Sweet, rich, and nostalgic, my easy banana pudding recipe is a must-try! Each element— the fluffy pudding, crisp vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, and cloud-like whipped cream topping— goes so well together and creates a decadent chilled treat that is wonderful for hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
While you don’t have to use a trifle dish for this recipe, I do recommend a glass vessel. Glass shows off the banana pudding layers so beautifully! You can even make individual portions to serve in plastic cups or wine glasses, which is perfect for an outdoor gathering. I give you all the tips and tricks below! For more banana dessert recipes, try my banoffee pie, banana cupcakes, or banana cream pie.
Ingredients
These key ingredients are needed to make homemade banana pudding. You can find the full list of simple ingredients in the recipe!
Vanilla pudding — keep this no-cook recipe quick and easy by using instant pudding mix! You need milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla instant pudding mix to make it.
Whipped cream — I prefer using homemade whipped cream, not Cool Whip, for the best flavor and most luscious texture. All you need is heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Vanilla wafer cookies — Nilla Wafers are the classic choice for the layers of vanilla wafers. They are wonderfully crisp and soften just enough while the banana pudding sets in the refrigerator.
Bananas — ripe bananas are a must. You want them to have a totally yellow peel with few brown spots and no green spots. They should also still be quite firm. Avoid very brown or soft bananas like the ones you’d use in banana bread; those will be far too mushy and will not taste very good. If you buy green bananas, see my tips for how to ripen bananas to get them to the perfect ripeness for banana pudding.
Banana Pudding Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Mixer
- Bowls
- Whisk
- Trifle dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold whole milk (480ml)
- 1 (14-ounce/397g) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (5.1-ounce/144g) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream divided (720ml)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract divided
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) box vanilla wafer cookies
- 5 large bananas
Instructions
For the Pudding:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and sweetened condensed milk until combined. Sprinkle in the instant pudding, and mix until completely incorporated with no lumps remaining. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. Refrigerate for 5 minutes or until set.
- Add 2 cups of cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla to a bowl, then mix on high until stiff peaks form.
- Remove pudding from the refrigerator then fold the whipped cream into it.
- Peel the bananas and slice then into ½-inch thick coins. (I don’t like to cut them until I’m ready to assemble so the slices don’t turn brown.)
- To assemble, add a layer of cookies to the bottom of your trifle dish or a large serving bowl. Place a quarter of the pudding mixture over the cookies, then smooth using a spatula.
- Add another layer of cookies then place a row of cookies set upright against the side of the dish facing out. Add a layer of banana slices on top. Add another quarter of the pudding mixture and smooth.
- Continue layering with cookies, bananas and pudding until complete. Alternate a row of banana slices with the cookies you’re pressing against the wall of the trifle dish. Chill for three hours.
For the Topping:
- Whip the remaining 1 cup of cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Top the pudding with the whipped cream. Pile any remaining cookies on top, crumbling up a few, along with more banana slices if desired. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- Watch the whipped cream carefully. Overwhipped cream will curdle and begin to become butter, so don’t step away from the mixer while whipping the cream. The cream is ready as soon as stiff peaks remain when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Dollop the pudding mixture. To preserve the placement of the cookies and sliced bananas, dollop the pudding to distribute it in the trifle bowl, then smooth it out. Avoid spreading the pudding too forcefully, or the lower layers of the dish will be compromised.
Nutrition
How To Make Banana Pudding
1. Make the vanilla pudding in a mixing bowl by whisking together the milk and condensed milk, adding the pudding mix, and mixing until incorporated. Refrigerate until set.
2. Combine heavy cream, white sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix on high speed until stiff peaks form.
3. Fold the whipped cream into the vanilla pudding. Peel and slice the bananas into ½-inch thick rounds.
4. Place a layer of vanilla wafers in the trifle dish or other glass serving bowl. Dollop one-quarter of the pudding mixture on top. Gently spread with a spatula.
5. Add another layer of cookies on top, then place a row of cookies vertically around the side of the dish. Add a layer of sliced banana, followed by another quarter of the pudding on top of the banana layer. Continue layering. Alternate a row of upright banana slices with the wafers against the wall of the glass dish. Refrigerate for 3 hours to chill and set.
