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 (+Video)
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.
Literally the BEST banana pudding recipe ever! So easy! So soft and creamy! LOVE IT!
Came out delicious. This is my daughter’s favorite ☺️
Thanks so very much Genevieve!
Just made this with only one minor change. I made my own whipped cream. So fluffy and delicious. I’ve always made it on the stove in the past. Never going back. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hello! Can i use something other than the condensed milk?
I’ve never tried it with anything else. Perhaps someone else on here can offer a good suggestion that they’ve tried. Sorry!
Awesome recipe!
Can I make the pudding and cream cheese mixture the day before and then layer everything the next day? Or will the cream cheese harden it? Thank you!
I’ve never done that so I can’t really say. I’m sorry! If you try it please let me know!
Amazing recipe! I will definitely be making this again!❤️
Thanks so very much Veronica!!
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try it. I’ve always used the Magnolia Bakery recipe but I like the idea of adding the cream cheese instead of all cream and condensed milk.
Agreed! Magnolia (to me) doesn’t have enough thick pudding. It’s mostly a lot of whipped cream. This one has a bit more substance. I hope you love it!!
Hi! I’ve been asked to bring this to a July 4th BBQ and I’m busy that entire day. Would it be ok to make it the night before or does it get watery and brown? How long have you successfully kept it before serving? Thank you so much!
Hi Angela! It’s okay to make it the night before as long as you aren’t serving it more than 24 hours later. The bananas shouldn’t get brown until they are exposed to air. So basically the moment you scoop into it, they will start to get brown so make sure your bananas are fully covered by the pudding. As long as you aren’t making it more than a day in advance it will be fine. Just note that the longer it sits the softer the Nilla wafers get. My family likes it that way but if you only want to eat it crunchy, then you wouldn’t want to do that and don’t let it sit outside the refrigerator too long. Serve right away when you take it out of the fridge.
Absolutely amazing! I have been assigned to make banana pudding at every company party. Delicious thanks so much!
Ha! You are in for it now! LOL. Thanks so much Nikki!
Do you have to use cream cheese? I’m not a fan of it. Will I need to tweak ingredients?
Hi Brenda – it is necessary for this recipe. You don’t taste it as a separate ingredient. I have never made it any other way so I wouldn’t be able to tell you agood substitute.
I love a good no-bake recipe and this one is easy to assemble and INSANELY delicious!! Will definitely be making this again.
Thanks so very much Eileen!
Would it make it more creamy if I used heavy cream or half heavy cream instead of whole milk? Just curious.
Thank you
It’s already very creamy so I wouldn’t add anything else to it.
I wasn’t able to use as deep of a dish as it requires so I have some batter left over…is it okay to freeze?? Thank you btw…it’s in the fridge chilling now, and my lil taste test, taste AMAZING!! Can’t wait!
No matter what I tried I couldn’t get the lumps out. But still turned out great!!
Strainer
Can I make the pudding ahead of time and layer everything the next day?
You could technically. I think you lose some of the texture and the melding of flavors. But if you like super crunchy cookies then you could certainly do that. I prefer mine a bit softer but that’s all personal preference. 🙂
This IS the best banana pudding I have ever tried!
Thank you so very much Terri! I appreciate you coming back to leave a review!
I made this for a family reunion and it was a delicious hit!
Everyone loved it!
Thank you for
Sharing
Delicious recipe, and came together easily!
Omg!!! It WAS DELICIOUS!!! I reduced the ingredients by half because #1, I didn’t have enough cream cheese.. lol and #2, my son is super picky and won’t eat it. So leaves me with the pan! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!
Thank you Amy! And I know all about those picky eaters too LOL! Thank you!
Brandie, absolutely delicious! I made this except used Banana Cream pudding mix instead of vanilla and it was omg yummy! This recipe sets up pretty fast too and gets even better after a few hours. And NO runny mess, just a lot of yummy thick, creamy, silky smooth banana pudding with a sweet soft cookie crunch bite. I also put a few nilla wafers on top and spreaded some crumbs around, it was pretty lol. No, this is just the best stuff ever and my family loved it! Thank you so much for this yum yum banana pudding recipe, which I will make from now on. 😉 BTW, I love your site…
My second batch, I added a teaspoon of banana flavoring and it was much better. Perhaps the third batch I’ll double the pudding with a small banana pudding box and add the banana flavoring.
Thanks Norina! Some folks don’t like the artificial banana flavoring so that is why I make it optional as well as the banana flavored pudding. If your bananas are ripe enough, you usually won’t need any additional banana flavoring – especially for those who don’t prefer the artificial banana flavor.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! There is a local sandwich shop that has banana pudding that my husband and I love and he said this is just as good! I only had Neufchâtel in my fridge so I used that. It didn’t want to combine with everything else using my hand mixer so I used an immersion blender and that worked really well. I also used the mini Nilla wafer cookies. I think next time I will slice the bananas thinner and layer them in thin slices rather than thicker slices that were next to each other. I also think, for my personal preference, I’ll use a little sprinkling of sea salt over one of the pudding layers. Thank you so much for the delicious recipe!
I love hearing that! Thank you so much Kat! I really appreciate you taking the time to come back and let me know how it turned out for you!
Made this pudding yesterday and it was a hit with everyone! I forgot to take a picture before eating it up
Is this recipe too sweet? My family and I don’t have sweet tooths and I just wanted to make sure the sweetness level is moderate and not overly sweet.
I don’t know what “too sweet” would be but it is a sweet dessert. If you don’t enjoy sweets than this isn’t the one for you.