The Best Banana Pudding Ever!
This is the BEST Banana Pudding EVER! Seriously! It is a must make recipe, you definitely need in your life. If you love creamy, rich, light and fluffy banana pudding, this one is for you. Not only is this no bake dessert very easy to make and assemble, it’s a huge hit with everyone that tries it!
No other recipe can beat Paula Deen’s Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding. My grandma’s classic banana pudding recipe is delicious, but this one really takes it to the next level. It’s pretty much my favorite dessert and I love that it’s so quick and easy to make. It’s a go-to for family gatherings, potlucks and barbecues, and it’s always the star of the show. There’s never a bite left!
We especially love the chessman butter cookies! You’ll even find that they come in seasonal designs for spring, which is great for Easter. And around Christmas, they have images of candy canes, Christmas trees, holiday wreathes, jingle bells and holly leaves.
Oh my gosh, this was delicious! So easy to make and my husband already requested I make it again this weekend. A hit for sure! Loved the chessmen cookies on top too.
— Rosa
Why you should make this recipe
- Easy to make. This dessert is completely no bake, which means you don’t have to heat up your oven at all for this one, but you still get a delicious treat. Perfect for those hot summer days!
- Simple. You only need 6 easy-to-find common ingredients.
- So delicious. The textures are so luxurious – creamy pudding, airy whipped cream, the soft bite of the banana slice, all paired with the slight crunch of the cookies.
- Great for the holidays & potlucks. This makes 10 servings, so it’s great to serve for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, birthdays and other get togethers. Since it’s a no-bake recipe, it doesn’t compete for precious oven space, plus you can make it a day or so ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge.
Ingredients needed
The ingredient list for this banana pudding recipe is short and sweet! You only need 6 ingredients. Here’s the lineup:
- Cookies. For the cookie layer we’re using Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Butter Cookies. They are scrumptious shortbread cookies you can find at most any grocery store. As the cookies sit in the pudding, they become soft and almost cake-like and SO irresistibly delicious! If preferred, you could substitute them for another variety of butter cookies.
- Bananas. Use ripe bananas that are still slightly firm. They will soften as the banana pudding sits in the refrigerator.
- Milk. This recipe uses both regular milk and sweetened condensed milk. I have successfully used almond milk and fat free sweetened condensed milk, but using full fat ingredients will yield the richest, tastiest pudding.
- Pudding. I use INSTANT French vanilla pudding, like Paula Deen. You can also use instant vanilla pudding mix. However, for a stronger banana flavor, you can use instant banana cream pudding mix. Even plain vanilla would work. Be sure to use INSTANT pudding mix for best results.
- Cream cheese. You will need 8 ounces of cream cheese. You can use reduced fat cream cheese, but for a richer flavor use full fat.
- Whipped topping. I like using Cool Whip for this. Homemade whipped cream will work, but it is not as stable and more likely to melt.
How to make this recipe
The ingredients and assembly instructions are really simple. Here’s the simple process:
- Add the cookies and banana. Start by lining the bottom of a 9×13 glass dish with Pepperidge Farm Chessman Cookies. Now, top the cookies with a layer of banana slices.
- Mix the milk and pudding. In a large bowl, combine the whole milk (or other milk) and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer, stand mixer or whisk.
- Stir together all filling ingredients. Using another large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.
- Add the pudding mixture to the dish. Pour the custard mixture over the cookies and banana slices. Top with additional layers of banana slices and cookies.
- Chill. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours (4 hours is best), or even overnight, and until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Expert tips
- Bananas for banana pudding need to be just barely ripe, no brown spots. If the bananas are too ripe, they will get too mushy and will brown faster than just barely ripe bananas.
- Make sure you buy INSTANT pudding, that way it will thicken up without having to heat it.
- I suggest buying an extra bag of cookies. This will give you extras in case some are broke.
- I highly recommend using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to combine ingredients, so that the creamy filling is super smooth. However, you can use a large spoon or whisk to mix ingredients.
