This easy homemade Banana Pudding Recipe is a classic no-bake dessert with rich and creamy banana pudding layered between vanilla wafers and fresh bananas. Best of all, it’s easy to make ahead and loved by all at potlucks and parties.
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Our family loves serving Banana Pudding out of a large trifle dish like in the picture, but you can also create mini versions of the layered pudding to make serving even easier. Just layer, cover, and refrigerate until serving. If you appreciate easy, no-bake desserts like our No-Bake Cheesecake, Rice Krispie Treats, or Chocolate Lasagna, you will love this recipe.
Banana Pudding Recipe Video
Before starting, watch the video and you’ll see just how easy it is to make this no-bake banana pudding. It comes together fast, then you’ll refrigerate for a few hours and it’s ready to serve! This dessert looks so beautiful and is always a hit!
Helpful Reader Review
“So absolutely delicious! Everyone that has tried it has LOVED it! I just made it for the 4th time tonight in just the last month :). I do end up just using about 3/4 of the sweetened condensed milk, but either way it’s amazing! I found that if I put my heavy cream in the freezer for about 10 minutes, it whips up much faster. The hardest part of this recipe is keeping my kids away from it for 2+hours while it chills😅 Thank you!.” – Diane ★★★★★
Best Banana Pudding Recipe
It’s safe to say that whenever you think of a dessert with bananas, banana pudding instantly comes to mind. Much like other classic dessert recipes like our well-loved Banana Bread, Red Velvet Cake, and Tiramisu, this traditional Southern dessert is popular for good reason.
Ingredients for Banana Cream Pudding
Just a few ingredients are needed for this recipe, and you can have the dessert ready to serve in no time!
- Milk – you can use low fat or whole milk.
- Vanilla pudding – make sure to use INSTANT pudding that doesn’t require cooking. We used vanilla pudding but a banana flavor will work just fine.
- Vanilla – Vanilla Extract or adds flavor to the pudding.
- Sweetened condensed milk – Enhances the creaminess and sweetens the pudding. You can add it to taste as well. If you prefer less sweetness, add less.
- Vanilla wafers – we love the Nilla wafers brand, but you can use your favorite. See substitution options below.
- Heavy whipping cream – The whipped cream adds richness to the pudding. I add just a tablespoon of powdered sugar to the topping, but you can leave it out if desired. You can substitute with 12 oz Cool Whip, but it will taste a little sweeter than whipped cream.
- Bananas – The fresh banana slices are what give the pudding its amazing flavor. Bananas should be ripe but not overripe or mushy.
Variations
This pudding is so versatile and may be served in so many unique ways. Tell us your favorite way to enjoy banana pudding in the comments below.
- Add peanut butter between the layers.
- Change the pudding: try chocolate, banana or butterscotch
- Substitute the wafers: try graham crackers, shortbread cookies, butter cookies, or even animal crackers.
- Add berries with the bananas or substitute for bananas.
- Drizzle caramel over the layers.
How to Make Banana Pudding
This no-bake easy banana pudding recipe is that perfect treat when you need something to serve but don’t want to turn on the oven. Layer it in the dish and then refrigerate for 2 or more hours before serving let the flavors meld.
- Mix the pudding – In a large bowl, beat the cold milk with vanilla and pudding mix until it thickens. Beat in condensed milk, adding it to taste.
- Whipped cream topping – In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until fluffy with stiff peaks. Use a spatula to gently fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
- Add the powdered sugar to the remaining whipped cream and beat to combine, refrigerate until needed.
- Layer -Add about 1/4th of the vanilla wafers into the bottom of your trifle bowl and about 1/4th of the bananas, then spread 1/4 of the pudding over the bananas/wafers. Repeat with the remaining layers.
- Dollop the reserved whipped cream to the top of the pudding and decorate as desired. Cover and chill in the fridge for two hours then serve.
2 Ways to Serve Banana Pudding
The easiest way to serve this is with a large serving spoon and just scoop out portions, but you don’t have to serve the pudding in a trifle bowl. Here are some other great ideas to serve this easy banana pudding:
- In jars or mini cups – just pipe with a bag for a cleaner look!
- Casserole – Add to a baking dish, round, square or 3 qt rectangle will all work.
Make-Ahead Tips
This easy banana pudding recipe keeps well in the fridge, but be sure that the pudding completely covers the banana slices while layering or they will turn brown (still delicious, just not as pretty to look at). Add fresh slices of banana on top just before serving.
- To Refrigerate: The pudding will soften the cookies within 2 hours but the banana pudding can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours in advance. Cover leftovers and enjoy within 2 days.
This no-bake, make-ahead party dessert is truly the best banana pudding recipe you’ll try. It looks so fancy and impressive layered in a trifle dish and everyone loves to take a scoop! Make this easy banana pudding for your next gathering.
More No-Bake Desserts
No-bake desserts like this classic banana pudding recipe are by far the best kind of dessert. Here are some more of our favorite desserts to try:
- Tiramisu Recipe
- Raspberry Mousse Cups
- No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
- Eton Mess
- No-Bake Strawberry Blueberry Trifle
- Chocolate Oreo Pudding – (Valentina’s Corner)
- No-Bake Chocolate Spartak – (Valentina’s Corner)
Easy Banana Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6.8 oz Instant vanilla pudding, (two packages, 3.4 oz each)
- 1 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, or add to taste*
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 11 oz vanilla wafers
- 5 fresh bananas
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the cold milk with vanilla extract and vanilla pudding packets until it thickens. Pour in the condensed milk and beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add about two-thirds of the whipped cream into the pudding and gently fold in with a spatula.
