Bananas Foster Pudding Pie

Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) is the day on which the goal is to indulge in as much rich, unhealthy food as possible before the 40 days of Lent. Some of the most famous celebrations are in Louisiana, and Bananas Foster is an iconic Louisiana dessert. The flambéing of the bananas in the rum is very impressive, and the brown sugar, rum, and vanilla combine in a sticky, gooey, yummy mess. Igniting fruit can be a daunting task, so I decided to make mine in a pie. It's banana pudding meets bananas foster, and it tastes SO good! To complete your Mardi Gras meal, go to www.popcosmo.com for some Jambalaya!


You can't have a pie without a crust, and this one uses a vanilla wafer crust. You can make it at home, but I have found that it shrinks and becomes crooked, so I buy them premade. All good banana puddings are full of vanilla wafers, so it makes perfect sense to use them instead of a normal pie crust.


Next is the pudding. It's surprisingly easy to make, and you'll never go back to box mixes again! I flavor mine with vanilla, but you can add rum to boost the flavor if you want to. 


The bananas are coated in a thick, velvety caramel sauce. To mimic the flavors of bananas foster, I make it with brown sugar and rum. Instead of making a brittle or other caramel candy, I make more of a liquidy sauce. It coats the bananas and melts into the pudding far better than anything else.


Finally, the pie is topped with whipped cream. It's light and fluffy, and you have to make it from scratch. It's so easy and SO much better than the canned stuff.

1 Vanilla Wafer Pie Crust
3 Ripe Bananas, Sliced
1 3/4 Cups Cream
3 T Butter
2 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Rum, Optional
2 T Powdered Sugar
3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Flour
2 Eggs
4 Egg Yolks
2 Cups Milk
25 Vanilla Wafers


Combine the dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup cream, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until sugar dissolves. Boil until thick enough to coat a spoon, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Add rum to taste, if desired.


Combine the sugar and flour until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolks, then continue whisking until it forms a smooth paste. Slowly whisk in a cup of milk, then whisk in another. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp vanilla. Strain to remove any bits of cooked egg.


Slice the bananas and fold into the cooled caramel. Arrange half the slices on the crust and top with half the pudding. Repeat, then spread the vanilla wafers on top.


Whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Add the remaining vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread over the pie.


Makes 1 Pie
Recipe Adapted from Ann Thornton