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Banana pudding has been passed down for generations for a reason, and this version works whether you have a trifle dish or just a 9×13 pan. Readers keep confirming it works, Karen made it for the first time and said everyone loved it, Mary loves it specifically for the pudding ratio, Tam added chocolate on top and said it was wonderful. This isn’t a recipe you’re testing blind, it’s one that’s already proven itself in kitchens that aren’t mine.
I made this and it was wonderful! I put little pieces of chocolate on top for extra taste every one loved it.
-Tam
The Best Banana Pudding Recipe – Trifle or 9×13 Inch Pan
This is the easiest banana pudding recipe I make, because there’s no cooking involved and the whole thing comes together with five ingredients in about 30 minutes.
Banana pudding is a classic that’s been passed down for generations, the kind of dessert that shows up at potlucks, picnics, and family gatherings without fail. This recipe is built to work in a trifle dish or a 9×13 pan, because I think a recipe should bend to fit however you’re serving it. Trifle dishes aren’t as common in kitchens as they once were though, so I’m giving you full directions for the 9×13 pan too, no special equipment required to make this the way your family has always made it.
The best part about this recipe is how simple and easy it actually is, easy enough for beginner bakers, like my muffins, but it still delivers the kind of results that make people think you spent all day in the kitchen. Paul put it best when he said it’s “easy and tasty enough to not miss making pudding from scratch.” Karen made it for the first time and said “it was easy and everyone loved it,” and Mary said she loves it specifically for the two boxes of pudding and folding in a third of the cool whip to start, a detail that tells me people are actually following the method closely, not just glancing at the recipe card.
Tam took it a step further and added little pieces of chocolate on top, saying “it was wonderful, everyone loved it.” That’s exactly the kind of recipe I want this to be, simple enough to follow exactly, but flexible enough that you can make it your own once you’ve got the base down.
Whether you’re dressing it up for a holiday or keeping things casual for a potluck, this cold banana pudding recipe works perfectly in two different serving styles:
1. Trifle Dish
Want to impress guests with beautiful, layered presentation? Serve your banana pudding in a glass trifle dish. The see-through sides show off those dreamy layers of cookies, pudding, and bananas, making it an eye-catching centerpiece for any dessert table. Pro tip: use a piping bag or spoon carefully to keep the layers clean and defined.
2. 9×13-Inch Pan
For a more casual (and transport-friendly) option, go with a classic 9×13-inch baking dish. It’s easy to assemble, easy to chill, and easy to scoop into bowls when it’s time to serve. Perfect for potlucks, backyard barbecues, or just keeping in the fridge for whenever the craving hits.
No matter which way you go, the creamy layers and classic flavor stay the same—absolutely irresistible.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Banana Pudding Recipe
- Two Ways to Make It – Layer it in a trifle dish for a stunning presentation or spread it into a 9×13-inch pan for easy serving.
- Quick & Easy – Ready in just 30 minutes with minimal effort.
- Only 5 Ingredients – Simple, classic, and packed with flavor.
- No Oven Needed – A perfect no-bake dessert for any occasion.
- Pure Comfort in Every Bite – Creamy, nostalgic, and always a crowd-pleaser.
- Perfect for Sharing – A must-have dessert for family gatherings and potlucks!
Ingredients for This Simple Banana Pudding Recipe
If you’re looking for a banana pudding recipe with cool whip, this is it. The 8 oz of cool whip folds in with the vanilla pudding to give you that light, airy texture without whipping anything by hand or standing over the stove. It’s what keeps this dessert firmly in no-cook territory, and it holds its shape beautifully whether you’re layering in a trifle bowl or spreading it into a 9×13 pan. Get the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Instant vanilla pudding
- Milk – Make sure to use cold milk! Whole milk, 1%, or skim milk works well.
- Cool whip
- Nilla wafers
- Bananas – Make sure your bananas are ripe!
Recommended Trifle Bowls
Looking for another dessert to make in a trifle? Try strawberry angel fluff!
How to Make Banana Pudding in a Trifle
This nilla wafer banana pudding is one of my favorite banana desserts, especially because it’s so easy. Get the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Make pudding mixture. Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a medium mixing bowl for 2 minutes.
- Add cool whip. Allow the pudding to sit for 3 minutes. Fold in 1/3 of the cool whip to the pudding.
- Layer banana pudding. Add a layer of vanilla wafer cookies to the bottom of a trifle dish. Add ¼ of the pudding mixture on top of the wafers, then top that with a layer of banana slices. Repeat these layers until you fill the trifle bowl.
- Add toppings. Spread the remaining cool whip on top. Add crushed nilla wafers and fresh banana slices to the top.
How to Make Homemade Banana Pudding in a 9×13-inch pan
- Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a medium mixing bowl for 2 minutes. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Fold in 1/3 of the cool whip to the pudding.
- In a 9×13-inch dish, arrange a single layer of nilla wafers to cover the bottom. Pour half of the prepared pudding over the wafers and spread evenly. Arrange a single layer of sliced bananas on top of the pudding.
- Add another single layer of nilla wafers over the bananas. Pour the remaining pudding over the second layer of wafers and spread evenly. Arrange the remaining sliced bananas on top of the pudding.
- Spread the remaining cool whip evenly over the entire dish, ensuring all layers are covered. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Before serving, add crushed nilla wafers and banana slices to the top.
Tips for The Best Banana Pudding
- Let the pudding thicken. Make sure to let the pudding thicken completely before adding it to the recipe. Otherwise, your banana pudding may end up watery.
- Avoid brown bananas. If you make this easy banana pudding recipe ahead of time, your bananas may start to get brown spots. To avoid this, use a very light spritz of lemon juice on the banana slice before adding them to the pudding. If you’re not worried about the look, leave them as is. The flavor won’t be changed when the bananas start to brown.
- Serve this dish cold. The best way to serve banana pudding is cold. It can even start to get a little runny once it starts warming up. Keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve. Similar to my cream cheese fruit dip.
- Use instant pudding. Instant pudding is the trick to making the best banana pudding recipe because it cuts the time majorly! Homemade pudding is great, but instant pudding is just as delicious and saves you so much trouble.
Variations to This Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe
This recipe is a great make ahead option for parties. Assemble it the night before so the layers have time to soften and the flavors meld together, then just add the final topping of crushed wafers and banana slices right before serving.
For a party spread, try splitting the batch between mini mason jars for individual servings, or set up a topping bar with crushed pretzels, caramel drizzle, or chopped pecans so guests can customize their own bowl. It’s the kind of dessert that scales up easily too, so doubling this recipe or mini cheesecakes for a bigger crowd works without any extra fuss.
Substitutions
- Reduced Fat – Reduce the fat and calories in this easy banana pudding recipe by substituting ingredients. Reduced-fat vanilla wafers, fat-free milk, and low cool whip can be used.
- Use regular pudding mix (instead of instant) – If you already have a regular vanilla pudding mix on hand, you can use that instead. You’ll just need to allow for time to cook the pudding and allow it to cool and thicken for at least several hours.
- Make it Paula Deen Style – Try my Paula Deen Banana Pudding recipe, which uses Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies and cream cheese for a twist on this classic recipe.
Dairy-Free Banana Pudding
Making this dairy free takes more than swapping the milk, since two other ingredients in this recipe have dairy hiding in them too. Cool Whip contains skim milk and a milk protein called sodium caseinate, so it is not dairy free despite how it’s marketed. Nilla wafers are not dairy free either, they list whey from milk right on the ingredient label, which surprises a lot of people since the cookie doesn’t taste dairy heavy.
To make this dairy free, swap the milk for a full fat canned coconut milk or unsweetened oat milk, since both set up well with instant pudding. Swap the Cool Whip for a dairy free whipped topping like So Delicious CocoWhip or the vegan version of TruWhip. For the cookie layer, go with graham crackers, most mainstream brands like Nabisco and Honey Maid don’t use dairy. Golden Oreos and shortbread are more likely to contain butter or milk, so double check the label if that matters for your batch.
How to Store Homemade Banana Pudding
Store this banana pudding covered in the fridge for up to four days. A container with a tight fitting lid works best, or you can press plastic wrap directly against the surface to help keep the top layer from drying out. This recipe doesn’t freeze well once assembled, since the pudding and cool whip both break down and turn watery after thawing.
Make Ahead Tips: If you want a head start, you can make the pudding mixture up to two days ahead and store it separately from the wafers and bananas, then layer everything together the day you plan to serve it.
How to Keep Banana Slices from Browning Overnight
The most reliable method is a citrus dip. Mix one to two tablespoons of lemon juice with three to four tablespoons of water, lightly toss the banana slices in it, then pat them dry so they don’t turn sour. Lemon slows oxidation better than almost anything else you’d use at home.
If you want to avoid the tartness, pineapple juice works nearly as well and blends more naturally into the banana pudding flavor itself. Same method, dip or brush the slices, then pat dry before layering.
Beyond pre-treating the bananas, how you seal the dish matters just as much. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pudding and bananas rather than just covering the container loosely, that keeps air from reaching the top layer overnight, which is really what’s driving the browning in the first place.
For the best overnight results, combine both: dip the slices in lemon or pineapple juice, pat dry, layer them on, then press the plastic wrap directly onto the surface before refrigerating. That combination keeps the top layer looking fresh even a full day later.
Easy Banana Pudding Recipe FAQs
Yes, a banana instant pudding mix is a great way to amp up the banana flavor in your banana pudding. If you still want the vanilla flavor, add a little vanilla extract to the banana pudding.
You can use homemade whip cream instead of the Cool Whip but make sure you’re not using the can of whip cream on top of the pudding. It will just water down the pudding and become a mess.
Yes, I’d prefer to have this delicious dessert the next day just because all the flavors start to meld, and the layers of vanilla wafers begin to soften.
To prevent bananas from turning brown, squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the banana slices before adding them to the pudding.
For best results, you want to store this in a refrigerator, covered, for up to four days. You can use a container with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap to cover your nilla wafer banana pudding.
Using a milk alternative or not letting the pudding thicken can cause banana pudding to be runny. Be sure to use cow’s milk and to let the pudding sit for 3 minutes to thicken before moving onto the next step.
You want to use bananas that are fully yellow with little brown spots throughout the peel. Choose bananas that are soft, but not mushy.
Lemon juice is the most reliable option. Mix one to two tablespoons of lemon juice with three to four tablespoons of water, lightly toss the banana slices in it, then pat them dry so they don’t turn sour. Pineapple juice works as a milder alternative if you want to skip the tartness. For the best overnight results, dip the slices, pat dry, then press plastic wrap directly against the pudding surface before refrigerating.
Golden Oreos are the closest swap in flavor, since they bring that same sweet vanilla taste with a slightly firmer bite. Graham crackers are a great option if you want something less sweet, with a mellow, slightly nutty flavor that pairs really well with the bananas. Shortbread cookies add a richer, buttery flavor and work especially well if you want a more grown up version of this dessert.
More Banana Recipes
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Simple Banana Pudding Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- two 3.2 oz packages instant vanilla pudding
- 4 cups (946ml) milk, cold
- 11 oz box nilla wafers
- 6-8 medium bananas, peeled and sliced
- 8 oz cool whip
Instructions
Trifle
- Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a medium mixing bowl for 2 minutes. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.two 3.2 oz packages instant vanilla pudding, 4 cups (946ml) milk
- Fold in 1/3 of the cool whip to the pudding.8 oz cool whip
- Add a layer of nilla wafers to the bottom of a trifle bowl. Add ¼ of the pudding mixture on top of the wafers, then top that with banana slices. Repeat these layers (nilla wafers, then pudding, then bananas) until you fill the trifle bowl.11 oz box nilla wafers, 6-8 medium bananas
- Spread the remaining cool whip on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Before serving, add crushed nilla wafers and banana slices to the top.8 oz cool whip
9×13 Dish
- Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a medium mixing bowl for 2 minutes. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.two 3.2 oz packages instant vanilla pudding, 4 cups (946ml) milk
- Fold in 1/3 of the cool whip to the pudding.8 oz cool whip
- In a 9×13-inch dish, arrange a single layer of nilla wafers to cover the bottom. Pour half of the prepared pudding over the wafers and spread evenly. Arrange a single layer of sliced bananas on top of the pudding.11 oz box nilla wafers, 6-8 medium bananas
- Add another single layer of nilla wafers over the bananas. Pour the remaining pudding over the second layer of wafers and spread evenly. Arrange the remaining sliced bananas on top of the pudding.
- Spread the remaining cool whip evenly over the entire dish, ensuring all layers are covered. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Before serving, add crushed nilla wafers and banana slices to the top.8 oz cool whip
I made this it was Wonderful. I put little pieces of chocolate on top for extra taste every one lived it. God Bless
Easy and tasty enough to not miss making pudding from scratch.
I made this for the first time. It was easy and everyone loved it
How do you keep the bananas from turning brown, I’ve tried several different things and still they will turn brown sometimes before I get it finished 😔
The citrus dip is your best bet, lemon juice mixed with water, tossed lightly over the slices, then patted dry. Pineapple juice works almost as well if you want to skip the tartness, same dip and pat method. Just as important is how you seal the dish, press plastic wrap directly against the surface instead of covering loosely, since that’s what actually blocks the air causing the browning. Combine both and your bananas stay fresh looking even a full day later.
Delicious! And very easy to make!
I love this recipe because of the 2 boxes of pudding and folding in 1/3 of cool whip to start. It’s perfect! I like to use one of each vanilla and cheesecake boxes of pudding mixes. This time I’m going to add a couple of teaspoons full of Praline Liquor in with the pudding and top with some toasted nilla wafers with a few praline pecans to serve.
Hi Beth,
I’m not able to get Nilla wafers in my part of Canada. What would you suggest to use as a substitute?
Thanks.
In Canada, the closest equivalent to Nilla Wafers is Christie Vanilla Wafers. They’re similar in flavor and texture—light, crisp, and lightly sweet vanilla cookies—so they work well in recipes that call for Nilla Wafers, like banana pudding or cookie crusts.