The Best Banana Pudding
The Best Banana Pudding recipe is a no-cook recipe made with sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, pudding, fresh bananas and Nilla wafers!
A FAVORITE SOUTHERN RECIPE
Banana pudding is a classic Southern dessert that has been loved for generations. This creamy and delicious dessert is made with layers of vanilla pudding, sliced bananas and Nilla wafers topped with whipped cream. It’s the perfect dessert to serve at any occasion, whether it’s a family gathering or a summer barbecue. So grab a spoon and let’s go!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Banana Pudding is a classic Southern dessert made with layers of vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, Cool Whip and Nilla wafers. It is served chilled and is a favorite at potlucks, picnics, barbecues and family gatherings.
I have a Cooked Southern Banana Pudding recipe that I’ve shared already on the site. The only issue with cooked pudding is the bananas tend to brown pretty quickly. If you are taking this to a potluck or a picnic, you want to show up with pretty, non-brown bananas. This no-cook version is great for picnics or potlucks, bananas stay fresher, longer and because it travels great and serves up easily.
Of course you can! Some folks don’t enjoy the artificial banana flavoring in the banana cream instant pudding but this is entirely a personal preference. You could also use banana extract instead of vanilla.
Yes you can. Just keep in mind that homemade whipped cream doesn’t stay stabilized as long as Cool Whip so it may break down into a more liquid state if not eaten right away.
Yes. However, the wafers add that traditional texture and flavor to the dessert, so it won’t be the same without them. A lot of people substitute other cookies though. A popular choice is the Pepperidge Farm Chessman Butter Cookies (paid affiliate link.)
You can sprinkle a little citric acid powder onto the sliced bananas. Just a little so as not to change the flavor. Or, you could lightly coat the sliced bananas in lemon or orange juice. Again, just coat lightly so as not to change the flavor.
Banana Pudding can last for up to three days in the refrigerator, as long as it is stored in an airtight container. Be sure to refrigerate it as soon as possible after preparing it. Note: Once you start digging into the banana pudding, the bananas will start turning brown so keep that in mind. I do not recommend freezing.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- cream cheese – this needs to be fully at room temperature. I cannot express this enough. If it’s not fully soft then you’ll end up with a lumpy banana pudding and no one wants that. I have a tutorial on How to Soften Cream Cheese Fast if you need to speed up the process a bit.
- sweetened condensed milk – Many times people confuse evaporated milk with sweetened condensed milk so you’ll want to play close attention to the labels. Evaporated milk doesn’t work here and it certainly isn’t sweet. I know they can be close to each other in the grocery store so just be careful.
- instant vanilla pudding – it needs to be INSTANT. Do not get cook and serve. That is a whole different animal of pudding. It will not set if you get cook and serve. It can be hard to notice on the packaging sometimes so look closely.
- milk – I haven’t tried this with any kind of milk substitute so I can’t tell you how that would go. I always just use 2% cows milk or whole milk.
- vanilla extract – you can use banana extract if you want to amp up the banana flavor. I know some people think it tastes fake but that’s your call.
- Cool Whip – if you’ve never bought Cool Whip (or whipped topping before) you are going to find it in the frozen dessert section of your grocery store. You’re gonna need to let it thaw before using it. But don’t thaw it on your counter. Pop it into your fridge and let it thaw overnight.
- Nilla wafers – it has to be name brand Nilla wafers for me. Y’all know I never have a problem with store brand stuff but this is the one thing I just cannot accept any substitutes.
- ripe bananas – when I say ripe bananas, I mean yellow bananas that have a speckling of brown here and there. You don’t want overripe super brown bananas or they’ll turn too soft on you too quickly. And you definitely don’t want any green bananas either because they aren’t ripe and sweet yet.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BANANA PUDDING:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add in sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix, and milk. Finally, add in vanilla extract and stir well.
Keep your mixer on low speed at first so the milk doesn’t fly everywhere. If you are using a stand mixer, make sure you get in there with a rubber spatula and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting incorporated. That cream cheese likes to stay on the bottom of the bowl. Also, I find that the pudding can sometimes become a bit lumpy (especially if my cream cheese isn’t soft enough). If this happens to you, just keep mixing until most of the lumps are gone. The mixture will also begin to thicken too. After a few minutes of constant mixing, it will smooth out.
