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Homemade banana pudding combines bananas, vanilla pudding, cream cheese, milk, and Nilla wafer cookies to create a cozy, comforting dessert that the whole family will love.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Banana pudding is creamy and sweet with fresh banana flavor, soft cookies, and a smooth vanilla pudding layer.
- Prep Note: Slice bananas for garnish right before serving so they don’t brown.
- Swaps: Try graham crackers or shortbread for a twist.
- Time-Saving Tip: Assemble up to a day ahead and chill so the flavors have a chance to meld.
Ingredients Tips for Banana Pudding
- Crust: Nilla wafers are the standard for banana pudding, adding just the right soft, cake-like texture as they soak up all that sweet goodness.
- Bananas: This is the perfect recipe for using the freshest, ripest bananas possible. Use older, over-ripened ones for banana bread.
- Pudding: Banana pudding mix is common, but it can hide the fresh banana taste, so we use vanilla pudding instead. Full-fat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk give this simple recipe its rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor and texture.
- Whipped Cream: For the best flavor, make a quick homemade vanilla whip. You can also use premade whipped cream or a ready-made whipped topping.
The Best Variations
- Feel free to layer in (or use as a garnish) sliced strawberries or fresh blueberries with the bananas for an extra colorful and fruity dessert.
- You can substitute graham crackers, a ready-made graham cracker crust, or chessmen cookies for the vanilla wafers.
How to Make Banana Pudding
- Mix Creamy Layer: Make the cream cheese/pudding mixture (full recipe below).
- Make Whipped Cream: Make homemade whipped cream. Fold some of it into the cream cheese mixture.
- Layer the Banana Pudding: Layer cookies and then bananas in a 9×13 pan or two 9×9 pans. Top with the cream cheese mixture, and then with the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight
Tuck it Away for Tomorrow
Store leftover banana pudding in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing isn’t recommended due to the high amount of dairy.
The Best Banana Desserts
Did you make this Banana Pudding Recipe? Leave a rating and comment below.
Banana Pudding
Easy banana pudding is a no-bake classic with layers of fresh bananas, smooth vanilla pudding, and fluffy whipped cream.
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch Casserole Dish or two 9×9-inch dishes
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 5.1 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix 1 box, 6 servings size
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 5 bananas ripe
- 1 package vanilla wafer cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese. Use a hand mixer to beat until fluffy.
- Add in pudding mix, milk, and vanilla. Continue beating until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Reserve 2 ½ cups of whipped cream for topping. Gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
- Line the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan or two 9×9-inch pans with vanilla wafers, and top with sliced bananas. Spread the pudding mixture over top ensuring the bananas are completely covered.
- Top with the remaining whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
- Garnish with additional banana slices for serving if desired.
Video
Notes
- Cookies: Other options for cookies are graham crackers, digestive biscuits, or chessmen cookies.
- Dish: Use a 9×13 pan, two 9×9 pans, or a trifle dish. Serve with a spoon.
- Bananas: Completely cover the bananas with the other layers to keep them from browning.
- Chill: Allow the dessert to sit at least 4 hours, but overnight is better if possible. This softens the cookies.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 333 | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 876IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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Absolutely delicious! Made this for a dinner party of 17. All raved over it! Easy to make and definitely a keeper!
It’s my 6 yr old granddaughter’s favorite. Her 4 yr old brother loves it too. They like it sometimes with a squirt of Hershey’s chocolate on it. Definitely a keeper
Perfection! I always get compliments when I make this!
This recipe is outstanding!! Followed it exactly then topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon for some color / depth to the top. I made it for Father’s Day and we finished it tonight (Tuesday). It was maybe even better on day 3! So, so good. We will be making this again for sure
BANANA PUDDING RECIPE
I just made a double batch. Delicious. I did need to put 2 more cups of whole milk in the pudding mix because it was too sweet. Made it taste great. Thank you.
Hello! I would love to try making this banana pudding What weight of vanilla cookies do I need? My grocery store has three sizes of boxes. thank you for your help
Hi Lynn, in order to garnish the slices with nilla wafers you will want a 15 oz box or more.
We really enjoyed this month’s cooking challenge. I chose to make the alternate recipe, the Banana Pudding. This has always been a family favorite, but I never included cream cheese before. What an excellent addition. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
So rich, and delicious. The receipt fit perfectly in my trifle bowl.
Can I sub oat milk for whole milk? Thank you.
We have not tried subbing oat milk in this recipe, Eileen. Maybe another reader can help you!
I have been baking for over 50 years and don’t really consider anything without chocolate worth making. However, I had a craving for pound cake. I didn’t want to dig through my Mom’s recipes so I took a chance on this one. Oh my goodness!!! So glad I did. I’m so obsessed with this cake that I’m baking them to give to friends and family this Christmas. Fabulous recipe. It’s definitely a keeper.
So glad this recipe was a hit for you, Patty! Thanks for leaving a comment.
Absolutely SCRUMPDILLYIOUS
Made this for company this weekend. It is rich and delicious and everyone loved it! Followed recipe, but substituted homemade graham cracker crust.