Everyone adores Dolly Parton, from her treasury of music, to her many movie roles, to her inspiring place in popular culture and her humanitarian work. While fans have been singing along to ”Jolene” and “9 to 5” for decades now, people are also talking about something else: her banana pudding recipe.
At 78 years old, Parton is as busy as ever, and considering her warm, friendly personality and deep Southern roots, it’s no wonder she has a recipe for this cozy comfort food dessert. So, let’s find out more about this treat, along with how important cooking is to the country singer.
Dolly Parton’s banana pudding recipe, explained
Parton’s banana pudding recipe is one that her mom created, and she includes it in her cookbook, Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s, which was released in 2006. According to Woman’s World, you can’t find the book anymore. However, fans have been talking about it ever since. It’s a big part of her family history, and super special for Parton. Her love for her siblings and parents inspired her to get into the kitchen. She also made her pudding on the Hallmark Channel.
If you want to make the banana pudding recipe for yourself (of course you want to, right?) you can find it on Food.com. The dessert is made from a box of vanilla wafer cookies, 4 bananas, vanilla extract, margarine or butter, and other staple baking ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, eggs, and salt. Thekitchn.com rated Parton’s banana pudding an 8.5 out of 10, but shared that the meringue on top could maybe be made differently. Either way, it sounds and looks amazing!
According to Woman’s World, a neighbor would tell Parton’s mom that she could purchase overripe bananas for less money, and so the banana pudding became a memorable part of their experience growing up.
Since food is a huge part of Parton’s life, she not only shared her mom’s banana pudding recipe with the world, but she and her sister Rachel Parton George also worked on a cookbook together. Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals, which was published on Sept. 17th, 2024.
In an interview with People, Parton explained that since she is one of 12 children, she had to get into the kitchen and make meals. Parton said it was “a necessity of us helping mom as the older girls.” But while some might say that they didn’t want to spend their time making dinner or breakfast for themselves and their siblings and parents, the siblings look back on their childhood with a smile. Parton, in particular, talks about how her mom said the food has “just got love in it.”
While Parton is a wealthy country star now, she has shared in several interviews that her family didn’t have a lot of money. In 2015, she told Entertainment Tonight, “I’ve always loved being from where I am, and having the folks that I’ve had.”
Parton and her sister told People that their cookbook has recipes for comfort food, like meatloaf and strawberry shortcake. The whipped cream on top is a “Dolly Dollop.” As Parton explained, “I just do a good, good, good hearty spoonful.” This is adorable, and just reason number one million why everyone adores Parton! And if you’re now in a baking mood, you can get some of her cake or cookie mixes, and whip up your own creation.