A 140-Year Timeline

• 1878 – First mention in New York Times classified ads [^6^]
• 1888 – Massachusetts Good Housekeeping prints layered custard & sponge cake [^5^]
• 1921 – Mrs Laura Kerley (Illinois) swaps sponge for vanilla wafers [^5^]
• 1940s – Nabisco prints recipe on every Nilla Wafer box [^5^]
• Today – Southern soul-food staple, family-reunion icon

1888 Original Custard Version

A refined Victorian trifle—no wafers, no oven—just silky custard, sponge, and whipped cream.

Ingredients

• 1 pint homemade vanilla custard
• 1 sponge cake or 8 ladyfingers, sliced
• 3 ripe bananas, sliced
• ½ cup heavy cream, whipped
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (prevents browning)

Assembly

1. Layer cake → bananas → custard in a glass dish.
2. Repeat layers; top with whipped cream.
3. Chill 2 hours; serve cold.

1920 Nilla-Wafer Classic

The version that cemented vanilla wafers as the star of the show.

Ingredients

• 1 box (11 oz) Nilla wafers
• 4 ripe bananas, sliced ½-inch thick
• 2 cups homemade vanilla custard
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped (or meringue topping)

Assembly

1. Line 8×8 dish with wafers; top with bananas.
2. Pour warm custard; repeat layers.
3. Cover with whipped cream or toasted meringue.
4. Chill 4 hours (or overnight for best flavor).

1930s Depression-Era Adaptation

No eggs, no milk, no wafers—just pantry staples and pure ingenuity.

Pantry-Friendly Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups water
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced
• 12 stale bread slices, cubed
• 1 Tbsp butter (optional)

Method

1. Boil water, sugar, starch & salt until thick.
2. Stir in vanilla & butter.
3. Layer bread cubes → bananas → syrup.
4. Chill until set; serve cold.

Pro Tips & Variations

• No-Brown Bananas: dip slices in lemon juice before layering.
• Whipped vs Meringue: whipped cream for cold serve, meringue for warm.
• Make-Ahead: build dry layers day before, add custard and cream day of.
• Cookie Swap: try gingersnaps or shortbread for holidays.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Classic: Airtight 3 days refrigerated.
• Depression Version: 2 days refrigerated.
• Freeze: Portion and freeze custard (not bananas) up to 2 months.

📖 Recipe Cards