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
This is my families favorite banana pudding recipe, I make it over and over! Especially for my 2 son’s birthdays! Could you create a dirt/oreo pudding version? All the recipes I see call for whipped topping, I improvise off of your banana pudding base, minus the bananas, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla wafer but it would be nice to have a tested recipe with precise measurements. 🙂
Hi Lacey! Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll add it to our list to see if it’s something we can do in the future.
Is there a good or healthy substitute for the condensed milk??
Hi Tara, you could try homemade sweetened condensed milk. There are many recipes available online. I haven’t tested any other substitutions for this product though so I can’t give any other recommendation.
Never use instant pudding so I would make it with cook and serve but why would you add sweetened condensed milk? Doesn’t that make it too sweet and runny?
Hi Paula, this recipe is tested and it works for us. It never turned runny for us.
I was interested until I saw the use of instant pudding in the recipe. Why not just buy Banana Instant Pudding and toss some waffers on it? I’d prefer a ‘from scratch’ pudding.
Hi Landon, you could substitute that portion with a from scratch pudding. Most people seem to appreciate the shortcut but I love that you are making it from scratch. Way to go!
Made this today. Delicious and so pretty in a trifle bowl! I substituted shortbread cookies for the wafers and it tastes amazing. I crumbled some of the cookies to sprinkle on top. I will be making this often. Thank you!
I have made this recipe MANY times (inclueding 110 servings for a church retreat) and everyone ALWAYS enjoys it. Thanks!
Always looks amazing 😊 Definitely going to be making this love your recipes Natascha
I’m so happy you loved it, Susana! Thank you for your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha, I could not find Nilla wafers (I think they are discontinued). Is it ok to use ladyfingers instead? If so should I just use them dry or should I dip them in some milk like one would dip them in coffee for tiramisu. Thanks 🙂
Hi Ilena! I haven’t tested a substitute. I think it could work but it would require some experimenting. Let us know if you test it.
I think a shortbread cookie can work too, or an alternative like angel food cake like I use in my No bake strawberry blueberry trifle dessert.
I used Oreo thin cookies and scraped the cream out- this was really tasty
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Ava!
I love using the girl scout cookie Trefoils instead of the wafers. It makes it oh so yummy!!!
I’m not sure I can rate this as it didn’t turn out. I cannot figure out why my pudding mixture is so watery when I followed the recipe. I mixed two pudding packs with 2 cups of milk and it never thickened.
Hi Amber, it sounds like the pudding mixture didn’t thicken as expected. There could be a few reasons why. Ratio of ingredients may have been incorrect- did you ensure you used two 3.4 oz instant pudding packs? Also did you ensure your milk was cold? I wish I could be more helpful, but I recommend double checking your ratios were correct.
Was it instant vanilla pudding or could you have accidentally used the ‘Cook and Serve’ pudding?
My husband and I make dinner for one of the church student centers on our college campus. I made a triple recipe of this as one of the dessert options for the crowd of kids. One young woman got a bowl of banana pudding and sat with some friends who had gotten other options. She took one bite, looked up at them, and just said, “Wow!” They all immediately got up and fixed bowls for themselves! I think it was a hit! I’ll be putting it in a regular rotation! Thanks!
That’s wonderful, Patricia! Thank you for sharing.
I grew up on banana pudding as it was my dad’s specialty and favorite so I like to think I KNOW banana pudding 😃 however this is the BEST banana pudding EVER!!! Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome, Angel!
This recipe is the best banana cream pudding for sure!! However, I do my own personal twist on it by making the recipe for 15 servings, so multiplying the ingredients by an exta 1/2 more. So I use 3 boxes of pudding mix and instead of doing all vanilla I use one french vanilla, one banana, and one vanilla for the pudding mix part. It actually taste really good that way and adds a little extra sweetness, which for me sweeter is always better, lol. I also ended up having to use the mini vanilla wafers one time because all the regular ones were sold out and I found that I actually liked it with the mini ones more since they’re bite size. Also, I add an extra table spoon of the powdered sugar to the 1/3 leftover whipped cream since I have a sweet tooth. For me, it tastes best and perfect this way. The recipe is excellent just as it is though, but of you’re like me and want it more sweet then you can change it up the way I did it as well. Overall it’s a Fantastic and easy recipe! Thanks for sharing this simple, yet mouth watering recipe!!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Lindsey!
Maybe my southern pudding has a different texture than northern pudding. lol!
Possibly. The pudding is going to be thicker when you make it which we want for it to properly set, because it will be incorporated with the whipped cream.
The ingredients should call for 4 cups of milk! I had to remake my pudding mixture because I completely followed the recipe without noticing the pudding boxes say 2 cups EACH.
Hi Cara. You do not make the pudding according to the package instructions. You make the pudding according to the instructions in the recipe card, (see step 1). Use the pudding packet with 2 cups of milk.
I did that and the pudding didn’t come out to the right texture. I double checked to make sure I used everything else called for. I even made sure it was the instant pudding that just requires milk. Still gotta start over.
Can I make the pudding mixture (with the whipping cream) ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator?
Hi Rhonda! That should be fine, but I wouldn’t wait too long to use it. It should be be stored more than 3-4 days total (dessert assembled).
Hello, planning to make this recipe for my next gathering. Question how can I infuse alchol to this receipt?
Hello there, I haven’t tried adding alcohol to this recipe to advise.
Maybe pure rum or bourbon extract in addition to the vanilla extract since it would have a minimal affect on thickness or texture.
Great tasting and easy to make. It was a hit with the family. Thanks!
I’m so glad it was a hit with your family, Jessica! Thank you for your review!
I made this for an annual Super Bowl party a couple of years ago. At first my friends teased me but once they tried it, it’s been a yearly request!! It’s very rich and sweet but delicious!
Yay that’s wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Kelly. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
Made this for Thanksgiving and was advised it is a must make at all future family gatherings.
Instead of taking cookies into my hair salon, I made this and the girls all raved.
Question – would you have a similar recipe for banana cream pie?
Hi Ganell! I’m so glad this recipe was enjoyed. I do not have a banana cream pie recipe at the moment.
My only recommendation would be to clarify in the beginning of the recipe that you are only supposed to add the pudding packet(s), not actual pudding. Luckily I guessed right and didn’t actually make up the instant pudding.
HI Dave, thank you for the suggestion. I have made the update to clarify that it is the packets and not pre-made pudding.