I am a huge banana fan and I am always looking for new desserts to use them in. Years ago I was given this Banana Custard Crunch recipe and I have been making it ever since! It is light and creamy and total comfort food! So quick and easy to make this dessert will impress both adults and kids alike!

Years ago, Patrick, my son, requested this Banana Custard Crunch as his birthday cake! I made it and thank goodness for those happy birthday signs you can stick in things that they sell at most large department stores (sorry, I don’t know exactly what to call them) because otherwise how on earth was I going to write happy birthday on top of the meringue? Also, I kept thinking how will the candles stand in the meringue too.

Luckily I found some long candles and I was so relieved. Make no mistake though, I rushed serving the cake. Put the candles and my sign in, lit the candles and walked in singing happy birthday. He blew out all of the candles and his birthday celebration was a success. I enjoyed myself once my cake stress was over!

Take a moment to have a look at our video below. You won’t believe how easy this Banana Custard Crunch is to make!

Banana Custard Crunch

Ingredients

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
8 large eggs, separated
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups wafer cookies, approximately
5 ripe bananas thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar, divided

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot combine 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir until blended. Add milk. Turn your element up to medium heat. Stir continuously until thickens and boils. Only boil for about a minute. No longer. Remove from heat.
Grab a small bowl for your egg yolks. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot custard mixture. After blended pour back into the rest of the custard in your pot. Cook over medium heat for a couple minutes, again stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add butter and vanilla. Stir until incorporated.
Prepare an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with cooking spray. Place wafers as evenly as possible covering the bottom of the pan. You will have to cut some in half. That is ok. Just make sure the bottom is covered as best you can.
Next place a layer of sliced bananas on top. Then, using a ladle, scoop custard over top of bananas until covered. Then place more wafers on top of the custard. Don't worry if your wafer pattern is different than the first one. Just make sure to place enough wafers to create a layer. Place remaining sliced bananas on top of the wafers. Dump remaining custard all over the bananas, right to the edge to prevent shrinking. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar until frothy on low speed. Add cream of tartar and turn your speed up to medium. Gradually incorporate the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Once this happens, immediately drop spoonfuls of the meringue over top of the custard. Make sure the meringue touches all of the edges of the pan to help prevent it from shrinking. Bake for 20 minutes. Meringue will be golden brown. Remove from your oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for an hour. Then place in your fridge for a minimum of 4 hours before it is ready to serve! Enjoy!