Gluten-Free Banana Pudding
By the Gluten Free Recipes team ·
Layers of silky vanilla custard, fresh sliced bananas, and crispy gluten-free vanilla wafers chilled into a cool, creamy dessert. Make it in a trifle dish to show off the layers, or in individual glasses for easy serving.
At a glance: This medium desserts recipe yields 6 servings in about 35 minutes (20 min prep, 15 min cook). It uses 11 ingredients — including whole milk, egg yolks, granulated sugar — and walks through 7 steps. Updated . Browse more desserts recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.
Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Banana Pudding: When preparing this desserts recipe, ensure your vanilla wafers are certified gluten-free. Cornstarch is naturally gluten-free; some brands recommend verifying the label for shared facility warnings. In a shared kitchen, avoid porous materials — wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and scratched non-stick pans can harbor gluten proteins even after washing. Prefer glass, metal, or silicone tools.
Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Banana Pudding: The key gluten-free substitution is using certified gluten-free vanilla wafers in place of standard cookies — check the label carefully as these can contain hidden gluten.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 0.25 tsp fine salt
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 cup certified gluten-free vanilla wafers
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl until pale and smooth.
- 2
Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Slowly pour a third of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper.
- 3
Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and bubbles (4–5 min). It should coat the back of a spoon.
- 4
Remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Press plastic wrap directly onto the custard surface and refrigerate 1–2 hours until cold.
- 5
Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks.
- 6
Layer in a trifle dish or individual glasses: wafers on the bottom, then custard, then banana slices. Repeat. Finish with whipped cream and a few crushed wafers on top.
- 7
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving so the wafers soften slightly into the custard.
Nutrition (per serving)
Tips & Notes
- The custard can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until assembly.
- Add a few drops of banana extract to the custard for a more intense flavour.
- Certified GF vanilla wafers to look for: Kinnikinnick, Nana's, Mi-Del.
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