This Easy Banana Pudding Recipe is a creamy, dreamy dessert layered with bananas, pudding, and cookies for the ultimate comfort treat. It's simple, crowd-pleasing, and perfect for gatherings big or small.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Simple: Uses just a handful of everyday ingredients.
- Creamy: Pudding and whipped cream combine for a luscious texture.
- Classic: Fresh bananas and vanilla wafers give it timeless Southern charm.
- Make-Ahead: Gets even better as it chills, letting flavors meld beautifully.
Is The Pudding Banana Flavored?
Actually, the pudding is vanilla flavored with slices of banana added to it. This dish became popular in the south with the import of bananas and the attempt to get people to develop a taste for "exotic" fruits.
Looking for tasty banana recipes? Don't miss my chocolate and peanut butter banana smoothie, dairy-free ice cream (made with frozen bananas!), and learn all about how to freeze bananas!
What This Recipe Needs
Bananas: Provide natural sweetness and classic flavor in every bite.
Vanilla Pudding Mix: Forms the creamy base that ties everything together.
Milk: Essential for setting the pudding to the right consistency.
Whipped Cream (or Whipped Topping): Adds lightness and balances the richness.
Vanilla Wafers: Offer crunch and structure, softening slightly for that nostalgic texture.
Tools: For this recipe, I used a medium-sized saucepan, a whisk, a sieve, a medium bowl, and cups to layer the desserts in. I also used a piping bag to help layer everything in the cups, but a Ziploc baggie with the corner cut will do the trick, too.
Substitutions
- Pudding Flavor: Swap vanilla extract for banana or cake batter flavor.
- Milk: Use whole milk for richness or full-fat almond/oat milk for dairy-free.
- Whipped Cream: Replace with coconut whipped cream for a dairy-free option or try my homemade whipped cream.
- Cookies: Try graham crackers or my chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies if vanilla wafers aren't on hand.
How To Make Easy Banana Pudding Recipe?
- Step 1: Whisk together milk, flour, sugar, salt, whole egg, and egg yolks in a saucepan.
- Step 2: Heat while whisking continually, over medium heat until thickened. Then, remove from heat, whisk in butter and vanilla.
- Step 3: Pour the pudding through a strainer into a bowl.
- Step 4: Let it cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. Make sure the plastic wrap touches the pudding.
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- Step 5: Once chilled, layer pudding with sliced bananas, Nilla Wafers, and Cool Whip. These can be in cups or a large trifle bowl.
Helpful Pudding Tips
- Heat: Keep the heat set to medium to melt the sugar consistently and allow the pudding to set up correctly.
- Whisk: Only whisk the pudding at a boil for 1 minute.
- Extra Smooth: Pouring the pudding through a strainer makes it extra smooth.
- You will want to double this recipe if you're going to use a trifle dish.
- Don't Slice Bananas Too Early: They brown quickly, so cut them just before layering.
- Keep It Neat: Use a piping bag for whipped cream layers to get a clean look.
- Make It Ahead: Great for potlucks-make the night before and refrigerate, then assemble all the layers the day of.
- Extra Egg Whites: Use the unused egg whites in a tasty breakfast sandwich or breakfast burrito, or whip up a meringue and top the pudding with that! (Check out my lemon meringue pie for instructions!)
Pudding Variations
Layers: This would be incredible layered with some homemade caramel sauce and mini chocolate chips!
At its core, this is a vanilla pudding with added banana slices, meaning you can use it for much more than this banana pudding recipe!
Berry Twist: Instead of bananas, use fresh strawberries or blackberries.
Tropical Version: Mix in pineapple chunks or toasted coconut for extra flair.
Cookies: Crush up Oreos, ginger snaps, or graham crackers instead of Nilla wafers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it's even better made the day before-just keep it chilled.
Stored in the fridge, it lasts 3-4 days, though the bananas may brown slightly.
Not recommended, since thawed bananas release water and turn mushy.
Store pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Related Recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my buttermilk chocolate cake, lemon crinkle cookies, bakery-style rice crispy treats, and this fan favorite chocolate chip pie!
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Easy Banana Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk whole or 2%
- 3 tbs flour
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 bananas sliced
- 8 oz cool whip thawed, you may need more depending on how you layer the pudding in cups or in a trifle dish.
- 11 oz Nilla Wafers
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine milk, flour, sugar, salt, and one whole egg. Whisk together.3 cups milk, 3 tbs flour, Pinch of salt, ¾ cup sugar, 1 whole egg
- Add the egg yolks and mix thoroughly.3 egg yolks
- Heat mixture over medium heat until slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. The pudding is thickened somewhat when you can dip a spoon into the pudding mixture, coat the spoon thoroughly, then run your finger down the back of the spoon, and it creates a line that doesn't close back up/fill in with pudding.
- Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil, then whisk for an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat and continue whisking for 20-30 more seconds (this helps prevent burning).
- After you've sufficiently whisked the pudding, stir in vanilla and butter.1 tbs butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- At this point, I like to run the pudding through a fine mesh strainer/sieve to make it absolutely smooth, but if you don't have one, no worries.
- Place the pudding in a bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then, cover it with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic touches the surface of the pudding to prevent a film/skin from forming. Refrigerate pudding until set, ~2 hrs.
- Once set, layer the pudding in cups or mason jars with crushed Nilla Wafers, banana slices, and Cool Whip.4 bananas, 8 oz cool whip, 11 oz Nilla Wafers
Notes
- Keep the heat at medium so the sugars melt properly and the pudding will set up correctly.
- If you heat too high and too fast, you could burn/scorch the pudding, or it won't set up like it should.
- To make enough for a trifle dish, you will need to double the recipe.
- Depending on the size of cups/bowls, this may serve more or fewer than 8.
- Store pudding in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Lisa says
Love this banana pudding recipe! Just like I had as a kid!