If you’re looking for THE Very Best Banana Pudding Ever, look no further! This truly is the greatest! Rich and creamy and surprisingly simple to make, it’s sure to become a family favorite and a huge crowd pleaser!
Sometimes I just make a recipe and it just does not work out. Other times I make a recipe and I knock it out of the park.
This is a knock-it-out-of-the-park kinda recipe!
I absolutely love banana pudding… and any banana dessert, really! Banana nut muffins, banana cake, banana pudding, banana bread, banana cream pie – I love it all and will never be able to resist any of them if presented the chance to eat something banana-y. But of all the banana things, pudding may have to be my number one fave!
There’s something so comforting about banana pudding – it just hits the spot every single time. And this banana pudding delivers in spades. It is totally delicious, light and fluffy but also creamy and decadent with amazing banana flavor, fresh whipped cream and lots of tender bananas and crunchy Nilla wafers. Like any self-respecting ‘nana pudding needs!
The Pudding
The pudding consists of a few parts. First, to make it extra rich and creamy and to offset *some* of the sweetness, we’re going to use some cream cheese and whip it up until it is light and fluffy. To that, we’ll add some sweetened condensed milk – aka nectar of the gods – and combine the two. Then we’ll add in a large box of instant banana pudding mix, beat it in, followed by some milk – I used reduced fat but whole works too! Once it has all come together, we’ll fold in some freshly whipped whipped cream to make a super fluffy mixture. You could also use Cool Whip that’s been thawed, but when it comes to banana pudding, I really think because it is a simple dish it needs the flavors to shine, so I prefer fresh whipped cream.
The Layering
This particular pudding dish is layered in a pan which makes serving a breeze since you can cut it into squares as seen in the photos – super simple! You’ll just start by adding a layer of Nilla Wafers to a lightly greased baking dish, followed by a layer of sliced banana coins, then a layer of half of the pudding mixture. Repeat your layers and finish off with a layer of some saved whipped cream. Cover, and we’ll refrigerate overnight – the hardest part of this recipe is waiting! Once we’re ready to serve, we’ll garnish with additional Nilla Wafer crumbs. Additionally, if you don’t like Nilla Wafers or can’t find them, shortbread or Chessman cookies can be used.
Light, fluffy, creamy, rich and SO dreamy, this Very Best Banana Pudding truly is the greatest!
*adapted from Paula Deen’s banana pudding
The Very Best Banana Pudding Ever
Ingredients
- 2½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, softened
- 14 oz (1 small can) sweetened condensed milk
- 5 oz (1 large box) instant banana pudding mix just the dry powder
- 1 cup 2% or whole milk
- 11 oz (1 box) Nilla Wafers
- About 8 medium bananas, sliced make sure they're barely ripe - too ripe/soft and they'll brown faster
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the heavy whipping cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract and, using the whisk attachment, whip until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the whipped cream to a separate medium bowl and set aside.
- To the wiped out stand mixer bowl, add the cream cheese and, using the same whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese until fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth and no lumps of cream cheese remain, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the dry pudding mix and mix well, then slowly stream in the milk and mix until fully combined.
- Add 2/3 of the whipped cream to the pudding mixture and fold it in gently until fully combined and no whipped cream streaks remain. Set aside.
- In your prepared pan, place an even layer of Nilla wafers and top with an even layer of sliced banana coins. Top with half of the pudding mixture and spread evenly. Repeat with another layer of Nilla wafers, followed by another layer of sliced banana coins, and the remaining pudding layer, spreading it evenly. Top with the remaining 1/3 of the whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Just before serving, crush any remaining Nilla wafers and sprinkle over the top. Store leftovers covered in the fridge, maximum 2 days.
Notes
You’re going to LOVE this recipe! My family, neighbors and I went crazy for it!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Shazwina says
Hi there! Love your recipes!
For this recipe, what can I use as a substitute for the instant banana pudding mix?
Thanks in advance 🙂
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Shazwina, nothing unfortunately!
Shazwina says
Awwwhh. It’s okay then, thanks for the reply! ?
Liz says
It won’t taste quite the same but you could make homemade jello pudding using plain gelatin, custard, and puréed bananas? I haven’t tried but plan to find a way as I don’t like the ingredients in jello
John B. says
I always use Cool Whip in place of making my own whipped cream. Sure, it’s not as good as actual whipped cream, but my family and coworkers always devour every last bit of banana pudding, leaving nothing to store. Most recipes for Banana Pudding Supreme I;ve seen use Cool Whip. So if you have the time and patience to make your own whipped cream topping, go for it. Just know that Cool Whip is an alternative.
Leah says
I couldn’t find the banana mix so I just used instant vanilla pudding mix instead.
