Easy Banana Pudding Recipes

If there’s a comfort food in the dessert category, it would be banana pudding. The combination of creamy vanilla custard, sweet ripe bananas, and crunchy vanilla is so flavourful with a soft texture that your palettes will start dancing. Each spoonful offers a rich, sweet pleasure. In my kitchen’s heart, there’s a special place reserved for banana pudding. However, while on this desert journey, I realized it isn’t flavors but its versatility, from classic to inventive twists, so I have 5 amazing but easy banana pudding recipes.

5 Homemade Banana Pudding Recipes

Pudding 1: Classic Banana Pudding

This traditional banana pudding recipe never fails to impress, and it’s simple, has no bake, and is layered to perfection.

Ingredients:

• A box of vanilla wafer cookies
• 4-6 ripe bananas
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ½ cups cold heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Making It Easy

1. In a large bowl, pour old milk and vanilla pudding mix, sweetened condensed, and whisk together to make them smooth. Let it set for about 5 minutes.
2. Take another deep bowl and beat the heavy cream with the vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
3. Now, fold this whipped cream into the pudding mixture very gently.
4. Take a 9×13-inch dish and layer vanilla wafers evenly. Further, follow it with a layer of banana slices and a layer of pudding mixture over the top. Repeat the layers until you have used all your ingredients; make sure the top layer has pudding mix.
5. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This rest time will allow the flavors to meld and the cookies to soften.
6. Finally, add some extra vanilla wafers on top and serve cold.

Pudding 2: Banana Pudding Parfaits

If you want to prepare individual servings of pudding, try these parfaits.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of vanilla wafer cookies (crushed)
• 4 ripe bananas
• 1 box instant banana cream pudding mix
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 ½ cups whipped topping
• ½ cup caramel sauce

Making It Easy:

1. Take a medium bowl, and whisk banana cream pudding mix and cold milk together to form a smooth consistency. Give it a rest time of about 5 minutes.
2. Take clear glasses or mason jars, and the fun begins here. Layer a spoonful of crushed vanilla wafers, followed by banana slices, a dollop of pudding, and a spoonful of whipped topping. Repeat the layers, making sure the final layer has whipped topping.
3. Drizzle some caramel sauce and sprinkle some wafer crumbs on top.
4. Refrigerate the banana pudding for at least 1 hour and serve cold.

Pudding 3: No-Bake Banana Pudding Cheesecake

This twist on banana pudding brings the creaminess of cheesecake with the classic flavors of banana pudding.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 40 cookies)
• ⅓ cup melted butter
• 4 ripe bananas, sliced
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 box instant banana cream pudding mix
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 cup heavy whipped cream

Making It Easy:

1. Take a mixing bowl and combine the vanilla wafer crumbs and melted butter.
2. Transfer this mixture to the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and press it to form the crust. Refrigerate until you prepare the filling.
3. Take another large bowl and beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
4. Add the banana cream pudding mix and cold milk to the cream cheese mixture; add the cream cheese and beat until thickened. Now fold in the whipped cream very softly.
5. Arrange a layer of banana slices over the crust. Spread half of the pudding mixture over the bananas. Add another layer of bananas and then the remaining pudding mixture.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Remove the pudding from the springform pan, plate it, and top it with additional whipped cream. Serve cold.

Pudding 4: Chocolate Banana Pudding

This chocolate banana pudding is heaven-melting in the mouth for all my fellow chocolate lovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of chocolate wafer cookies
• 4 ripe bananas, sliced
• 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 ½ cups whipped cream
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Making It Easy:

1. Whisk the chocolate pudding mix and cold milk in a large bowl until smooth. Let it set for 5 minutes.
2. Take a 9×13-inch dish and layer chocolate wafers, bananas, and chocolate pudding. Repeat the layers and finish the final with pudding and cold milk mix.
3. Finally, spread the whipped cream over the top layer and sprinkle it with chocolate chips.
4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Pudding 5: Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

This no-bake icebox cake is refreshing and perfect for those hot summer days. It’s a cool twist on the classic, with layers of cookies and creamy pudding.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3 cups cold milk
• 1 cup whipped topping
• 4-5 ripe bananas
• 2 sleeves of graham crackers

Making It Easy:

• Whisk together the pudding mixes and cold milk until smooth. Let it set for 5 minutes, then fold in the whipped topping.
• Take an 8×8-inch dish and place a single layer of graham crackers. Next, spread a third of the pudding mixture over the crackers, followed by a layer of banana slices. Repeat the layers twice more, finishing the final with pudding.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Finally, slice and enjoy; you can add ice cream toppings like a cake.

Important Tips:

1. Ripe bananas have sweeter and more intense flavors than unripe/ hard ones. Avoid overripe bananas, as they will be mushy.
2. Always chill the banana pudding for several hours before serving.
3. Add peanut butter, Nutella, and other experimental layers to improve the final taste. Or, get creative with toppings like crushed nuts, chocolate shavings, or toasted coconut.
4. Banana pudding tastes even better the next day, so consider it a make-ahead dessert.
5. To prevent bananas from browning, lightly coat them in lemon juice before adding them to the layers. To cut the acidic taste of lemon, coat them lightly in powdered sugar before serving. Or layer them in a cookie mixture.
6. For extra flavor, add a pinch of cinnamon.
7. Substitute dairy milk with almond or coconut milk if you are a vegan.