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Creamy Southern banana pudding layered with vanilla pudding, ripe bananas, and Nilla wafers in a glass dish. A traditional no-bake dessert perfect for gatherings.

Banana Pudding

Olivia Carter
A no-bake, layered dessert with creamy vanilla custard, ripe bananas, and Nilla wafers, topped with fluffy whipped cream. Perfect for potlucks, holidays, or anytime you need a comforting sweet treat.
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25 minutes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Chill Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 27 minutes
COST $12–$18
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword banana pudding
Servings 10 people
Calories 420 kcal

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • 9x13-inch baking dish or large trifle bowl
  • Electric hand mixer or whisk
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • Spatula
  • plastic wrap

Ingredients
  

For the Pudding:

  • 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz)
  • 3 cups cold whole milk
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 block cream cheese, softened (8 oz)

For Layering & Topping:

  • 1 box Nilla wafers (11 oz)
  • 6 medium ripe bananas, sliced
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • extra wafer crumbs or banana slices Optional garnish

Instructions
 

  • Grab a big bowl and beat the softened cream cheese until it's nice and smooth. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, and mix it all up until it's totally combined.
    Cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk being mixed until smooth to form the base of banana pudding.
  • Sprinkle in the instant pudding mixes and pour in the cold milk. Now, whisk or beat everything for a good 2–3 minutes—you'll see it get really thick. Let it just sit there for about 5 minutes; it'll firm up a bit more.
  • In a separate bowl (or just rinse out the first one!), whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar together until you get stiff peaks. Don't go too far or you'll end up with sweet butter!
    Fresh whipped cream beaten to stiff peaks for folding into banana pudding.
  • Delicately blend the light whipped cream with the pudding mixture. Go slow and be gentle to keep it light and creamy. Fold it just until everything is smooth and blended.
  • Time to layer! In your 9x13 dish, spread just a thin base layer of the pudding. Top that with a single layer of Nilla wafers, then a layer of banana slices. Repeat these layers two more times, always finishing with a nice thick layer of pudding on top.
    Banana slices and vanilla wafers layered evenly in a baking dish for banana pudding.
  • This next step is key: cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding. This keeps air out and prevents a weird "skin" from forming. Now, walk away! Let it chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but honestly, overnight is magic—the flavors melt together and the wafers get perfectly soft.
    Banana pudding covered tightly with plastic wrap before chilling to prevent browning.
  • When you're ready to serve, you can whip a little extra cream for on top if you want it extra fancy. Sprinkle some crushed wafers over everything for that classic look, and dig in!

Notes

  • For the best outcome, choose bananas that are ripe but still firm, displaying a yellow hue with brown spots.
  • Let the pudding chill overnight. The wafers soften perfectly, and flavors meld.
  • Keep refrigerated. Best enjoyed within 3 days.
  • For a reduced-calorie option, use 2% milk instead of whole milk and leave out the whipped cream topping.

Nutrition (per serving, approx. ¾ cup):

 

Nutrient Amount
Calories 420
Total Fat 22g
Saturated Fat 13g
Cholesterol 70mg
Sodium 280mg
Total Carbohydrates 51g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 38g
Protein 7g