The Southern dessert made with layers of vanilla wafers, bananas, and pudding is banana pudding.
Classic banana pudding combines sliced bananas, vanilla-flavored custard or pudding, and vanilla wafers in repeated layers. It is commonly finished with whipped cream or meringue. As it rests, the wafers soften and absorb some of the custard, creating the dessert’s distinctive cake-like texture.
Although strongly associated with the American South today, banana pudding became popular across the United States during the late 19th century. Early recipes often used sponge cake or ladyfingers. A 1920 recipe is credited with being among the first to substitute vanilla wafers for ladyfingers, and Nabisco’s Nilla Wafers helped popularize the dish nationally in the 1940s by printing a recipe on its packages.
Banana pudding is sometimes confused with banana cream pie, but the two are different: banana cream pie is assembled in a pastry crust, while banana pudding is layered in a dish. Trifle is another neighboring dessert because it also combines fruit, custard, and a cake-like component.