Pound Cake Banana Pudding
Pound Cake Banana Pudding is a banana pudding that is made with layers of soft pieces of pound cake, creamy vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, and whipped topping!
A Southern Classic With A Twist
This Pound Cake Banana Pudding turned out AMAZING! It’s a super easy recipe and ended up being a huge hit! I basically just used the Banana Pudding recipe I have on my site and instead of Nilla wafers, I used Sara Lee Pound Cake. It is so ridiculously good! It looks a little messy but most yummy things are, right?
Frequently Asked Questions:
Once you’ve sliced your bananas, you can sprinkle a little citric acid powder oven them. Be sure to use just a small amount so you don’t change the flavor of the bananas. If you don’t have citric acid power, you could lightly coat them with lemon juice or orange juice.
You HAVE to use the INSTANT pudding mix. This will be an absolute liquid mess if you grab the wrong kind. I wish Jell-O would make it hugely obvious the difference between instant and cook and serve. DO NOT USE THE COOK AND SERVE PUDDING MIX FOR THIS RECIPE! I just cannot stress this enough or this will not turn out at all. Also, make sure to grab sweetened condensed milk NOT evaporated mess or it will be a mess and not be as sweet.
You can certainly use banana instant pudding but I always think that tastes kinda off and artificial and a bit too much, if that makes sense? So I like to use vanilla pudding then get some nice, sweet and ripe bananas to kick in that banana flavor. But you do what you enjoy and have available.
You can serve it immediately, but, I think it is better to let it chill first. Letting it chill helps give the pudding time to thicken and everything gets cool.
Personally, I think this is best the day that you make it, or close to it. After you’ve started eating it, the bananas will turn and the consistency of the dessert will change. You can store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days. I don’t recommend trying to freeze this.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- cream cheese– softened to room temperature. Use these Tips to Soften Cream Cheese if you want them.
- sweetened condensed milk – make sure you grab sweetened condensed milk and NOT evaporated milk. A lot of times stores put them near each other on a shelf and it’s easy to accidentally grab the wrong one. This will not turn out as sweet and it will also not set up and be runny.
- INSTANT vanilla pudding mix– you want the larger box of pudding mix. Please be sure to grab a box of the instant pudding, not the Cook N Serve stuff, it won’t work. The boxes can be hard to tell apart. You have to cook that before using it and we don’t do that in this recipe. I like vanilla pudding for this, but, you can use banana flavored pudding if you enjoy it.
- milk– I always use 2% or higher in fat
- vanilla extract – for even more banana flavor, use banana extract
- whipped topping– I used Cool Whip, but any brand will work.
- Sara Lee frozen pound cake– You can use any pound cake that you like. Some stores make their own pound cakes they sell in the bakery section so you can use that if you prefer. You can go all out and make one from scratch too. You wouldn’t use a whole traditional pound cake for this though. Maybe half depending on the size of the one you buy.
- bananas– peeled and sliced. Ripe bananas are really helpful here as they will be providing the actual banana flavor. So look for yellow bananas with brown spots, not the green ones.
How To Make Pound Cake Banana Pudding
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add in sweetened condensed milk, INSTANT vanilla pudding mix, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined well (this can take a few minutes, so be patient for it all to come together.)
Finally, stir in the whipped topping.
To layer: half of the diced pound cake on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. This needs to be a deep-sided baking dish. Add a layer of sliced bananas; use half.
Then pour half of the pudding mixture on top. Repeat one more time.
Top with remaining whipped topping.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving so it can thicken up and get cold.
Craving More Recipes?
Banana Pudding Layered Dessert
Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Banana Pudding Pie
Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Banana Cake
Banana Cream Pie
Banana Bread
Banana Pudding Fluff
Banana Pudding Cookies
Pound Cake Banana Pudding
Ingredients
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
- 5 ounce box INSTANT vanilla pudding mix (larger box) (SEE NOTES BELOW)
- 3 cups milk (2% or higher in fat)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 (8 ounce) tubs whipped topping, thawed (divided use)
- 16 ounce Sara Lee frozen pound cake, thawed and cut into bite size pieces (about 1-inch cubes)
- 6 bananas, peeled and sliced (divided use)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat an 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature, with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.
- Add in 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk, 5 ounce box INSTANT vanilla pudding mix (larger box), 3 cups milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Mix until combined well (this can take a few minutes, so be patient for it all to come together.)
- Finally, gently stir in one tub whipped topping.
- To layer: spread half of the diced pound cake on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. This needs to be a deep-sided baking dish.
- Add a layer of sliced bananas; use half.
- Then pour half of the pudding mixture on top.
- Repeat one more time.
- Top with remaining tub whipped topping.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving so it can thicken up and get cold.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) 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.
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.
YUMMMMMMM! I AM STILL WAITING TO SEE IF YOU CAN COME UP WITH A BUTTERSCOTCH BLONDIE AND ITALIAN CREAM CAKE RECIPE, AND NO CHOCOLATE IN THE BROWNIE, JUST LOTS OF BUTTERSCOTCH!
I already have an Italian Cream Cake recipe. Don’t think I’ll be doing a butterscotch blondie though since I’m not a fan of butterscotch but I’m sure you can google a recipe for it.
Here’s the cream cake: https://www.thecountrycook.net/homemade-italian-cream-cake/
Oh my gosh! This is genius. I’m making it this weekend for Mother’s Day. Such a nice substitute for Nilla Wafers!
I hope you love it Kelli! Thank you!