The BEST Banana Pudding Recipe EVER! ·

20 Jun 2024, 00:00

banna pudding two image collage with text overlay for pinterest

The BEST Banana Pudding recipe you’ll ever try! This timeless, no bake dessert is always a winner with friends and family and is so delicious! Made with layers of fresh bananas, Nilla wafers, fresh whipped cream and banana pudding! Love no bake desserts? Try these No Bake Cookies and Chocolate Chip No Bake Cheesecake!

the best banana pudding recipe served on a white plate garnished with whipped cream and nilla wafers and text overlay

Banana Pudding

I’ve been perfecting this banana pudding recipe for the past two months. I’ve made it at least 10 times, had countless friends taste test each batch, and my family is still disappointed when the last bit is gone from the dish. It’s just that good.

This recipe is pure perfection and will be the first thing to go at any party. Guaranteed.

We are big fans of banana recipes. We always have a bunch of bananas lying around so depending on their ripeness level, there are lots of recipes we make regularly like these three favorites:

Easy Banana Pudding Pie

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

No Bake Banana Cream Pudding Cheesecake

Best Banana Pudding Recipe

During testing I found that banana pudding made with just vanilla pudding didn’t have enough banana flavor. But when I tried using just banana pudding mix, there was too much banana flavor going on.

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The solution? One box of vanilla pudding and one box of banana pudding. This results in the most delicious dessert you’ve ever tried.

Old fashioned banana pudding is one of those desserts that you’ll frequently find at family functions and there’s so many good reasons for it:

can be made ahead of time
easy to prepare
can be served a variety of ways (see more on that below)

banana pudding in baking dish topped with dollops of whipped cream banana slices and nilla wafers

How To Serve Banana Pudding

As you can see from the images, I made this recipe in a baking dish. I find this works really well for parties and potlucks. You can find the exact one I used here.

That being said, banana pudding looks gorgeous in a trifle bowl and if you have some extra time, serving it in individual bowls, glasses or ramekins like these is super fun and cute!

Ingredients Needed

This list may seem long for homemade banana pudding but it’s really not a lot for this delicious dessert and it’s really straight forward to prepare.

bananas – I typically use about 6 to 7 medium bananas, sliced approximately 1/4 inch thick. That being said, the number of bananas you need will vary depending on the size of your bananas and how thick you want your banana slices to be. You can slice them as thin or thick as you like, totally up to you. The most important part is that the bananas need to be just barely ripe – no brown spots!
Nilla Wafers – I love using traditional Nilla wafers but other delicious choices would include any shortbread cookies like Chessman cookies.
heavy whipping cream – whipping the cream is what gives the pudding layer a lovely lightness and texture and the extra whipped cream is the final layer on top. (Want to use Cool Whip? See my notes below.)
powdered sugar – to sweeten the whipped cream.
vanilla extract – to give the whipped cream amazing flavor.
cream cheese – adds a silkiness and thickness to the pudding layer.
sweetened condensed milk – one of my favorite ingredients, sweetened condensed milk adds a lovely sweetness.
instant banana cream pudding mix – even more banana flavor!
instant vanilla pudding mix or instant French vanilla pudding mix – your choice here although I do love French vanilla.
whole milk – for the pudding mixes.

the best banana pudding recipe served on a white plate garnished with whipped cream and nilla wafers no text

How Do You Make Banana Pudding?

The recipe comes together in a series of easy steps.

Make the whipped cream:

Add heavy whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl and beat on medium high speed for a minute or two until soft peaks form.

Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Make the pudding mixture:

Add cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl and beat until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined.

Add pudding mixes and milk and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fold in two-thirds of the whipped cream.

four image collage showing first layers of banana pudding being assembled in casserole dish

Put it all together:

Line a 9 x13 baking dish with one layer of Nilla Wafer cookies. Top with half of the banana slices.

Spread half of the pudding mixture on top of the bananas and add another layer of Nilla wafers.

One more layer of banana slices, the remaining pudding mixture and then top with remaining whipped cream.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and garnish as desired. Mini Nilla Wafers, banana slices, or wafer crumbs are great ideas!

Serve immediately.

final steps of assembling the banana pudding presented in a four image collage

Tips For The Best Banana Pudding

This easy banana pudding recipe comes together in about 15 minutes but here are some tips to make sure you have the best results:

Use a stand mixer or hand mixer when making the whipped cream, beating the cream cheese and pudding mixture. It’s not only easier, but give you better results.

When making the pudding, beat on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes using the paddle attachment or whisk attachment for best results. This ensures that the pudding will set up nice and thick.

Allow yourself enough time to chill the banana pudding for a minimum of 4 hours before serving. I like to make mine the day before. This really lets the flavors intensify and gives the pudding mixture a chance to thicken and set up.

Garnish just before serving, especially if you are cutting up bananas. This keeps them from browning in the fridge.

teal casserole dish with banana pudding recipe in it with a few servings removed

FAQs

Do I Need To Make Homemade Whipped Cream Or Can I Use Cool Whip Instead?

I use Cool Whip all the time but for this particular recipe, I find that the homemade whipped cream makes a really big difference in the flavor. If you are a big Cool Whip fan or just short on time, feel free to substitute Cool Whip for the whipped cream.

Can Banana Pudding Be Made In Advance?

Yes! In fact, you want to make it one day in advance to allow the flavors to really meld and the banana flavor to intensify. Two days in advance is fine but one is preferable. We still enjoy it up to three days later but by then the bananas are starting to brown a bit.

Can This Be Frozen?

Nope, it really can’t. You’ll end up with a mess that no one will want to eat.

How Ripe Should My Bananas Be?

Bananas for banana pudding need to be just barely ripe, no brown spots.
- if the bananas are too ripe, they will get mushy while the pudding is setting up
- very ripe bananas brown faster than just barely ripe bananas which means your banana pudding will start looking brownish in a few days

banana pudding recipe sitting on white plate with bite removed with fork still on plate

Variations To Try

This banana pudding recipe is, like most recipes, a starting place. Once you’ve made it my way once, I encourage to make it your own. Simple changes can make a big difference!

Try different fruits in addition or in place of banana. Strawberry banana would be delicious!
Pudding mix flavors can change this easy dessert recipe significantly!
Nilla Wafers are classic but chessman cookies or other shortbread cookies are also yummy.
Prepare in a trifle bowl or individual bowls or ramekins for a more elegant presentation.

More Banana Recipes

No Bake Banana Cream Pudding Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

Zucchini Banana Cake

Chocolate Banana Applesauce Cake

Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

How To Make Banana Pudding