- Be sure to allow time for the cream cheese to soften to room temperature. It’s essential for mixing the cream cheese with the sweetened condensed milk!
- For best results, allow the banana pudding to chill for at least 4 hours, overnight is best!
Variations
I absolutely love this recipe as-is, but there are also many fun (and delicious) way to customize it. Here’s some options:
- Try using different fruits in addition or in place of the banana. I really want to try a strawberry banana version!
- Use a different flavor of pudding mix. Banana cream pudding mix would intensify the banana flavor.
- Personally, I’m a huge fan of the chessman cookies in this, but you can use other shortbread cookies or butter cookies, like Lorna Doone cookies or the classic vanilla wafers. Even graham crackers would work!
- Prepare in a trifle bowl or individual trifle dishes or ramekins to change up the presentation.
- Feel free to add an extra layer of cookies and banana, if you prefer. You can really add as many, or as few cookies and banana slices as you want.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe is from Paula Deen and the taste is fantastic. Sometimes I use lower calorie ingredients and it works great. However, using higher calorie ingredients will result in a firmer, more rich pudding layer. The nutrition listed below, in the recipe card, is for full fat ingredients.
This dish gets eaten up so quickly, the bananas probably won’t have time to get brown! But if you’re concerned with them looking brown, you can spray a small amount of lemon juice on the bananas before adding them to the pudding. This should keep the bananas from turning brown.
Yes, you can ABSOLUTELY use Nilla wafers. I personally prefer the chessman cookies. They really make this recipe something special, in my opinion.
Storage recommendations
Banana Pudding can be made a day before you plan to serve it. In fact, I recommend making it the night before serving it to let the flavors intensify. Once you cut into it, for best results, it should be eaten within about three days. After about three days, it’s still good to eat, but the bananas will most likely become brown and very soft.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator and make sure it is covered well with plastic wrap. If your 9×13 dish has a lid, that works too. I don’t recommend freezing this dessert. As it thaws, the pudding will become mushy and watery.
More dessert recipes
- Cream Cheese Pie
- Chocolate Delight
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Coffee Cake (personal fave!)
- Chocolate Pudding Pie
- Cherry Dump Cake
If you try this delicious dessert recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
The Best Banana Pudding Ever!
Ingredients
- 2 bags Pepperidge Farm chessmen cookies*, 20 cookies for the bottom layer and 20 cookies for the top layer
- 4-6 bananas** , sliced (I used 5 bananas)
- 2 cups milk, dairy or nondairy
- 1 (5-ounce) box INSTANT French vanilla pudding
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (you can use light cream cheese)
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk , (fat free will work)
- 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping , I use Cool Whip (the light variety works)
Instructions
- Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch dish with cookies and layer banana slices on top.
- In medium bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer, stand mixer or whisk.
- Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. (I use my stand mixer for all ingredient combining.)
- Pour the mixture over the cookies and banana slices. Top with additional banana slices and cookies. Refrigerate about 2-3 hours and until ready to serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I’m wondering if I can make this without so much dairy? This is my husband’s favorite dessert and I don’t won’t to ruin it for him. I can’t have to much dairy I found some condense coconut milk and want to use almond milk plus a different brand of cool whip. I am afraid to make it and it not be good! Any suggestions?
I think it will still be delicious using those ingredients. I have made it with light sweetened condensed milk, light cool whip and almond milk and it was still tasty, just not as firm or rich.
Loved the pudding! But, the cookies were just too much in my opinion. Had it after about 5 hours in fridge, and the cookies were not softened. So, the thickness and crunchiness of the cookies didn’t allow the banana pudding to be the dominant flavor and creamy texture. Will try today after over 24 hours, and see if this improves.
Hey there. Thanks for sharing. Banana Pudding is my all time favorite dessert. The addition of cream cheese makes this so decadent and I love the texture and flavor it lends to the pudding.
I always use heavy whipping cream instead of cool whip. I fold it into the pudding once everything is combined and to kick up the flavor profile I use 1 teaspoon vanilla, a 1/2 tspn cinnamon along with 1/2 tspn nutmeg. The chessman cookies are delicious. It’s refrigerating until dinner tomorrow. Can’t wait to enjoy.
Thanks for your feedback! Enjoy!
I make this often, but never with bananas (my sister doesn’t like them, so I started getting creative). Chocolate pudding with fresh strawberries, canned cherries, cheesecake pudding with either of those or canned blueberries. I want to try lemon pudding with blueberries or raspberries next. So good.
Yum! Love all of those ideas… I definitely need to give some other fruits and such a try!
Can I use shortbread cookies instead of chessman butter cookies?
sure! That would work fine. Enjoy!
Made this for a Christmas dessert and it was a huge hit! Might be my favorite dessert of all time. and it definitely took the normal banana pudding up a notch!
Love! Love! Love! This recipe!!
When I said I was making Banana Cream Pie for Thanksgiving, well let’s just say no one was excited. That is until they saw it. Eyes got big, smiles on faces, questions about what kind of pie is that??
Banana Cream Pie! Do you want a piece?
It was the first pie finished!!
Thank You for giving an oldie but goodie and new style and look!
DELISH!!!
Love hearing this!! It is truly one of my favorites too! Thanks so much for taking time to comment!
This was the first banana pudding I have ever made. It was excellent and we consumed it at record speed. Next time I will use heavy whipping cream instead of Cool Whip. Ran out of Chessmen Butter cookies because they are my favorites and I had to snack on them a bit. Embarrassing!
Haha! Sounds like me! So glad you enjoyed!
I always make for all family get togethers but had never tried it with these cookies and it was definitely delicious!!💖🤗 I don’t think I’ll ever make it a different way!
I already know I love this recipe since I’ve used it in the past! I am curious though.. would regular vanilla pudding work just the same as French vanilla? My local stores were out when I went. If there is a major difference I will keep looking for French vanilla. Thankyou!
French vanilla has a bit of a sweeter, richer flavor. I think the regular vanilla will work just fine. Happy holidays!
This was delicious especially with the cookies. Most banana puddings I’ve had use Nilla wafers and for me they seem too sweet especially when you get a few wafers in a spoonful it’s like a sugar bomb. These cookies aren’t as sweet and help balance out the flavors.
Yes, it is definitely a favorite of mine! Glad you enjoyed!
I made this with my daughter and we absolutely loved it! Is the nutrition info for the entire recipe?
The nutritional info listed is for one serving using full fat ingredients. This recipe makes 10 servings and servings are large. You could definitely be satisfied having 1/2 of a serving. You can also lighten this recipe up quite a bit using light and fat free ingredients. I have made it this way and it was delicious, just not quite as firm or rich. Enjoy!
This was so good and didn’t last long! My whole family gobbled it up!
This was excellent! I love Banana Pudding and seriously you know being from the South we make this a lot! This is honestly my favorite recipe I’ve ever tried. Thanks so much… I will make this again and again!
I made this yesterday! It is to die for wonderful! I used sugar-free pudding and 1% milk. Will probably go with lower-fat cream cheese and lite cool whip next. I will definitely make this again!
I have made this recipe before. It is awesome. My whole family loves it!
Oh my gosh, this was delicious! So easy to make and my husband already requested I make it again this weekend. A hit for sure! Loved the chessmen cookies on top too.
My whole family loved this! Great recipe, Kim!
Favorite dessert ever! I actually asked my mom to make this for my b-day! 🙂
Made this yesterday for a cookout. It was a hit! Thank you for sharing.
Really good! This recipe tastes homemade and not like instant pudding mix that you use. I was concerned it would be too sweet but it was perfect and flavorful. My husband said it’s the best banana pudding he has ever had. Light and easy to make for summer!
I made it today and it was super delish. Everyone loved it. Thanks for posting it. I think what makes the difference is the cream cheese in it. I loved it. I’ll make it for sure again.