Finally, stir in half of the whipped topping. Time to layer. Place one-third of the vanilla wafers in a layer on the bottom of a trifle dish, large bowl or a 9×13 baking dish. You will notice that as I add the wafers, I face some outwards and up the sides. This is not necessary but when you are using a clear dish like this, it sure does make it look pretty when it’s done!
Next comes a layer of sliced bananas. Then pour one-third of the pudding mixture on top (enough to cover all the bananas).
Continue with two more layers. A layer of wafers, followed by bananas, then pudding mixture. I like a lot of bananas in there. I want at least a piece of banana in every bite. The final layer will be pudding. Then you will top the pudding with the rest of your whipped topping.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one to two hours before serving so it can thicken up and the wafers can soften.
Then dig in!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: February 2014
Updated & Republished: February 2024
The Best Banana Pudding
Ingredients
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 5 ounce package INSTANT vanilla pudding mix (larger box)
- 3 cups milk (2% or higher)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping (COOL WHIP), thawed (divided use)
- 11 ounce box Nilla wafers (divided use)
- 5-7 bananas, peeled and sliced (divided use)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat cream ceese, with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.
- Add in sweetened condensed milk, vanilla pudding mix, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until combined well.
- Finally, stir in half of the whipped topping.
- To layer: place one-third of the Nilla wafers in a layer on the bottom of a trifle dish, large bowl or a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Add a single layer of the sliced bananas.
- Then pour one-third of the pudding mixture on top (enough to cover all the bananas).
- Continue with two more layers.
- Top with remaining whipped topping.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one to two hours before serving so it can thicken up and the wafers can soften.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- Please pay attention to the pudding you’re buying. It needs to be INSTANT not ‘Cook and Serve’. They are near each other on store shelves. Cook and Serve WILL NOT WORK.
- Also, be sure you are grabbing a can of sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. This dessert will not set up and it won’t be as sweet.
- Banana Cream Pudding flavor can be substituted for the vanilla pudding. Alternatively, banana extract can be substituted for the vanilla extract.
- It’s very important to make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. If not, you won’t be able to get it super smooth and you’ll end up with lumps.
- Bananas obviously come in many sizes so I say 5-7 bananas depending on the size of the bananas you purchase. I like a lot of fresh banana in my banana pudding but you should bo by your personal preference.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” 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 and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I accidentally also grabbed the “cook and serve” as well, with all the other ingredients already mixed it, i figured it would be worth trying to save and if it doesn’t work out, then throw it out… so I took the “pudding” transferred it to a pan, brought it up to a boil, it thicken still tasted fine ( first time making this recipe so not sure if it tasted different. But it was pudding) and then did all the other steps onced cooled. It worked out fine, kids and husband loved it so it’s fool-proof you could say. Thanks.
I made this yesterday and it made way more than I thought, but that’s okay. I substituted no fat cream cheese instead of the regular and still came out awesome. I will definitely make this again in the future!
My favorite for family gatherings. I never get to bring any home, so I’m always making a double batch,
Thank you for this recipe. It was very good.
So good. I had to give some away so I wouldn’t eat it all.
Ha!! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review Lori!
This will be my second time making it ….THis is amazing my family are it up no left overs th for sharing definitely a keeper
I usually only like banana pudding cooked on the stove and baked, but those days are gone. This was so good, I had to share it with my co-workers. This recipe is a keeper! It was the best no-bake banana pudding I’ve ever tasted! Thank you!
Woo hoo!! Wow – what a compliment! Thank you so much Dee!!
Hi Brandie,
Can you make your own whipping cream instead of Cool Whip?
Hi Kay! You certainly could but keep in mind, it won’t be as stable as Cool Whip so it will break down quicker and may turn out a bit more soupy as it sits in the fridge.
My husband requested banana pudding for his birthday this year. This was my first time making it, and he said it’s the best he has ever had! This recipe is so simple yet so delicious.
Yahoo! That is so awesome to hear! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment! Also Happy Birthday to your husband 🙂
Great recipe! I didn’t use cool whip, as I like the whipped cream in a can, si I added another box of instant vanilla pudding and the rich vanilla flavored just popped! I can’t forget to do that again! Yum!
Linda, I’m curious to learn how your pudding held up with the canned whipped cream? I, too, prefer canned…or even homemade..whipped cream but wouldn’t want pudding to become too soupy if I substituted either of the above.
Took to homecoming at church, it was a success and oh so was easy.
I have made this twice and both times the pudding mix was watery. Do you have any idea why?
