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Banana Pudding Parfaits with Orange Coulis

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An old Southern classic gets an upgrade. These banana pudding parfaits comprise soft pound cake, creamy vanilla pudding, fresh banana slices, a fresh citrus sauce, and a dollop of whipped cream. I used store-bought pound cake (Entenmanns brand) and all of the other components can be made a day in advance and assembled a few hours before serving.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pudding

  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Citrus Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

For the Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 (12-ounce) store-bought pound cake
  • 3 bananas, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Before you turn on the burner, first whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium saucepan until it looks like freshly fallen snow.
  2. Slowly add the milk, a few tablespoons at a time, and continue whisking. You want to avoid any lumps and slowly adding the milk will ensure the lumps stay away. Once you’ve added the milk add the egg yolks and whisk until combined.
  3. Turn the burner on to medium heat and cook the milk and sugar mixture until it thickens and a few large bubbles that can barely break the surface. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium-sized bowl. Add the butter and vanilla and stir until the butter has melted and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the pudding so a skin doesn’t develop as it chills in the fridge. Let the pudding chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  4. While the pudding chills, make the citrus sauce. Mix the sugar with 1 tablespoon of water in a small pan over medium heat until dissolved. Cook the sugar until it takes on a light amber color. In a separate saucepan heat the orange and lemon juice until just warmed through, about 2 minutes or so over medium heat. Once the sugar has turned a light amber color, remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the orange and lemon juice. Whisk continuously to get it all mixed up. Don’t worry if the sugar hardens, you can put it back on low heat at this point and it will melt. Let it cook over low heat for a few minutes. Remove it from the heat and transfer it to a container with a lid. Pop it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the parfaits.
  5. Using a hand or stand mixer (fitted with a whisk attachment) whip the cream just until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and whisk just until the whipped cream starts to stiffen. You can whip it by hand with a large metal bowl and a whisk. Once the cream has formed soft peaks go ahead and add the sugar and continue whipping until it starts to stiffen.
  6. Assemble the parfaits in 12-ounce individual serving glasses: Scoop a few tablespoons of pudding in the bottom of the serving glass. Add some cubed pound cake and drizzle about a teaspoon of the citrus coulis over the top. Add a layer of sliced banana followed by another few tablespoons of pudding. Add some more pound cake and another drizzle of the coulis. Top with more banana slice, another layer of pudding, a dollop of whipped cream, and one more drizzle of coulis. Repeat with the other serving glasses. Garnish each parfait with some orange zest and a slice or two of banana.

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