This banana pudding recipe is rich, creamy, and tastes like the one Grandma used to make! This recipe is semi-homemade, comes together quickly, and is always a crowd-pleaser!
This is one of my No Bake Dessert recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
I love classic recipes; the kind that bring back all those memories from childhood.
Banana pudding is such a iconic dessert! There are different variations of course, but this is what I remember as the classic.
This version is semi-homemade, using instant pudding mix, but adds a touch of that homemade charm by using homemade whipped cream!
Don’t worry though, if you’re looking to make this recipe even easier, I’ve detailed how you can skip the homemade whipped cream and use store-bought alternatives.
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Sweetened condensed milk – this adds the necessary sweetness to the pudding mix. Make sure you pick up the right can, evaporated milk won’t work in this recipe.
- Milk – this was tested with whole milk, since that’s what we have on hand, but I think using other types of milk would work well. Just make sure it’s cold.
- Pudding mix – make sure you pick up a package of instant vanilla pudding, NOT the cook and serve variety.
- Vanilla – this was tested with real vanilla extract, but I think imitation would also work well.
- Vanilla wafers – this is a classic ingredient in banana pudding, and shouldn’t be omitted.
- Bananas – also a classic and necessary ingredient. Make sure you pay attention to the ripeness (see the helpful tip below).
- Heavy cream – this may be labeled heavy whipping cream, but shouldn’t be substituted (unless you’re using store-bought whipped cream).
- Granulated sugar – this adds the sweetness to the whipped cream, but you can use powdered sugar if you prefer.
How to make banana pudding?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Make pudding. There’s no need for fancy tools here, just a bowl and a whisk.
- Make whipped cream. This is definitely easier to do with a hand mixer (or stand mixer).
- Combine. Folding half of the whipped cream into the pudding makes it lighter and more fluffy.
- Layer. Start with a layer of whole wafers.
- Layer. Next add a layer of banana slices.
- Layer. Next add a layer of the pudding mixture.
- Repeat. Repeat the layering process, using crushed wafers for the next layer.
- Finish. The last layer should be the remaining half of the whipped cream, then garnished with banana slices, whole wafers, and crushed wafers.
Helpful Tip!
For the best flavor and texture, choose bananas that are ripe, but not overly ripe. You’re not looking for bananas that are dark brown (like you would for banana bread), or that are slightly green. You want bananas that are yellow with some small brown spots.
Variations of this recipe
- Non-dairy – if you’d like to use a non-dairy milk, almond or coconut milk would work best.
- Wafers – I really like the texture of using half crumbled wafers, and half whole wafers, but if you’d prefer to use all whole wafers you certainly can.
- Whipped cream – homemade whipped cream really hits the spot, but you can use store-bought or even cool whip if you’d like to save a little time.
- Pudding – vanilla pudding is traditional in banana pudding, but feel free to try a french vanilla, or even a banana cream flavor.
- Presentation – instead of a baking dish, you could make this recipe in a trifle dish, or individual serving cups (great for a party!).
FAQ’s
Absolutely not 🙂 I love taking the few extra minutes to make homemade whipped cream, but if you’re not in the mood to do that, you can use store-bought whipped cream and the banana pudding will still taste amazing.
I haven’t tested it, but you could try using a sugar-free pudding mix, and instead of the heavy whipping cream and granulated sugar, use a sugar-free cool whip instead.
Making banana pudding ahead of time
This recipe is a bit of a natural make ahead recipe, since it has to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
However, you can make it ahead of time and store it for longer. For the best flavor and presentation, I generally don’t make this more than 1 day ahead of time though.
Storage
Leftover pudding should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 4-5 days.
The bananas on top may brown a bit, so if you’re bothered by that you can remove them and add fresh banana slices.
More No Bake Dessert Recipes:
My Favorite Hand Mixer!
Stand mixers are great, but they’re also pretty expensive and sometimes hard to come by. This hand mixer works like a champ and works really well for this recipe!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Banana pudding
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk cold
- 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups vanilla wafers
- 6 large ripe bananas use more if they're on the small side
Homemade whipped cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar you can use powdered sugar if you prefer
Instructions
Make the pudding
- In a mixing bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and pudding mix. Whisk together until smooth.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract. Set aside for now.
Make crushed wafers
- Add about 1 cup of the wafers to a food processor (or you can use a resealable plastic bag and a rolling pin), and pulse until you have medium sized pieces. Set aside.
Make whipped cream
- To a separate mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream and granulated sugar. Use a hand mixer (or you can use a stand mixer with it's bowl) and beat on about a MED speed until soft peaks start to form (see chef tips #2 below for more info).
- This will likely take about 3-4 minutes.
Slice bananas
- Slice the bananas into even slices and set aside.
Assemble
- Add half of the whipped cream to the bowl with the pudding, and use a rubber spatula to fold it in, using an over-under motion, until you don't see streaks of white.
- To a 9×13" baking dish, add a layer of whole vanilla wafers to the bottom. Top with a layer of banana slices, then a layer of the pudding (about half of the mixture).
- Top with a layer of crushed vanilla wafers, then banana slices, and the rest of the pudding mixture.
- Top that with the remaining whipped cream, and garnish with whole vanilla wafers, banana slices, and crushed vanilla wafers.
Chill
- Cover baking dish tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Serve
- Serve chilled and enjoy!
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated this recipe serves about 12, but please feel free to divide it up into as many servings as you’d like.
- Soft Peaks – When you turn the mixer upside down (with it OFF), so the beaters are facing up, the cream will stand up in a peak (like a little mountain), and then fold over onto itself gently. This is a great visual guide from Taste of Home.
- If you’d like to save a little time, instead of making your own whipped cream, you can omit the heavy whipping cream and granulated sugar and use store-bought whipped cream or cool whip instead!
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
vj says
You saved my life! I didn’t notice the pudding mix wasn’t the instant kind until Christmas Eve. Stores were all closed. Voila! This is my recipe from now on. I used banana cream pudding and no bananas. Delicious and gorgeous. I will look forward to your emails.
Izzy says
This was the best banana pudding I’ve ever had. I passed the recipe on to friends for an easy potluck dessert. I do want to make a slightly less sweet version for an older group of people – do you think I could get away with halving the sweetened condensed milk and substituting evaporated milk for that portion? Thank for all your work! Every recipe we’ve tried has been a big success.
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you enjoyed! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Izzy says
I substituted a 5oz can of evaporated milk (about 2/3 a cup) for an equal portion of the sweetened condensed milk. It worked and was still great! I’ll be doing it both ways depending on the audience in the future. Thanks again for dependably delicious recipes.
Funmi Awonuga says
This is a yummy banana pudding recipe. The pudding is not too sweet and pretty easy to make.
Samantha Hauser says
My husband enjoys banana pudding but loved this recipe
April says
So creamy and delicious! We love it!
Catalina says
I tried your Easy Banana Pudding recipe for a family gathering, and it was a smashing success! Everyone loved how creamy and rich it was, with just the right amount of sweetness.
Sandra says
Made it for the first time and it was a hit! It was so easy to make and really good!
Beth says
I really love banana pudding, but I usually don’t make it because I don’t want to take the time. This version was super fast and easy which I loved.
Erin says
It is so good! I made this and everyone at our house loves it!
Jeffrey says
Excellant