Are you sure you are using instant pudding and not cook and serve? I make this at least twice a month. It should be pourable but not watery.
I did the same thing. I used cook and serve and not the instant pudding mix. Complete watery mess.
Can you make this ahead of time (the day before serving) or will the bananas turn brown?
You can make it the night before. I just wouldn’t make it TOO far in advance but the night before is fine. 🙂
This is basically the recipe I use. I use 1 tsp. vanilla and 3 cups milk. My family loves it. Next time I make it, I will and the second tsp. of vanilla.
I make my B Pudding like this except I dont use vanilla extract. I’m scared to try it but I’m curious to see what it adds to it. I also don’t use a machine, I just mix it with my fork. But that makes it clumpy and some people like that.
Made this at my Thanksgiving potluck for work today. It was a hit! The only dessert that was completely gone !
Fabulous–gone in less time than it took to call everyone to the kitchen. Recently served at grandson’s graduation party. Our only regret is that we made only 1. Thank you.
That is so awesome to hear Candace! Thank you for coming back to let me know!!
I love this recipe! Made it for my family for Father’s day and making it again for a friends baby shower. I made the mistake and of purchasing non-instant vanilla pudding… I ran with it and put the sweetened condensed milk in the cooking pudding and it carmelized right away. I thought the recipe was RUINED but it turned out even tastier! If you don’t mind the texture of caramel clumps in the otherwise smooth pudding 😉
I would like to make this for a family bbq and I’m wondering if I can double the recipe or should I just make 2 separate.?
Personally I would make 2 separate but you can double and put in one giant serving pan if that is more helpful to you!
Made this and my family says it’s the best they’ve ever had!!
This is such a great recipe! My scout troop and I made it during a rainy camping trip once (with some preparation) and it went over very well! I liked it so much that I made two bowls of it for my Eagle Scout court of honor yesterday, and it was a huge hit. I’ll be making it for years to come.
Hi Adam! Love hearing that! You are so thoughtful to come back and leave a comment to let me know. It is so wonderful hearing how much you enjoyed it!
I love your site.
I’m going to make some for church potlucks.
They will be a hit for sure.
I’m looking forward to trying these 1st……Cherry 7up Fluff…….Banana pudding…….chicken & gravy
Thank you for sharing your recipes!
You are so sweet Ruthel!! I hope you absolutely love everything you try!!
I also accidentally got the Cook and Serve pudding instead of instant. I made it according to the package directions (boiled on stove with 3 cups of milk). Then I cooled it in fridge and added it to the cream cheese/condensed milk mixture. It set up just fine…it just took WAY longer to make because of the cooling time. Guests LOVED it. This is always a hit.
I am glad you were able to make it work and your guests loved it.
Thank you ^. I’ll plan accordingly since the cook and serve is what I have on hand too!
Making this tomorrow for Easter – 2018. I’m sure it is delicious! I’ve tried many of your recipes and they have all been delicious. Thanks for taking the time to share them with us. God bless you and your family.
Happy Easter
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes! Happy Easter!
I made this for my Easter dinner. It’s good!
This was so good! Don’t change a thing!
From a person who was taught to only cook the custard for the banana pudding…the best ever banana pudding recipe is the best and comes the closest to cook custard and everyone loves it I even switch up the vanilla flavored pudding with banana cream sometimes for that extra banana flavor and that makes it really good. My family really loves the banana cream flavor pudding but this is keeper this recipe
Love hearing that Stephanie! It was totally the same with me. This recipe converted me – ha! People are concerned it will have a “fake” taste but it really doesn’t at all! It’s amazing!! 🙂 So happy you love it!!
This was so good. Just make sure to buy the instant pudding. It all sets up as it cools. So, so flipping delicious!!
I make homemade cooked pudding for my banana pudding and it never turns my bananas because I let it cool before I pour it over my nanners & wafers. Once it’s cooked I let it cool enough that when I poke my (clean, washed) finger into the middle of the saucepan it doesn’t burn me. If it doesn’t burn me it won’t burn the nanners either.
Yes, the pudding will thicken some as it cools. I just make it slightly more thin so it’s still pourable. The wafers soak up some of the pudding and it comes out perfect (at least for me!) I don’t like a ‘dry’ banana pudding but neither do I want it runny.
I enjoy getting your recipes in my inbox everyday. I get new ideas & new recipes to try with a great variety! Thanks.