6. Whip the remaining heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks and spoon it on top of the chilled banana pudding. Decorate as desired.
Can I Make This The Night Before Serving?
Yes. You can assemble banana pudding and keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. However, keep in mind that the wafers will soften after a few hours, and the sliced banana may brown. While it will still taste delicious, I prefer crisper wafers so I like to assemble homemade banana pudding the day I’m serving it. But to save a little time, I usually make the instant vanilla pudding mixture a day ahead, chill it, and fold in the whipped cream just before assembling.
How Do I Keep My Bananas From Turning Brown?
Only peel and slice the bananas when you’re ready to assemble the banana pudding. Once they’re sliced, immediately start layering the no-bake dessert. Bananas turn brown due to oxidation, which occurs when they’re exposed to air. So the sooner you cover the slices with the pudding, the better! They will naturally brown with time regardless, but covering them with pudding significantly slows the process.
You also can brush the slices with lemon juice or pineapple juice or sprinkle them with a product called Fruit-Fresh, which is a powdered citric acid that’s usually found with canning supplies at grocery stores. I would try one of these if you need to assemble the banana pudding well in advance of serving it (at least 12 hours).
Can I Make Homemade Pudding?
If you want to add an extra homemade touch, making the vanilla pudding from scratch is easy! Here’s how to do it:
- In a medium pot, whisk together ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour or cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of room-temperature milk.
- Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Whisk 3 large egg yolks in a medium bowl. Drizzle in ½ cup of the hot milk mixture while whisking. Whisk the egg mixture back into the milk mixture in the pot. Cook over medium-low heat just until it starts to bubble.
- Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap to the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Cool completely at room temperature, then chill for 2 hours. Continue with the recipe by folding whipped cream into the chilled homemade vanilla pudding and assembling the pudding as directed.
Variations
- Change up the garnish: While a simple topping of extra wafers, cookie crumbs, or sliced bananas is the perfect garnish for this recipe, you can also add a sprinkle of chopped toasted walnuts or mini chocolate chips, or you can garnish the banana pudding with additional fresh fruits such as sliced strawberries or blueberries.
- Use a different pudding flavor: While vanilla is classic, you can use French vanilla, banana cream for even more banana flavor, or a flavor like pistachio, white chocolate, or cheesecake for a decadent twist!
- Use different cookies: Chess cookies, shortbread cookies, or thin wafer cookies like ginger or chocolate wafers would all be delicious.
- Add a decadent drizzle on top: You can never go wrong with chocolate ganache or caramel sauce!
Pro Tips For Making The Best Banana Pudding
- Make individual servings for a party. This is the best banana pudding recipe for parties and holidays because you can make serving a breeze by preparing individual portions in plastic cups, ramekins, or wine glasses. Just divide the ingredients thoughtfully among your individual dishes so all the portions are the same size!
- Divide the cookies and sliced bananas before layering. This will ensure that you have enough of both for all the layers and that each layer has roughly the same amount of banana slices and wafer cookies. If you’re worried about not having enough for garnish, have an extra banana or two on hand, just in case!
- Any glass serving bowl will work. If you don’t have a trifle bowl, this classic dessert is just as delicious layered in any large bowl, casserole, or serving dish. A glass bowl will showcase the layers the best, so use glass if you have it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, tightly covered with plastic wrap. The wafers will continue to soften, and the bananas will brown the longer the pudding sits.
Yes, but keep in mind the texture can change after defrosting. If freezing, I recommend you portion out leftovers into individual containers so you can easily serve them while partially frozen. It’s a cold, creamy treat perfect for summer! Once completely thawed out, the ice crystals that formed while frozen will melt, causing the pudding and bananas to lose their texture and become quite watery or split.
Yes, you can substitute a frozen whipped topping like Cool Whip for the whipped cream in this recipe for banana pudding. Whipped topping is typically sold in the freezer section, so allow it to defrost in the refrigerator according to the package instructions before using.
If you’ve tried this banana pudding recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Instead of flour and eggs I use cornstarch. Cook pudding until desired consistency and sweetness. Allow to cool before assembly.