Arbie says
Yea that’s what I would’ve done and added banana flavoring!! And it’s really good if you use chessmen cookies by Pepperidge Farm!😋
Mira says
Actually you can use plain vanilla pudding mix, or whatever flavor you would like!
christina strickland says
Instant vanilla pudding can be used.
Dianna says
Vanilla instant pudding
Christen says
Made this last night and it is AMAZING!! I’ve been looking for thick, fluffy banana pudding recipe and this is it. The layers are perfect, and the whipped cream layer on top completes it. I used less bananas though (4), only because I like fewer slices in my pudding :p Thanks so much for posting this recipe!!!
Candice says
Im so sorry to ask this I hope its not a stupid annoying question. 😛 I live in a small town with terrible grocery stores. I am having a hard time finding the instant banana pudding, but have found the cooked version. Will that still work? If not I will continue my search!
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Candice, unfortunately it will not work. Have you tried Walmart? I suppose in a pinch you could use instant vanilla pudding mix and add in 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp banana extract to the pudding mixture!
Jessica says
This is my first ever recipe review it was that good! Super different than any other banana pudding out there. I definitely recommend taking the extra time and making the whipped cream and not using cool whip, it makes this recipe that much better. Also, I didn’t need as many bananas, I was able to just use four.
Brenda Murray says
You can also get instant banana pudding on Amazon.
Mira says
You can definitely use already made banana pudding!
PJ says
IMO banana pudding HAS TO have whipping cream. Cool awhip just doesn’t cut it.
thedomesticrebel says
Agree! Thanks PJ!
Britt says
Finally found the perfect recipe! Ty
Ashley says
I’ve tried a similar recipe but with cool whip and boy toys one using whipped whippingcream is top notch ? thank you for another amazing recipe!
Leigh says
What is substitute or equivalent for nilla wafer. ? I can’t seem to find it
thedomesticrebel says
You can use the shortbread Chessman cookies!
Iris says
Just curious, what adaptations did you do to the recipe? Wondering if you toned it down or made it sweeter or easier in general.
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Iris, I believe the original recipe uses Cool Whip, so I used fresh whipped cream which I believe adds superior flavor. You can absolutely use Cool Whip but I think the fresh whipped cream is best.
Linda says
I made this banana pudding yesterday 5/30/21. It is frickin amazing! The best I have ever had! I made it for our doctors and co-workers….they loved it. Thank you very much for sharing your recipes ?
Chrissy says
Hello,
I made this recipe last night, just wanted to confirm that the pudding mixture after you mix in everything should be liquid and sets over night. Or should it have a thicker consistency when you are pouring it for the layers.
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Chrissy, it should not be super liquidy, no. The pudding mixture gets mixed with the whipped cream so it is definitely more like a pudding/thick consistency.
Meredith says
This makes a large amount. Can I freeze it?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Meredith, I would not recommend freezing this. It would not thaw out well.
Gretchen says
Absolutely, positively, THE best. The entire family went crazy over this and requested it each daily until the last bite was battled over!
Marie says
Seriously phenomenal. The tip on using less ripe bananas was so wise. The filling is very sweet and those bananas cut that down perfectly. I pride myself on always making fresh whipped cream so no Cool Whip in this house!
Holly says
Made today exactly how the recipe states-8 bananas, instant banana pudding and making your own whipped cream. It is delish! I also like knowing I’m not using the horrible ingredients that Cool Whip has. I’ll be trying more of your recipes :o)
Tanya says
This looks divine. Unfortunately, here in South Africa we do not have the wafers or the substitute. We do, however, use Tennis biscuits (a buttery coconut biscuit) in our no-bake fridge desserts and cheesecakes. I’m wondering if I could use vanilla pudding and layer with the Tennis biscuits but forego the bananas altogether and use maybe strawberries instead, but just to decorate the top. It would then be a vanilla pudding. I just love the recipe so much but I’m not really keen on the bananas.
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Tanya, yes, that would be good! Obviously it wouldn’t be banana pudding, but it would be delicious.
Jill says
Have you ever made this using vanilla instant pudding ? I wonder if that would work
or would it lose some of the flavor?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Jill, you absolutely can. It obviously won’t be as banana flavored.
MJ Carter says
You can make a pastry cream/pudding from scratch using 4 eggs yolks room temp, 2 cups milk, 1/2 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, t. vanilla, 1 T butter at the end. Cook until it starts to thicken then temper the yolks with warm milk (you can try cream) and then add yolks to mixture. Cook slowly stirring constantly to avoid scrambled eggs. These things most of us have on hand and it’s really better than pudding mix. I am going to try adding the cream cheese! Sounds like a great idea!
Susie says
How would you make this using a real pudding mixture to not get the artificial flavor from the packaged instant banana pudding?