- Add the powdered sugar into the remaining one-third whipped cream and fold with a spatula to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
- Add about 1/4th of the vanilla wafers into the bottom of your trifle bowl and about 1/4th of the bananas.
- Spread 1/4 of the pudding over the bananas/wafers. Repeat with the remaining layers until you have four layers.
- Add the reserved whipped cream over the top of the pudding and decorate as desired. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
OMGEEEE. This banana pudding recipe was delicious! I used only 2 bananas as I don’t care for bananas too much and I also used the cool whip alternative to the whipping cream. (Thawed the cool whip on the counter for 2 hours.) Saved me so much time! What I plan to try next time is one banana flavored instant pudding and one vanilla flavored instant pudding because although it was bussin’, it didn’t taste like bananas at all. It tasted like vanilla cake (which I love).
Hi NT! Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I was very eager to test this recipe. Banana Pudding is one of my favorite desserts. I tried making it, and it is excellent! I recently participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange, and while I put together a great gift, I recieved 24lbs of bananas. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hi Isaac! I’m so glad you loved it! I hope you find many more recipes here that you’ll enjoy.
So absolutely delicious! Everyone that has tried it has LOVED it! I just made it for the 4th time tonight in just the last month :). I do end up just using about 3/4 of the sweetened condensed milk, but either way it’s amazing! I found that if I put my heavy cream in the freezer for about 10 minutes, it whips up much faster. The hardest part of this recipe is keeping my kids away from it for 2+hours while it chills😅 Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Diane!!
Thank you!!! My family loved it. And it was pretty. It was so easy to make. I love Natasha’s recipes.
I’m so glad you’re loving my recipes, Eveline! Thank you for your wonderful review.
Easy, simple and fabulous dessert! Did not have any left over.
Can I make this the night prior to serving or will bananas turn brown?
Hi Honor, we have a note on that under our “Make Ahead” recipe notes. I hope that helps.
Do I have to use skim milk? Or can I use 2%? Is there a reason for using skim? Thanks
You can use whatever milk you have on hand, we used whole milk.
If you were going to double the recipe for a potluck what dish would be appropriate to use for serving?
You can for sure double this recipe without making any changes to the process but I don’t know what size pan it would fit. Let us know if you experiment.
I’ve made this and have used at 9×12 baking pan for pot lucks. Hope that helps!
This was absolutely amazing! I couldn’t find nilla wafers so I used graham crackers instead and they worked perfectly. It was easy to put together and the whole family loved it, thanks!
Great to hear that graham crackers well well too! Thanks so much for sharing, Abby.
I used sugar free instant vanilla pudding because that is what I had on hand. It was not too sweet, so I will continue to make it with the sugar free pudding. I will definitely make it again!
Great to hear that it worked! Thanks for sharing, Linda.
I have made this recipe twice already this week, and the family really loves it.
Super easy to make!
That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing.
I find it was too sweet. Maybe next time I will skip the evaporated milk or just use half of the can. Instant pudding in itself has already sugar.
So glad I came across this recipe. It had simple ingredients/instructions, compared to other banana pudding recipes, and so easy to put together even though I halved the recipe. It was a hit and I’ll definitely make it again.
Thanks, Ivonne. I’m so glad that you’re here too! I hope you’ll love the recipes that you will try.
I made this for the 4th of July and it was amazing! The flavor of the pudding and the whipped topping made the best banana pudding I’ve ever made! Thank you for another great recipe! I’ve tried dozens and have been successful each time, which says a lot for me! Thanks again!
You’re welcome, Whitney! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the great recipe! The mason jar idea was awesome! We filled a bunch and delivered them to the neighbors on the 4th of July! What a hot!
You’re welcome, Jess. So glad you enjoyed it and your neighbors hopefully did too!
LOVED IT. I was looking for a potluck dessert so I did a test run of this, exactly as written. It is fabulous. My only question is, can I extrapolate this for a large chaffing pan size by just doubling up on ingredients? Will that work – thinking about the whipping cream and I should beat that separately… thanks!
Hi Sophie! Thanks so much for the feedback. You can for sure double this recipe without making any changes to the process but I don’t know what size pan it would fit. Let us know if you experiment.
soo what if the pudding part comes out watery ? can i just add more pudding powder to thicken it or what should i add because i bought the wrong size pudding packs and was mixing it with the milk and it’s so watery the heavy whipping cream helped a little bit but i’m out of ideas ??!!
I’m very confused as to how to do the first bit of the recipe do we make the vanilla pudding separate from the 2 cups of milk?
Hi Jamie! You will not follow the instructions on the pudding package, instead you will use the powder pudding mix and make it with 2 cups of cold milk. I hope that helps clarify.
I wish I would have read the comments, I followed the pudding package since the recipe wasn’t clear on what steps to take. Hope it comes out ok.
Hi Keke! I’m sorry that happened. Step 1 in the recipe card explains the instructions to with this.
Siba,
Your reply seemed rather harsh. All the measurements as well as the instructions are listed for this recipe at the bottom of the page.
Tried this recipe as presented.. next time I’ll lessen the amount of sweetened condensed milk to maybe 2 Tbs.. to reduce sweetness and to better retain the pudding color.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This is the best banana pudding, ever!! I’ll be making it again!
Thank you for this awesome feedback, Cassandra!
Hi Natasha!
Can I make the pudding from scratch? Rather then buying a pudding mix?
If so, how do you recommend it be done? I am assuming cornstarch, milk & sugar on stovetop?
Thankyou so Much!
Cathy x
Hello Cathy, I think that will be fine. Although I haven’t tested that to advise of the changes that needs to be made.