Place 1/3 of Nilla wafers in the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish. Slice 2 bananas over the wafers and then add a layer of pudding. Repeat layering 2 sliced bananas and pudding two times. I also add Nilla wafers around sides and edges as the banana pudding gets taller in the dish. Simply push the wafers down into the mixture along the edges.
Next, prepare the meringue…
Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until they are foamy.
Using a tablespoon at a time, add the 1/3 cup of sugar to the egg whites and continue beating until stiff peaks appear and the sugar dissolves.
Mix in vanilla extract and then spread meringue mixture over top of pudding. Seal to the edges of the dish.
Bake at 325 degrees (F) until top is golden brown (about 20-25 mins.)
Let pudding set and cool. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
This banana pudding recipe yields 8-10 servings.