Ling-Ling says
I make it with vanilla instant pudding instead, doesn’t have artificial banana flavor but still tastes marvelous
Evi1M4chine says
It’s just starch and flavoring. I don’t know the sizes where you live, but around here a sachet contains half a teaspoon of starch and a tiny bit of flavoring.
If you’re making pudding, just buy some plain starch instead, put half a teaspoon into a little bit of cold (!) liquid, stir it, add flavoring of choice, and put that into the rest of your liquid like you’d do with the sachet.
For the purposes of this recipe, you can of course just add flavoring (vanilla, banana), and some starch..
But I don’t know why such an artificial thing is needed in the first place. It will only taste … well … artificial.
Oh, and if nothing in the recipe contains any salt, a tiny hint of salt will definitely improve it if you’re making it for a US palate. 🙂
Nicole says
I would adjust the time in the mixer to make the whipped cream! 5-7 minutes makes butter, I had to start over. It only takes less than a minute to get it to whipped cream. Other than that, this recipe turned out fantastic!!!!!
Christina says
Loved this. I was worried it was going to be difficult to make but it was easy and tastes so good! Will definitely make this again! I used Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies instead of Nillas. Yum!
steph shahan says
has anyone used vanilla oreos ???
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Steph, that would work!
Suzanne Bridges says
My FAVORITE!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. Hands down the best recipe ever. I’ve made it several times already. I’m wondering how to make this a 8×8 or 9×9 recipe? Thoughts?
Vicky says
I am making this for just two, and I don’t we will able to eat all of it in a few days. Will cutting the recipe in half work?
Carol Anne Szewczak says
Can I crush up the vanilla wafers and have a layer of crushed up wafers instead of using them whole?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Carol Anne, yes you can!
Carol Anne Szewczak says
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I cannot wait to make this!!!! 👍🏻👍🏻
Susan Robinson says
It is April 2023 I work for the State of Oklahoma and we have an annual banana pudding contest. I found this recipe and made it for the contest that had over 20 people make banana pudding.. I actually won the contest and everyone loved it. Great recipe for sure.
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Susan, that’s amazing! Congrats on winning! I’d love to be a judge in that competition!
Susan says
Hi. I used lady fingers. Could not find nilla wafers. Im really hoping it turns out. Looks delicious. Crossing my fingers.
Maddy says
What can I use as a substitute for the 14 oz (1 small can) sweetened condensed milk!??
Can’t wait to get a taste! My whole family is waiting for this to come out fantastic lol
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Maddy, I cannot think of a substitute for the sweetened condensed milk unfortunately.
Dolly says
I have made this twice and it was a big hit both times. The first time I made it as written. The second time I made a double batch and subsitituted short bread cookies for the vanilla wafers. I prefer the short bread cookies. I brought one batch go a 3th of July pool bash, and with the second batch I made smaller containers to give away. It was a hit!
Becky says
Dumb question.. confectioner sugar? Is that powdered sugar or just plain sugar?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Becky, it is powdered!
Gussie says
It’s not a dumb question their were others wondering the same thing.
Never call yourself dumb. You’ll be surprised just how smart you are compared to others
Beth says
AMAZING recipe! The only thing I would suggest is either increasing the amount of ingredients used to create more pudding mix or using a smaller baking dish. A 9×13 dish is too large to get two full layers with then using the exact measurements in the recipe. Otherwise ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!
Debra says
I realized that I had never really had a good banana pudding and had never made it in 50 years of cooking and baking. I decided that I needed to find a recipe with a texture I liked and a rich flavor. Your recipe ticked all the boxes in my expectations of what I expected a Banana Pudding should be. I am beyond happy with this first attempt. I made two 8X8 inch so that I could send one with a friend as a Birthday gift and not be tempted to eat the entire thing myself. I worried it may be a bit too sweet so I reduced the powdered sugar in the whipped cream to 1/2 cup and only used a pint (2 c) container of cream rather than buying a larger size. I have been sampling the pudding well before waiting 8 hours and it is so good! Thank you!
Stephanie Stinson says
I tried this recipe for the first time at Thanksgiving. I didn’t change one thing about it and it absolutely lives up to its name! It is by far the best banana pudding ever! My entire family devoured it and asked me to make more than next day! Awesome recipe super happy with this! Thank you so much
Jana says
First time ever leaving a comment for a recipe, but, the pudding recipe is amazing in every way. I made it for a family Christmas dinner and it was the favorite of the night. All the kids and adults, picky ones included. Everyone told me that I should have doubled the recipe so they could take some home. There’s not one thing I can think of to make this better…perfection.
Stephanie says
I can only find banana cream pudding or vanilla which is better??
Chelsea says
Is it only 1 cup of milk? Just wanted to be sure because the Paula Dean recipe is 2 cups milk for the same quantity of the other items.. thank you!
Mama3 says
This is thee best banana pudding I have ever made! Thank you for this recipe!