Easy Banana Pudding

Creamy sweet banana pudding is the best dessert to bring for a party! It steals the show with its light banana flavor, thick pudding, and crunchy vanilla cookies.

This classic dessert is perfect any time of the year. Whether you are serving it in a trifle, in individual jars or in a casserole dish, no one can resist it’s delicious flavors. Be sure to check out our Banana Pudding Poke Cake too!

Banana Pudding in a trifle dish

Homemade Banana Pudding

I have a soft spot in my heart for homemade banana pudding. It’s one of my very favorite desserts. It’s requires simple ingredients, comes together pretty quick, and the flavor is addicting! I could eat that silky smooth pudding all day long.

One of the best things about banana pudding is the way you serve it.

You can layer it in a trifle dish with all it’s delicious ingredients and serve it with a big spoon. You can also serve it in individual small cups or mason jars. Then everyone gets to eat their own little serving of banana pudding. You can even serve it in a casserole dish! Or even as a Poke Cake!

No matter how you prepare it, this classic treat is bound to be a favorite with anyone who tries it.

Homemade Banana Pudding

How to make Banana Pudding

Banana pudding consists of four layers:

  1. Nilla Wafer cookies
  2. Pudding mixture
  3. Sliced bananas
  4. Whipped topping

PUDDING. Get started with making the pudding mixture first. Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy- make sure there are no clumps!

Then mix in the sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla. Combine everything until smooth. Fold in 8 oz. (2 cups) of whipped cream topping and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding layers

LAYERING

  • Grab your trifle dish and layer vanilla cookies around the edge on the bottom.
  • Then add half the pudding mixture and spread it across the bottom of the dish.
  • Top that with a layer of sliced bananas.
  • Then put a layer of whipped cream on top of the bananas
  • Repeat the layers in that order.
  • Finish it off with vanilla cookies on top and a few bananas.

Keep it in the fridge to chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Cake Version

This banana pudding recipe is similar to our banana pudding poke cake! That recipe is perfect for when you’re wanting the flavors of banana pudding but also want to eat cake. Everything you love about banana pudding in cake form!

It’s also one of the easiest dessert recipes EVER. Give both of these recipes a try- I know you will love them.

Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding recipe layered in a trifle dish

Making Ahead and storing

Can it be made ahead? Vanilla Wafer Banana pudding just gets better with time. That’s why I love this dessert. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more soft the cookies get by soaking in all the moisture from the pudding.

It tastes amazing on day two or even day three, which is why it’s a great make-ahead dessert. If you’re going to make it ahead of time, don’t put any bananas on top or they will look brown and gross the next day.

How to store banana pudding? You can leave it in the trifle dish, or whatever dish you serve it in, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Homemade banana pudding can last 5-6 days covered in the fridge.

Easy Banana Pudding topped with nilla wafers and banana slices

Are you excited to try this recipe? I hope you love it!

For more pudding recipes, check out:

Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding Recipe

4.80 from 25 votes
Layered nilla wafer banana pudding steals the show with its light banana flavor and contrasting creamy and crunchy textures!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 74 kcal
Author Lil' Luna

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 5 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 3 cups cold milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 8 oz. whipped topping thawed (or 6 cups homemade whipped cream)
  • 4 bananas sliced
  • 1/2 12 oz. box Vanilla Wafers

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy and with no clumps. Add sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
  • Fold in 8 oz. whipped cream and mix until combined. Let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Line the bottom of a trifle dish with vanilla wafers around the edge. Add half the pudding mixture and spread across, topped with a layer of sliced bananas. Add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat layers. Nilla wafers - pudding mixture - bananas - whipped topping. 
  • Top with more wafers and banana slices if desired. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

 

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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Comments:

  1. 5 stars
    As a little girl my mom would always make this for us. IT was a favorite and especially remeMber how much my dad loved it.

  2. 5 stars
    Why are bananas, pudding, & wafers the best combination?! Love this! I will have to make it for my dad, who loves this dessert!

  3. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe and so did all my family. I am not sure mine looked as good as yours but the taste was fantastic! I didn’t even have leftovers so thats a good sign!! YUMMY

  4. 5 stars
    My cousin in Law brought Over this dessert after my huband got out of the hOspital after major sPine surgery. It was sooooo good! I cant wait to make it again using your recipe.

  5. 4 stars
    Total time = 20 min…..but theres 1.5 hours in chill time. Id conSider that part of “total” time. 🙂

    Good nonetheless.

  6. 5 stars
    This is my second time making this recipe.The first time was for Thankgiving.we enjoyed this so much,im making it again today.each day it gets better and better.thank you

  7. You are so talented in different crafts! Maintaining a blog like this isn’t easy. I once started a blog but due to hectic schedule at work, I left it outdated. Been busy working with some website projects these days and just dropped here for break and saw this yummy recipe.

    1. I hope you enjoy the recipe! Best of luck with your blogging efforts as well. It is very rewarding, but definitely a lot of work too. 🙂

  8. So delicious and easy to make! I used banana pudding instead of vanilla, and whipped cream instead of cool whip. I added vanilla and sugar to the whip cream. I also used almost a whole box of vanilla wafers. Oops. Thank you for the recipe!

    1. You’re welcome! I’m glad that you liked the recipe! Sounds like your substitutions turned out great too.

  9. 1 star
    I followed this recipe perfectly, and the sweetened condensed milk make it too sweet, and ruined the whole recipe. We had to throw the whole thing out. Just a suggestion to omit the sweetened condensed milk.

  10. 5 stars
    This is the best banana pudding I’ve ever made. And my family says it’s awesome! Thank you!

  11. 5 stars
    This is the best recipe hands down! My sister asked me to make this for her birthday in place of cake. It was a huge hit at the party so much so that my husband and boys are asking for me to make again and my niece wanted it for her birthday party. Who knew cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk would be in this delicious dessert. Don’t make the quick and easy recipe, makes this and you won’t look back…

  12. This is not homemade. It’s adjusted store bought.
    Doesn’t mean it’s not delicious. Just not homemade because you call it that.

  13. Ratio for serving size is odd.. I definitely don’t need 12 servings for my girlfriend and I and anything less doesn’t even make sense..

  14. Ratio for serving size is odd.. I definitely don’t need 12 servings for me and my girlfriend. When you adjust servings it has a really weird calculation of ingredients needed.