Banana Pudding Recipe

5 from 10 votes

Layers of creamy vanilla pudding, bananas, and vanilla wafers are topped with Cool Whip in this quick and easy old fashioned banana pudding!

Prep Time10

Chill Time8

Total Time8 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana pudding recipe

Servings:

Calories: 628kcal

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk with the water and milk.
Stir in the instant vanilla pudding and blend well.
Line the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish with one layer of vanilla wafers.
Thinly slice your bananas and add a layer of bananas over the wafers.
Give your pudding a quick stir and pour a layer of pudding over the bananas.
Repeat the layers using wafers, bananas, and pudding until you have filled your dish, making the top layer a layer of vanilla wafers.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to allow the vanilla wafers to soften.
Top with Cool Whip before serving and garnish with extra banana slices or wafers.

You’ll want to make sure you’re starting with firm, just-ripe bananas. If you get bananas that are too ripe, they’re likely to brown much quicker.
You can treat the bananas with a spritz of lemon juice or lime juice. To avoid changing the flavor, you won’t want to use a ton of citrus juice — just a quick brush to each side or spritz from a spray bottle.
Slice your bananas just before you use them. The longer they’re exposed to air, the more likely they are to turn brown. The layers of pudding also help them stay out of the air and maintain their color.
It is best to make this classic dessert a day in advance as it will allow time for all of the flavors to mingle, and the wafers will have softened just the right amount by the next day.