Instant Pudding Banana Pudding
Layers of creamy vanilla pudding, sliced bananas and Nilla Wafers, no stove required. Make it ahead so the wafers go soft and cakey.
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 12. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
- 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding mix, 3.4 oz each
- 3 cups cold whole milk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz whipped topping, 1 tub, thawed, like Cool Whip
- 5 ripe bananas, sliced
- 11 oz Nilla Wafers, 1 box
Gear
- 9x13 dish or trifle bowl
- Whisk
- Large mixing bowl
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Steps
Step 1: Whisk the pudding mix and cold milk in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Let it set 5 minutes.
Step 2: Whisk in the condensed milk and vanilla until smooth.
Step 3: Fold in the whipped topping gently, keeping it fluffy. Save a few big spoonfuls for the top if you want.
Step 4: In a 9x13 dish or big trifle bowl, layer a third of the wafers, a third of the bananas, then a third of the pudding. Repeat twice.
Step 5: Crush a handful of wafers and sprinkle them on top, with a few whole ones around the edge.
Step 6: Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight, so the wafers soften.
Swaps
- Cookies: Shortbread cookies or Chessmen.
- Pudding: Banana cream instant pudding for extra banana flavor.
- Topping: Real whipped cream: 1 cup heavy cream whipped with 2 tablespoons sugar.
Tips
- Cover the bananas completely with pudding so they don’t brown.
- Use bananas that are yellow with a few brown spots: sweet but still firm.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
In the South, banana pudding is not a dessert. It’s a sign that something important is happening. Church supper, funeral, family reunion, Tuesday. If there’s a banana pudding, you know people care.
The magic happens in the fridge. Those dry, crunchy wafers soak up moisture from the pudding and turn soft and cake-like, so the whole thing goes from layers to one creamy, spoonable dessert. The condensed milk makes it richer and sweeter than plain boxed pudding, and the whipped topping lightens it so it’s not heavy.
So yes, you have to wait four hours. Use that time to clean the kitchen. Or to hide a spoon.
HAM out.
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