This retro dessert will add some sweetness to your day—just like Dolly did.
Key Points
- Honor Dolly Parton’s legacy by making her comforting, from-scratch banana pudding recipe.
- Dolly’s banana pudding features layers of bananas, vanilla wafers, creamy pudding and golden meringue.
- The pudding comes from a Dollywood cookbook that features a few of Parton’s own dishes.
As the world mourns Dolly Parton, whose death was announced Tuesday, many are remembering her numerous contributions to music, philanthropy, film and more. Everyone is honoring the icon, from music legends and co-stars to the Empire State Building, which briefly changed its colored lights in her honor.
There are plenty of ways to honor her memory—donating to her Imagination Library and singing along to your favorite Dolly song seem like pretty good ideas to us. But since Parton was also an accomplished cook, trying out some of her own recipes also seems like a delicious way to remember her legacy.
We found the recipe for Dolly Parton’s Banana Pudding in the Dollywood Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking book, and it’s a classic recipe that combines creamy pudding with a warm meringue topping. This cookbook actually has three banana pudding options, including one that uses instant pudding, should you want a shortcut. But be aware: this from-scratch version is the only one that bears Dolly’s name.
To make Parton’s signature pudding, preheat the oven to 350°F. Layer sliced bananas and vanilla wafers in the bottom of a large baking pan. Reserve some bananas and wafers for garnish if you like.
Next, separate six eggs. The original pudding recipe is made on the stovetop. On the stove in a heavy saucepan, mix together sugar, flour, egg yolks, butter and a dash of salt. Gradually add milk, then cook until the mixture thickens. Finally, stir in a little vanilla extract. Pour the pudding into the baking dish atop the bananas and wafers.
For the meringue topping, beat the egg whites with lemon juice, vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form. You can use a stand mixer or do it by hand. Pour the meringue atop the pudding. Bake for around 10 minutes or until golden on top. This version makes about 12 servings.
No matter how you enjoy your classic banana pudding, we think Dolly would approve of us all enjoying some comfort food. Mourning Dolly Parton will be a long process, but making some of her simple, classic recipes is a lovely way to pay her tribute.