Easy Banana Pudding Recipe

A photo of a spoon with a bite of banana pudding on it.

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This banana pudding recipe isn’t fancy or new, but it’s everything you want in a classic Southern-style dessert. This easy-to-make dessert features layers of creamy vanilla pudding, soft bananas, and crunchy Nilla wafers that make it a simple, nostalgic favorite

Prep Time30

Setting & Chilling Time8

Total Time8 30

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 18 servings

Ingredients

▢ 1 14oz can (396g) sweetened condensed milk
▢ 1 and ½ cups (360mL) cold water
▢ 1 3.4oz box (96g) instant vanilla pudding
▢ 3 cups (720mL) heavy cream
▢ 6 medium bananas¹
▢ 2 Tablespoons (30mL) lemon juice² optional but encouraged
▢ 1 12oz box Nilla Wafers coarsely crushed

Need to keep track of your ingredients?Check out my Printable Ingredient List!

Instructions

Make the pudding: in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, combine the sweetened condensed milk and water and beat on medium speed until well-combined.
1 14oz can (396g) sweetened condensed milk, 1 and ½ cups (360mL) cold water
Add the pudding mix and beat again on medium speed until smooth. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to allow the pudding mixture to set up.
1 3.4oz box (96g) instant vanilla pudding
In a medium size bowl with a handheld electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until medium-stiff peaks.
3 cups (720mL) heavy cream
Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until there are no more streaks of pudding. Set aside or chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
Prepare the bananas³ (optional): line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Slice the bananas into ½" slices and place them on the baking sheet, then brush them lightly with the lemon juice. Carefully flip each banana slice over to brush lemon juice on the other side.
6 medium bananas1, 2 Tablespoons (30mL) lemon juice2
Assemble⁴ the dessert: layer ⅓ of the Nilla wafers, ⅓ of the pudding, and ⅓ of the bananas into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Repeat this layering again, then do a final layer of wafers/bananas/pudding so the bananas in the top layer are covered. You can reserve a handful of Nilla wafers to garnish the top of the dessert if you wish.
1 12oz box Nilla Wafers
Cover banana pudding tightly and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftovers covered tightly for up to 2 days.

Notes

Bananas: you want bananas that have just turned yellow. If they still have a tiny bit of green on them, that's even better!
Lemon juice: this can be fresh or bottled. You can also use lime juice or diluted white distilled vinegar.
Prepare the bananas: I like to include this step because it prevents the bananas from browning too quickly. I especially encourage this step if you aren't serving the pudding right away or you're preparing a DIY/stationed dessert.
Assemble the dessert: you can also make this in smaller portions in dessert cups. There is no "one size fits all" for the size of your dessert cups, so do your best to distribute everything evenly.

Recipe from The Magnolia Bakery Handbook of Icebox Desserts

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.