Yummy Ideas for Banana Pudding for a Dessert!

Having a quick dessert recipe when your sweet cravings go out of control is a must for everyone. A bowl of your favorite, heavenly dessert that is whipped up in no time is one retreat everyone looks forward to after a tedious day.

One of such recipes that you can safely resort to amid a busy schedule is banana pudding. It is one of the top favorite Southern desserts that wins the heart of many. Whether you have had a busy day or are in the mood for a creamy dessert to cheer you up, making banana pudding is an excellent choice. Also, you don’t need any fancy ingredients to prepare this dessert. 

Hence, this banana pudding recipe can surely impress your guests and family members without putting in much effort and time. Let’s now talk about how to make it at home.

Overview 

  • Prep time: 15 minutes (approximate) 
  • Cooking required: none 
  • Chill time: 30 minutes 
  • Total preparation time: 45 minutes 
  • Yields approximately 8 to 10 individual servings

Ingredients

  • Ripe and firm bananas (3 pieces) 
  • Lemon juice (1 tablespoon) 
  • Cold milk (two and a half cups) 
  • Instant vanilla pudding packet (about 5-ounce) 
  • Sweetened condensed milk (14-ounce can) 
  • Whipped topping (12-ounce container) 
  • Wafer biscuits (about 30 counts) 
  • Vanilla or cinnamon sugar (for garnish) 
  • A ripe banana for topping (optional) 

How to Make It  

Whipping up this yummy banana pudding is no hard work. Start by peeling the ripened bananas and thickly slicing them. Toss them in a bowl and mix in lemon juice. Next, you have to mix instant vanilla pudding into cold milk and whisk for about 2 minutes. You can also whisk using an electric mixer for your convenience. 

Now, mix the sweetened condensed milk until thoroughly blended and let it rest for 2 minutes. Fold half of the prepared whipped topping into the cold milk and pudding mixture gently with a spatula. 

Grab an 8-inch custard dish and start adding the layers of this yummy pudding. Take banana slices, vanilla wafers, and pudding mix and layer them up. Top the prepared pudding layers with the remaining half whipped topping and refrigerate for 30 minutes or till serving.   

You can slice the optional ripened banana and decorate the chilled pudding with it. If you want to go for a patisserie look, sprinkle some vanilla or cinnamon sugar on the top and serve with confidence! 

Preparing Homemade Vanilla Pudding 

You can also make homemade vanilla pudding to spin the traditional banana pudding and experiment with the tastes. You only need milk, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract for whipping up the vanilla pudding. Scald half the milk and set aside. In another bowl, toss and mix all the other ingredients except vanilla and add the remaining milk. 

Heat scalded milk over low heat and mix in the prepared mixture while constantly stirring. Let the mixture thicken over the heat and become smooth. You have to let the cornstarch cook thoroughly, which is why you have to cook it for approximately five more minutes. 

Let the mixture cool after turning off the heat and stir vanilla in. Pour the prepared vanilla pudding into dishes and enjoy while you use it in banana pudding or eat it as it is! 

Recipe Variations You Can Try 

  • Instead of the prepared whipped topping, you can prepare whipped cream at home by beating cold cream using a stand mixer until it doubles in volume. Sprinkle some sugar over the whipped cream and continue beating until soft peaks form. Let the mixture become fluffy, and your homemade sweetened whipped cream is ready! 
  • You can also swirl in some caramel or chocolate sauce over the whipped cream for enhanced flavor. 
  • Topping up each pudding cup with ice cream of your favorite flavor can turn your banana pudding into a banoffee flavor. 
  • You can also convert this recipe into toasted coconut banana pudding for some change. Take about three-fourth cup of sweetened coconut flakes and roast over low heat. A dry skillet is perfect for toasting the flakes. When the coconut flakes turn brown and aromatic, you can use them to top the banana layer in the pudding and sprinkle some on top before serving. 
  • Instead of vanilla pudding mix, you can experiment with banana cream pudding or cheesecake pudding for enhanced flavors. 
  • Using butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, or shortbread ones is also an option instead of vanilla wafers. Just break the biscuits or wafers into small pieces and use them to add crunch to the pudding. 

Helpful Tips for Making Banana Pudding 

  • Unless you are adamant about making vanilla pudding at home, preparing this banana pudding is the easiest. It requires no baking or cooking, so there is nothing better than whipping up banana pudding on a hot day. 
  • Use ripe bananas for the recipe as they are sweeter and have a strong flavor.
  • If you are worried about the ripened bananas turning brown before you have had a chance to use them in the recipe, you can brush them with lemon juice. Moreover, you can always resort to orange or pineapple juice if you are out of lemon juice to keep the ripened bananas from turning brown. 
  • It is best to compile this dish right before serving. It only needs about half an hour to set in the fridge.
  • You can easily store the leftover pudding and consume it within three days.
  • The bananas in the pudding might turn brown on the third day, and that is okay if you do not keep it any longer than that. Therefore, it is advised to quickly cover the bananas layer with pudding so that they do not turn brown. 
  • It is best not to freeze the pudding as freezing will make the mixture separate and droopy. 
  • For using a ripened banana as a topping, slice the bananas right when you need them before serving. 
  • It is not necessary to serve banana pudding in individual servings. You can also use a large casserole dish to show all the layers. 
  • Bananas release water in the mixture when put in layers. There is only one thing you can do to stop it from happening, and that is, assembling the banana pudding right before serving. For prepping ahead of your time, prepare the pudding layer and cover it with plastic wrap tightly. In this way, you can store and refrigerate it for a day or two. 

Nutritional Chart (Per Serving)  

Calories Fat Carbs Protein
779 36 grams 109 grams 10 grams

Yummy Dessert for the Win! 

There is nothing more ideal than enjoying a chilled bowl of dessert on a hot, humid day. Especially when you do not have to turn on the oven and let your house become a live furnace, this banana pudding is perfect for days when you are in the mood to treat yourself to a yummy dessert. 

Moreover, this recipe using ripened bananas is probably the best way to use all the fruits that are about to go bad. This recipe is an instant hit with the kids as well. You can swap the wafers with their favorite cookies, and boom, the dessert becomes the most favorite!