History

Banana pudding entered Southern home cooking in the late 1800s after bananas became affordable. By the 1940s it was a staple of Memphis lunch counters and church suppers. The Four Way Restaurant has served it as a Sunday dessert since 1946, and most Memphis BBQ joints carry it as the closing sweet. Whipped cream caught on as the topping in the 1960s, replacing meringue.

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Common allergens: Dairy, Eggs, Wheat

Make it at home

Yield 8Hands-on 25 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 60g cornstarch
  • 500ml whole milk
  • 250ml heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 6 ripe bananas, sliced
  • 300g Nilla wafer cookies

Method

  1. Whisk egg yolks, 100g sugar and cornstarch in a heatproof bowl.
  2. Heat milk and 100g sugar until just steaming. Slowly whisk hot milk into the yolks. Return to the pan and cook on low, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes.
  3. Off heat, stir in vanilla. Cool 10 minutes.
  4. Layer half the wafers in a dish, half the bananas, half the custard. Repeat once more.
  5. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Spread over the top. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Tip from the editors. Use Nilla wafer cookies; substitutes don't soften right. Whip the cream just before serving so it stays light.

Where to eat memphis banana pudding

Memphis banana pudding in Memphis

The Four Way ★ 4.6

$$ Soul foodSouth Memphis

The Four Way on Mississippi Boulevard in South Memphis is the city's defining Black-owned soul food room since 1946, where MLK ate but most tourists never go.

Why locals goSouth Memphis sits off the visitor track; the room rewards those who make the drive.

TipLunch only Wednesday to Saturday. Save room for sweet potato pie.

Directions

Alcenia's ★ 4.5

$$ Soul foodPinch District

Alcenia's in the Pinch District north of downtown Memphis runs Betty Joyce Chester-Tamayo's soul food and her famous door-greeting hug since 2002.

Why locals goTourists rarely walk this far north of Beale; B.J.'s hug is what brings everyone back.

TipCounter service, cash preferred. Closed Sundays and Mondays. B.J. greets every diner.

Directions

Central BBQ Downtown ★ 4.5

$$ Memphis BbqDowntown

Central BBQ Downtown in Memphis runs the city's most reliable dry-rub ribs and pulled pork from a casual counter across from the National Civil Rights Museum.

OrderHalf slab of dry ribs with a smoked turkey sandwich on the side.

TipLines from noon to 14:00; order online and pick up at the express counter to skip the queue.

Directions Book

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