In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt.
Over medium heat, whisk the milk in, stirring constantly 'til the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
Once your mixture has thickened, reduce the heat to low, and cook 15 minutes longer, constantly stirring to avoid scorching.
Next pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture over the beaten egg yolks, beating together well.
Return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture; over medium heat, cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove your thickened pudding from the heat, and add vanilla extract to the mixture, stirring 'til the vanilla is mixed into the pudding.
Now you're ready to layer everything together. Begin by layering a small amount of the pudding on the bottom of your baking dish.
Add half the vanilla wafers, creating an entire layer of vanilla cookies on the bottom and just up the side.
Layer half the sliced bananas on top of the wafers.
Add half the remaining pudding as another layer.
And then you'll start all over again… Form a new layer with the rest of the vanilla wafers.
Add the rest of the sliced bananas.
Finally, spread the rest of the pudding on top of the bananas.
Add a top and final layer of whipped cream on top, and serve while still warm; or you can chill it and serve it cold.
Notes
Why is my banana pudding runny?There may be a few reasons. Pudding can be a finicky thing; even stirring your pudding too vigorously can make your pudding runny. More likely, though, if your pudding isn't brought to a full boil, it won't set correctly and may be runny. If you did bring it to a boil and it's still runny, then it just needs to cook more. if it's still runny after cooking the allotted time, you may have added too much liquid.How can I keep sliced bananas from turning brown?Bananas should not be too ripe when sliced. Dipping or sprinkling the bananas with a lemon juice and water mixture will help a bit. Sealing your pudding with meringue or whipped cream can also help keep air from getting to the bananas and turning them brown.How should I store banana pudding?Store banana pudding in the refrigerator in an airtight container.How long will homemade banana pudding keep?Banana pudding will keep in the refrigerator 1 to 3 days.