Recipe

Bold Banana Pudding With Tangy Cream

Creamy, tangy, and unapologetically banana-forward with a bright cream cheese swirl, crisp cookie layers, and a pudding base with real flavor.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A glass trifle dish filled with layered banana pudding, vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, and swirls of tangy whipped cream on a kitchen counter

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Banana pudding has big comfort energy. It is creamy, cozy, and basically impossible to be in a bad mood while eating it. But a lot of versions lean sweet-sweet and end up tasting like banana-scented clouds. Cute, but not what I want.

This one is my kind of pudding. It is bold and banana forward, with a tangy cream layer that cuts the sweetness and makes every bite feel balanced. The texture hits too: soft pudding, tender bananas, and cookies that go from crisp to cakey in the best way after a chill.

No fancy ingredients, no drama. Just a pudding recipe you can trust, plus a couple small tricks that make it taste like you tried harder than you did.

A spoon scooping a creamy serving of banana pudding with visible banana slices and softened vanilla wafers from a glass dish

Why It Works

Tangy and creamy: Cream cheese and a little sour cream add brightness so the dessert tastes rich, not cloying.
Real banana flavor: Ripe bananas plus a small hit of banana extract (optional, but powerful) makes it taste like bananas, not just vanilla pudding with slices.
Stable and scoopable: Cornstarch thickens the pudding so it sets cleanly and holds layers.
Great texture the next day: A long chill turns the cookies tender while the top stays fluffy.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

How to Store It

Refrigerate: Cover tightly and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. It is best on day 1 and day 2 when the bananas still taste fresh.
Prevent pudding skin: Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding as it chills. This keeps it silky.
Slow banana browning: For leftovers, press plastic wrap directly against any exposed banana slices on top, then cover the whole dish. Less air contact helps.
Make ahead: Assemble up to 12 hours ahead for ideal cookie texture. If you want a crunchier bite, assemble 2 to 4 hours before serving.
Freezing: Not recommended. The pudding can weep and the bananas get weirdly mushy once thawed.

Common Questions

What makes this banana pudding “tangy”?

The tang comes from a whipped layer made with cream cheese and a little sour cream. It tastes like a gentle cheesecake vibe folded into banana pudding, which is exactly the point.

Can I use instant pudding instead?

You can, but the flavor will be less bold and the texture can get a little fluffy instead of custardy. If you do use instant, still make the tangy cream layer and add a pinch of salt. Those two moves rescue a lot.

How ripe should the bananas be?

Use ripe bananas with brown speckles. Avoid fully black bananas here. They can taste boozy and make the texture mushy.

What cookies work best?

Classic vanilla wafers are the move. Shortbread cookies work too. If you use graham crackers, expect a softer, more cake-like texture after chilling.

Why did my pudding turn lumpy?

Usually it is one of two things: the cornstarch was not fully whisked in, or the heat was too high and it set too fast. If it happens, strain the hot pudding through a fine-mesh sieve. It feels extra, but it fixes everything.

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
Fine-mesh sieve (optional, but great insurance)
Mixing bowls
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Rubber spatula
8x8 inch dish or a 2 to 2.5 quart trifle dish

I started making banana pudding when I wanted a low effort dessert that still felt like I brought something special. The first few times were good, but they always needed a little more personality. So I did what I always do when a dish feels flat: I added salt, brought in some tang, and leaned harder into the main ingredient. Now it is the version I make when I want people to take one bite, pause, and immediately go back in for a second scoop.

Bold Banana Pudding With Tangy Cream

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes

Servings 10

Ingredients

For the pudding

3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon banana extract (optional, for bolder banana flavor)

For the tangy cream layer

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, cold
Pinch of salt

For layering

4 to 5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 1/4-inch thick)
11 ounce box vanilla wafers (or about 60 to 70 cookies)
Optional garnish: crushed wafers, extra banana slices right before serving

Instructions

Make the pudding base. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium, whisking often, until steaming and starting to thicken, 5 to 7 minutes.
Temper the yolks. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to warm the yolks, then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan while whisking.
Cook until thick. Keep whisking over medium heat until the pudding bubbles gently and thickens to a custard consistency, 1 to 2 minutes. You want a real simmer here so the starch fully kicks in. Turn off the heat. (If you use a thermometer, aim for about 170 to 175°F.)
Finish for flavor. Whisk in butter, vanilla, and banana extract (if using). For ultra smooth pudding, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
Chill it correctly. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and refrigerate until cool to the touch, about 1 to 2 hours. It does not need to be fully set yet, just cooled so it will not melt the cream layer.
Make the tangy cream. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, whip cold heavy cream to soft-medium peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fluffy and combined.
Assemble the layers. In an 8x8 dish or trifle dish, add a layer of vanilla wafers, then a layer of banana slices. Spread on about 1/3 of the pudding, then about 1/3 of the tangy cream. Repeat twice more, ending with the tangy cream on top. (Keeping bananas tucked between creamy layers helps slow browning.)
Chill and let it become itself. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, ideally 6 to 12 hours for the best texture.
Serve. Top with crushed wafers right before serving if you want a little crunch. Add fresh banana slices on top right before serving if you want them pretty. Scoop big. This is not the time to be shy.

Tip: If banana appearance really matters, you can lightly toss the slices in a tiny squeeze of lemon juice before layering. Keep it light so it does not taste like lemonade.

Nutrition information is estimated.

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