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{VIDEO} Mini Banana Pudding Cups

Crunchy, buttery vanilla wafer cookie crust, filled with smooth, homemade vanilla pudding, fresh banana slices and topped with a super easy fresh whipped cream.

This classic nostalgic dessert, is transformed into a perfect little miniature serving, perfect for parties or dessert. 




The banana pudding on the back of  vanilla wafer box was probably the only dessert my mom knew how to make when I was a kid. So, for Mother's Day I thought I would bring my mom on my YouTube channel to recreate my childhood favorite dessert with me... but with a little twist to make them extra cute. 






Mini Banana Pudding Cups

Yield: 9-inch pie or 12 individual mini cups

Ingredients

Vanilla Pudding
  • 2 1/4 cups whole milk, cold
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar*
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
*use brown sugar for butterscotch pudding or add 2oz. unsweetened melted chocolate for chocolate pudding


Crust
  • 2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (about 50 cookies) 
  • 3 tablespoons sugar 
  • 1/3 cup of butter melted 


Whipped Cream
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings
  • banana slices (from about 2 bananas)
  • 12 mini vanilla wafer cookies


Directions

Vanilla Pudding
In a small saucepan, whisk together 2 cups of the milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. 

Whisk egg yolks in to the remaining 1/4 cup of milk. Spoon about 1 cup of the hot pudding into the yolk mixture, whisking vigorously to temper the eggs so they do not cook and curdle when added to the pudding. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Stir the pudding constantly with a rubber spatula until it boils and thickens, about 2-4 minutes, making sure to get in the edges of the pan. The pudding should coat the back of the spatula without running off. 

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until melted and smooth. Pour into a shallow bowl, cool slightly and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding so it doesn't form a skin. Refrigerate until cooled and thickened while you prepare the crust and whipped cream, or up to 1-2 days in advance.

Crust
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray a cupcake pan with cooking spray and set aside. Crush vanilla wafers in a large ziploc bag or a food processor. Transfer crumbs to a medium size bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter. Press about 2 tablespoons of crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of each well of the cupcake pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

Whipped Cream
Chill metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Using an electric hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip all of the ingredients together, starting on low and increasing to high speed, until fluffy, stiff peaks form.

Before serving, whisk the pudding until smooth and spoon into cookie cups. Layer a 2-3 slices of banana and another dollop of pudding to each crust cup. Top with whipped cream, a slice of banana and a mini vanilla wafer cookie.