Creamy Banana Pudding
This no-bake banana pudding is made with vanilla wafer cookies, fresh bananas, and a rich pudding base folded with whipped cream. It comes together in about 15 minutes and tastes even better after chilling overnight.
Prep
8 hr 15 min
Cook
N/A
Total
8 hr 15 min
Servings
12 servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Make the pudding base. In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk and ice-cold water together until smooth. Add the instant vanilla pudding mix and whisk steadily for about 2 minutes until the mixture thickens and there are no lumps. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until the pudding is firm enough to hold a shape when you drag a spoon through it.
- 2
Whip the cream. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a cold bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form — the cream should hold its shape when you lift the beaters straight up. This takes roughly 3–4 minutes.
- 3
Fold the cream into the pudding. Scoop the whipped cream onto the chilled pudding base. Using a large spatula, fold gently in wide strokes from the bottom of the bowl up and over. Keep folding until the mixture is uniformly smooth with no white streaks. Don't stir or beat — folding keeps the texture light.
- 4
Layer the pudding. In a 9×13-inch dish or a large trifle bowl, spread a thin layer of the pudding mixture across the bottom. Arrange a single layer of vanilla wafers on top, followed by a layer of sliced bananas. Spoon about a third of the remaining pudding over the bananas and spread it to the edges. Repeat the layers — wafers, bananas, pudding — until everything is used, finishing with a pudding layer on top.
- 5
Chill before serving. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. The wafers will soften into a cake-like texture as they absorb moisture from the pudding. The pudding is ready when the top layer is set and the wafers yield easily to a spoon.
Used in this recipe: Hand Mixer Glass Baking Dish With Lid (Amazon, affiliate links)
Notes
Tips for Success
- Use cold ingredients — the water, condensed milk, and cream must be cold so the cream whips to stiff peaks and the pudding base thickens properly.
- Slice bananas right before you layer them to prevent browning; if needed, toss with a little lemon juice.
- For the best texture, chill the assembled pudding overnight (8–12 hours) rather than just 4 hours so the wafers soften to a cake-like consistency.
- Fold the whipped cream into the chilled pudding gently using wide strokes; stop as soon as there are no white streaks to keep the filling light and mousse-like.
- Banana pudding can be made up to 24 hours ahead, which actually improves the flavor and texture.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't rush the chilling — the pudding base needs at least 4 hours in the fridge before folding in the whipped cream, or the final dessert will be runny.
- Don't under-whip the cream; it must reach stiff peaks, not soft peaks, to provide structure and keep the pudding layers from collapsing.
- Don't slice the bananas too far ahead; they will brown and soften, so slice them just before each layer.
Nutrition (per serving)
550 kcal
Calories
6g
Protein
51g
Carbs
30g
Fat
1g
Fiber
150mg
Sodium
This banana pudding is a no-bake layered dessert: a pudding base of sweetened condensed milk and instant vanilla pudding is chilled, folded with whipped cream, and layered with vanilla wafers and sliced bananas. It uses instant pudding rather than a cooked custard, so there is no stovetop step. Active work is about 15 minutes, but it needs two chilling periods, so plan on roughly 8 hours start to finish (the card lists 8 hours 15 minutes). It serves 12.
Ingredients
Pudding Base
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1½ cups ice-cold water
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, cold from the fridge, not room temperature
Assembly
- 1 (12 oz) box vanilla wafers (Nilla Wafers work well)
- 4 medium bananas, sliced into ¼-inch rounds; choose bananas that are yellow with minimal brown spots so they hold up in the layers
Keep the water, condensed milk and cream cold. The pudding mix thickens properly with cold liquid, and warm cream will not whip to stiff peaks.
Building Banana Pudding in Three Stages
- Make the pudding base. In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk and ice-cold water together until smooth. Add the instant pudding mix and whisk steadily for about 2 minutes, until thickened and lump-free. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm enough to hold a shape when you drag a spoon through it.
- Whip the cream. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer and a cold bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and it holds its shape when you lift the beaters straight up. This takes roughly 3-4 minutes.
- Fold the cream into the pudding. Scoop the whipped cream onto the chilled pudding base. With a large spatula, fold gently in wide strokes from the bottom up and over, until the mixture is smooth with no white streaks. Fold rather than stir or beat, and stop once it is combined so the texture stays light.
- Layer. In a 9×13-inch dish or a large trifle bowl, spread a thin layer of pudding across the bottom. Add a single layer of vanilla wafers, then a layer of sliced bananas. Spoon about a third of the remaining pudding over the bananas and spread it to the edges. Repeat the wafers, bananas and pudding until everything is used, finishing with pudding on top.
- Chill. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. The wafers soften into a cake-like texture as they absorb moisture from the pudding. It is ready when the top layer is set and the wafers yield easily to a spoon.
Why Banana Pudding Turns Runny, Dense or Brown
- Runny pudding: The base was not chilled long enough before you folded in the cream. Give it the full 4 hours, and whip the cream to true stiff peaks rather than soft ones, since the cream provides structure for the layers.
- Dense pudding: Over-folding deflates the air you whipped into the cream. Stop as soon as the white streaks are gone.
- Brown, soft bananas: Bananas darken within minutes of slicing. Slice them as you build each layer instead of all at once; a light squeeze of lemon juice on the slices helps a little.
- Mushy or crunchy wafers: Four hours gives a good pudding, but the wafers reach a soft-but-not-mushy, cake-like texture closer to 8-12 hours. Chill it overnight if you can.
- Loose pudding base: Room-temperature water or condensed milk makes the base thin. Start cold.
Cookie, Size and Dish Swaps
- Instead of vanilla wafers: Shortbread, chessmen cookies or graham crackers all work. Shortbread adds buttery richness and graham crackers bring a honey note.
- Smaller batch: Halve everything and use an 8×8 dish.
- Trifle bowl or individual cups: Layering in a clear bowl or cups shows off the layers for a party; the method is the same.
- Same flavors, different format: Our banana pudding cookies use the same banana and wafer combination.
Serving Banana Pudding at a Potluck or Cookout
Scoop it straight from the 9×13 dish at cookouts, potlucks and Sunday dinners; the card lists 12 servings. If you want another chilled, layered dessert on the table, try the strawberry icebox cake or, for a summer holiday spread, the red white and blue trifle.
Make-Ahead, Storing and Freezing Banana Pudding
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours before serving. Beyond that, the bananas start to darken and the wafers get overly soft. 8-12 hours of chilling is the sweet spot.
- Leftovers: Keep covered in the refrigerator, and do not leave it out for more than 2 hours. Eat within 3-4 days, though the bananas darken and the wafers soften more each day.
- Freezing: Possible but it changes the texture. The whipped cream layer can turn slightly grainy and bananas turn mushy. If you must freeze it, leave the bananas out, and add fresh slices after thawing overnight in the fridge.
The card lists about 550 kcal per serving, since it is built on condensed milk and heavy cream.
Banana Pudding FAQ
Can I make banana pudding ahead of time?
Yes, it is one of the better make-ahead desserts. Assemble it up to 24 hours ahead and chill it covered.
How many servings does this make?
The card lists 12 generous servings from a 9×13 dish.
