnnMarie, You make the pudding completely and serve it the next day. Enjoy!
Do you have a shortbread cookie recipe that would be suitable for this?
I think this recipe would work nicely. Hope you enjoy!
Even after being forgotten in the fridge for two days, the pudding was still good but a little lumpy from having solidified. I whipped up the cream and afterwards I used the same mixer whisk to smooth out the pudding. I made a banana cream pie with shortbread crust and layered it just the same as if it were in a parfait glass. The Walkers shortbread brought a whole new dimension to it, perfect combo of smooth pudding with just a hint of rum to kick it up a notch and ripe bananas and the crunch of a really good crumbly cookie. I had enough left over to put in two ramekins ( bought for Jenn’s warm lemon pudding cakes which are also spoon licking excellent). Gotta say, nothing low fat or low calorie about it, but if you’re going to treat yo’self, well this is the way to go.
First of all I have to say that I LOVEEEE all your recipes! I have yet to have a bad one. If I want to make the banana pudding in a baking dish what size do you recommend? 8×8 , 9×13, or something else?
So glad you like the recipes! I’d guesstimate that you’d need an 8 x 8-inch dish. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn! I would like to make the pudding the day before so should
I add the whipped cream the next day before assembling?
Hi AnnMarie, I’d just make the whole pudding the day before. It should be fine. Enjoy!
If you had to choose between a light rum or no rum, what’s the verdict?
I have enjoyed your recipes so very, very much!!
Thanks! Joan
Glad you like the recipes! I’d use the light rum — enjoy!
If I wanted to make my own shortbread cookies, would your Scottish Shortbread recipe work, or will it be too tender to hold up? Any other suggestions?
Sure, Penny, those should work. Hope you enjoy!