Name: Banana Pudding Dessert
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: BBQ
Ingredients: 1 packet (5.1 oz) vanilla pudding; 2 Cups cold milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk; 8 oz. whipped cream; 4 bananas, sliced; 6 oz. vanilla wafer cookies; 1 Cup heavy whipping cream; 2 Tbsp powdered sugar; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

When you go to a BBQ restaurant, you will most likely see banana pudding listed as a dessert. This is a classic treat served up at family gatherings and backyard cookouts. I’ll show you how to make this easy banana pudding desert to finish off your meal!

Ingredients for Banana Pudding

Ingredients for the banana pudding recipe.

Here are all of the necessary ingredients for banana pudding:

Bananas
Vanilla pudding mix
Vanilla wafers – I prefer Nilla Wafers brand for best flavor
Milk – any milk you have on hand will do
Heavy whipping cream
Powdered sugar – confectioner’s sugar will work, too
Sweetened condensed milk
Vanilla extract – for use in both the whipped cream and banana pudding

Make the Whipped Cream

I prefer to use homemade whipped cream to use in this banana pudding recipe because when I use a premade whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, it makes the dessert way too sugary for my liking. And this is coming from a guy who loves drinking soda!

Making whipped cream at home is super simple: take one cup of heavy whipping cream and pour into a mixing bowl. Mix with two tablespoons of powdered sugar and a half teaspoon of vanilla. Use a mixer to beat for 3-4 minutes or until you get medium sized peaks on the beaters themselves. Once this is finished, set aside.

Making the Banana Pudding Dessert

Mixing cold milk and vanilla pudding packet together.

To make this easy banana pudding, start by pouring a 5 ounce packet of vanilla pudding into a large mixing bowl with two cups of cold milk. Mix these ingredients with a hand mixer for a couple of minutes.

When that has been well mixed, pour in a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk and mix some more. Finally, take your homemade whipped cream and put in and stir until well-blended.

Layering the Easy Banana Pudding

Layer of pudding and whipped cream mixture going on top of vanilla wafers and banana slices.

With the pudding now made, it’s time to strategically layer with slices of banana and vanilla wafer cookies. A trifle bowl is perfect for this because it is glass and you can see the layering. If you don’t have a trifle bowl for banana pudding, then you can use a large serving bowl or mixing bowl.

Start by placing a layer of vanilla wafer cookies on the bottom of the bowl, topped with slices of banana. Pour in a layer of banana pudding and make it evenly smooth. Repeat this process two more times, making three times total. Make sure to save a banana and extra vanilla wafers for topping later.

Chill, then Serve

Easy Banana pudding ready to go in the fridge to chill.

Place the layered banana pudding dessert in the refrigerator and let chill for at least four hours. After you have patiently waited for this moment to come, remove from the fridge and make a clever arrangement of Nilla wafers (my favorite vanilla wafer cookie) and sliced bananas on top. Feel free to check the featured image at the beginning of this post for inspiration.

How Long is Banana Pudding Good For?

Banana pudding served up in a single serve bowl.

Once made, this banana pudding can be served again chilled over the next two days. I suggest serving leftover banana pudding with some Nilla wafers right out of the box to get that nice, sweet crunch like when it was fresh. The ones originally used in the pudding will have become softened.

Other Dessert Recipes to Try

Looking for some other dessert recipes to bring to the BBQ? Here are some more awesome ideas:

Classic Gooey Butter Cake

S’mores Sliders

Caramel Apple Empanadas

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookie with Sea Salt Caramel