Description
This Easy Banana Pudding Recipe is a creamy, layered dessert featuring vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, and whipped cream. Perfect for gatherings or a simple but impressive treat, it requires no baking and only takes a few minutes to prepare before chilling to set. The blend of smooth pudding, crunchy wafers, and fresh bananas creates a delightful texture and flavor combination that’s sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Ingredients
Pudding Mixture
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6.8 oz Instant vanilla pudding (two packages, 3.4 oz each)
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (or to taste)
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar (optional)
Layers
- 11 oz vanilla wafers
- 5 fresh bananas
Instructions
- Prepare pudding base: In a large bowl, beat the cold milk with vanilla extract and the instant vanilla pudding packets until the mixture thickens, approximately 2 minutes. Then pour in the sweetened condensed milk and beat again until fully combined.
- Whip cream: In a separate chilled bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. This will take about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer on medium-high speed.
- Fold cream into pudding: Gently fold about two-thirds of the whipped cream into the pudding mixture using a spatula, being careful to retain the airiness.
- Sweeten remaining whipped cream: Add powdered sugar to the remaining one-third of whipped cream and fold to combine. Refrigerate this for garnish and topping until needed.
- Layer the dessert: In a trifle bowl or large glass dish, start with a layer of about one-quarter of the vanilla wafers, followed by one-quarter of sliced bananas. Spread one-quarter of the pudding mixture over the bananas and wafers. Repeat this layering process three more times until all ingredients are used, creating four layers total.
- Add whipped cream topping: Spread the reserved sweetened whipped cream over the final pudding layer. Decorate as desired, possibly with extra wafers or banana slices.
- Chill and serve: Cover the assembled pudding and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld and the wafers soften slightly. Serve chilled.
Notes
- For best results, use very cold milk and chilled bowls when whipping cream to help it whip properly.
- Adjust the amount of sweetened condensed milk to your taste preference for sweetness.
- The dessert is best served within 24 hours as the wafers will become very soft over time.
- Optional: garnish with extra vanilla wafers or banana slices for presentation.
- This recipe requires no baking and is a quick, no-cook option.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
