Easy Banana Pudding
This lush Easy Banana Pudding is a potluck dessert star. The simple pudding filling is creamy and smooth and requires to cooking at all. It’s suitable for serving at any type of event, from casual family gatherings, summer picnics or high brow holiday parties. It’s luscious to the very last spoonful.
Easy Banana Pudding Recipe
Banana pudding is a Southern dessert classic and I’m admittedly, obsessed with it in any form. This is fully represented in the recipe index. I’m forever looking for more ways to enjoy the same flavors that we love in different forms. This simple banana pudding recipe doesn’t require cooking the vanilla pudding layer which makes it come together with ease. How to make Easy Banana Pudding Recipe: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)
- Pudding – Whip together milk, pudding mix and vanilla until thickened but still pourable. Pour into a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Add – To the same mixing bowl add sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese and sour cream. Beat with mixer until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine – Lower the speed of the mixer and beat pudding back into condensed milk mixture. Beat until fully combined.
- Whipped Cream – By hand fold in whipped topping.
- Assemble – In a 4-5 quart trifle bowl or large dish, layer vanilla wafers, sliced bananas and pudding. Depending on size and shape of dish, I usually divide into thirds. Repeat until all is used ending with pudding.
- Frost the top with remaining whipped topping and decorate with additional vanilla wafers.
- Chill for at least 4 hours prior to serving.
How to Make the Best Easy Banana Pudding Recipe
This recipe for banana pudding is one of the easiest variations to make. A large mixing bowl and a hand or stand mixer to whip the pudding, cream cheese and sour cream, together and you’re well on your way to a dessert to die for.
- Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe for Banana Pudding: Milk or half and half, vanilla pudding mix, bananas sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, vanilla extract, Nilla wafers and whipped topping or freshly whipped cream.
- While this dish may look fussy, it truly isn’t. I enjoy pulling out my piping bag for garnishing desserts but, you can finish the top your way, no worries.
- This dessert can be made one day in advance. When doing so, make a special effort to seal the banana layers as much as possible to delay browning. If you want to go the extra mile, toss banana slices lightly with lemon juice prior to assembling.
- Depending on the size of the dish you use, additional vanilla wafers may be needed. Have an extra box on hand so, you’ll have what you need when assembling.
- The same goes for bananas, there’s really no wrong amount, you can use more, if preferred.
- I made this in a 5 quart trifle dish since I adore trifles and have several in different sizes. You may use any similar size bowl. Keep in mind, it’s better to go larger than smaller with these sorts of layered desserts. You can also layer these ingredients in a cake pan or similar size bowl.
- Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 3 days. I don’t recommended freezing.
When To Serve this Recipe for Banana Pudding
Enjoy this stunning trifle-like layered dessert for any occasion, whether it’s a casual family gathering, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Easter, summer picnics and beyond. More easy to enjoy banana pudding you’ll find recipes for here on the website: Single serving Banana Pudding Cupcakes, scrumptious Banana Pudding Gooey Butter Cake plus Old Fashioned Meringue Banana Pudding topped with a homemade meringue. You also like to add this recipe for baked Banana Nut Oatmeal Cups from Eating Well.
More Southern Style Dessert Recipes to Make
We love our desserts in the South and have many iconic recipes to make. More decadent dessert recipes you may like to try:
- Rich and buttery Southern Pecan Pie recipe.
- Banana Pudding Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe is one of my signature cakes that everyone loves.
- These cute Southern Tea Cakes are perfect for tea time.
- Southern Fried Apples can be served as a side dish, a topping for pancakes and waffles or as dessert.
- Hummingbird Cake is made completely from scratch.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Easy Banana Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk or half & half
- 2 3.4 oz boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 8 oz container spreadable cream cheese softened
- 1 8 oz sour cream
- 2 8 oz frozen whipped topping thawed
- 1 11 oz box vanilla wafers plus additional for garnishing
- 6 medium bananas sliced
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer whip together milk, pudding mix and vanilla until thickened but still pourable. Pour into a separate bowl. Set aside.
- To the same mixing bowl add sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese and sour cream. Beat with mixer until smooth and fully combined.
- Lower the speed of the mixer and beat pudding back into condensed milk mixture. Beat until fully combined. By hand fold in one 8 oz container whipped topping.
- Assemble: In a 4-5 quart trifle bowl or dish, layer vanilla wafers, sliced bananas and pudding. Depending on size and shape of dish, I usually divide into thirds. Repeat until all is used ending with pudding.
- Frost the top with remaining whipped topping and decorate with additional vanilla wafers, if desired.
- Chill for at least 4 hours prior to serving.
Thank you Melissa! Keep the recipes coming🥰 this is a little bowl of heaven! My guests could not get enough!😋
Thanks so much!
Can you substitute the sour cream?
The sour cream is an important ingredient in this recipe. I’m not certain what you’d like to use instead although Greek yogurt may work. I’d recommend following the recipe.
Can you use 2% milk instead of whole milk
You could. It won’t have quite as a rich a taste but it would work, sure.