Neapolitan Banana Pudding

Combine all the classics into one dessert to create Neapolitan banana pudding! Strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, and banana are all wrapped into one gorgeous summer treat.

Recipe

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Neapolitan Banana Pudding

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pudding

Servings: 8

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Vanilla pudding

• 2 cups milk, divided (500 ml)
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar (62 grams)
• pinch of salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ vanilla bean seeds removed

Strawberry pudding

• 1 cup milk, divided (500 ml)
• 5 ounces strawberry puree
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
• pinch of salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate pudding

• 2 cups milk, divided (500 ml)
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar (62 grams)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (20 grams)
• pinch of salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Remaining ingredients

• 4-5 bananas sliced
• 1 16-ounce package vanilla wafers
• 1 cup heavy cream (250 ml)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (32 grams)
• fresh strawberries for garnish optional

Instructions

• Make vanilla pudding. Simmer 1 ½ cups milk with sugar and a pinch of salt over low heat just until warm. Whisk egg yolks with remaining ½ cup milk and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Slowly add milk to egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the pudding back into the pot and bring to a simmer over low heat, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface and let cool.
• Make strawberry pudding. Follow the same steps as the vanilla pudding but heat milk with sugar, pinch of salt, and strawberry puree. Continue same steps for the eggs and finishing the pudding.
• Make chocolate pudding. Follow the same steps as the vanilla pudding but heat milk with sugar, pinch of salt, and cocoa powder. Continue same steps for the eggs and finishing the pudding.
• Assemble pudding. Spread chocolate pudding in bottom of a 8x8 baking dish or in individual serving cups. Top chocolate pudding with wafers and banana slices. Spoon strawberry pudding on top followed by more wafers and banana slices. Finish with vanilla pudding and a final layer of wafers. Transfer pudding to the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Top Neapolitan banana pudding with whipped cream and garnish with fresh strawberries and crushed wafers if desired.

Video

Notes

All of the puddings can be prepared 2 days in advance. Assemble the puddings either the day before serving or at least 4 hours before.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make puddings

Let's start by making the 3 main components of the dessert, the puddings. To make the chocolate and strawberry pudding, we're going to add cocoa powder and pureed strawberries to the basic vanilla version.

To make strawberry puree, blend fresh strawberries in a blender until smooth. I don't recommend using frozen strawberries because the frozen ones tend to be bland.

No matter which flavor you're making, the process for making the puddings is the same.

First, whisk egg yolks with milk and cornstarch. Heat the milk with sugar and any other ingredients just until warm. Then, slowly whisk the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

One of the first lessons I learned while attending the Culinary Institute of America was tempering eggs. You want to slowly add the warm milk to the eggs to prevent them from cooking. Because no one wants scrambled eggs in their pudding, am I right?

Return the mixture to the stove and continue to simmer until thickened. Transfer the pudding to a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding. We want to cover the top so that skin doesn't form.

Then, let the pudding cool completely.

Step 2: Assemble pudding

Now that the hard part is over, it's time to assemble the Neapolitan banana pudding. I've made the classic version with graham crackers but decided to use vanilla wafers for this recipe.

I thought the buttery cookies complemented the dessert better, while graham crackers can compete with the other flavors.

This recipe makes enough to fill an 8x8-inch baking pan; however, you can also prepare individual servings as well.

Spread the chocolate pudding on the bottom of your dish in an even layer. Arrange the vanilla wafers on top, followed by the banana. Continue this step using the strawberry and vanilla pudding.

Finish the pudding with a final layer of vanilla wafers, then chill the pudding for at least 4 hours, or better yet, overnight.

When you're ready to serve the dessert, top it with whipped cream. If you want to make it extra fancy, garnish it with fresh strawberries and crushed wafers.

It's hard to go wrong with this Neapolitan banana pudding. You already know what you're getting even before you taste it, so it's almost a guarantee that you'll love it. I know I did!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: All of the puddings can be prepared 2 days in advance. Assemble the puddings the day before serving or at least 4 hours before.
• Store: The pudding can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, although it's best enjoyed within the first day or two for optimal freshness.

More summer dessert recipes

Looking for more summer dessert ideas? Try these: