Recipe

Best Banana Pudding Recipe

Creamy vanilla pudding, ripe bananas, and tender cookies layered into a cold, sweet classic that disappears fast.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.9

A glass trifle dish filled with creamy banana pudding layered with vanilla wafers and sliced bananas on a kitchen counter

Banana pudding is one of those desserts that looks humble, then immediately proves it has main-character energy. It’s cool, creamy, sweet, and somehow even better the next day after the cookies soften into that perfect cake-like layer.

This version keeps things accessible and low drama, but still tastes like you put in real effort. We use an easy stovetop vanilla pudding (no boxed mix flavor here), plenty of ripe bananas, and vanilla wafers for that nostalgic crunch-turned-tender magic. The finishing move is a cloud of lightly sweetened whipped cream that makes every bite feel a little extra.

If you can whisk and you can wait for it to chill, you can make the best banana pudding of your life. Tasting as you go is not only allowed, it is encouraged.

A mixing bowl of thick vanilla pudding with a whisk resting inside on a wooden countertop

Why It Works

Ultra creamy pudding that actually tastes like vanilla: Real vanilla plus a pinch of salt keeps it rich, not flat.
Helps prevent watery layers: Cornstarch and egg yolks thicken the pudding, and a little butter gives it that silky finish.
Perfect texture after chilling: The wafers soften into tender layers while still holding their shape, and the bananas stay front and center.
Make-ahead friendly: This is a dessert that rewards you for making it early. Overnight banana pudding is the move.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Refrigerate: Cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. It is best within 24 to 48 hours when the cookies are perfectly soft and the bananas still look fresh.

Banana browning tip: If you are making this ahead, keep the top layer as whipped cream and cookies, not bananas. Bananas are happiest tucked inside the pudding layers.

Freeze: Not recommended. The pudding and whipped cream can weep and turn grainy after thawing.

Common Questions

What kind of bananas should I use?

Use ripe bananas that are fragrant and yellow with a few brown freckles. Super green bananas taste starchy. Very brown bananas can get a little too intense and soft for clean slices.

Can I make banana pudding the day before?

Yes, and you should. Assemble it, cover, and chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. Add a fresh crumble of wafers on top right before serving if you want a little crunch.

How do I keep the pudding from getting lumps?

Temper the egg yolks slowly with hot milk, whisk constantly, and keep the heat at medium. If lumps still happen, strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve. Nobody has to know.

Can I use Cool Whip instead of homemade whipped cream?

You can. For a similar volume to the whipped cream in this recipe, use 12 to 16 ounces of thawed whipped topping total (about 4 to 6 cups), then use most of it folded into the pudding and save the rest for the top. Homemade tastes fresher and less sweet, but use what works for your life.

Do I have to use vanilla wafers?

Nope. Shortbread cookies, butter cookies, or graham crackers all work. Vanilla wafers are the classic for a reason, but I am not here to police your cookie choices.

How do I keep bananas from turning brown?

For the freshest look, keep bananas tucked inside the layers and avoid putting them on top until serving. If you want, you can toss slices very lightly with a teaspoon or two of lemon juice, but it can add a little tang.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Medium saucepan
Whisk
Mixing bowls
Fine-mesh sieve (optional but great)
Plastic wrap
Hand mixer or stand mixer (for whipped cream)
Trifle dish, 9x13-inch dish, or large bowl for layering
Chef’s knife and cutting board

Banana pudding has always felt like the dessert that shows up to feed a crowd without making a scene. It just sits there in the fridge, quietly getting better, and then suddenly half the dish is gone and someone is scraping the sides like they paid rent.

I started making it as a practical skill project. Something I could bring to a get-together that would actually hit every time. The trick I learned fast is that banana pudding is basically a texture sandwich. You want creamy pudding, soft cookies, and bananas that taste like themselves. Get those three right, keep it cold, and you are the person everyone asks to bring dessert next time.