This Easy Banana Pudding recipe is a take on classic southern banana pudding with freshly sliced bananas, vanilla wafers, and creamy banana pudding, and it comes together in a jiffy using common pantry and fridge staples.

Jars of banana pudding topped with bananas and crushed vanilla wafers.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Banana Pudding

You don’t have to have any special kitchen equipment like a hand-held or stand mixer.
The pudding mixture is blended with Cool Whip making it a light and creamy cool treat.
Because it is easy to make, you can have your children “help” you in the kitchen, meanwhile, they can learn cooking skills that will last them a lifetime.
Bananas are available year-round, making this a tasty treat that you can enjoy any time that you’d like.

Ingredients To Make Banana Pudding

3.5-ounce package of instant banana pudding
1 ½ cups cold milk
Cool Whip (8-ounce container)
Crushed vanilla wafers
2 bananas

Bananas, Cool Whip, vanilla wafer, box of banana cream pudding, and measuring cup of milk.

How to Make Banana Pudding

Add the pudding mix to a large mixing bowl. Add milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Let the pudding mixture sit for a couple of minutes to thicken.
Meanwhile, slice bananas and coarsely crush vanilla wafers.
Blend Cool Whip into the pudding mixture. Fold in bananas and crushed cookies.

Crushed vanilla wafers and bananas being mixed into pudding mixture. — Add bananas and crushed vanilla wafers.

Banana pudding mixed with crushed vanilla wafers and sliced bananas. — Add bananas and crushed vanilla wafers.

Scoop banana pudding into jars or dessert cups. When ready to serve, top with additional banana slices and vanilla wafers.

Store pudding in an airtight container, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This banana pudding is best when consumed within 1-3 days.

If you can’t get enough banana desserts, be sure to try my Homemade Banana Pudding for a made-from-scratch version, Banana Cream Pie for a cool and creamy classic, Banana Cheesecake for a rich and indulgent dessert, and Homemade Banana Muffins for a sweet breakfast or snack.

Easy Banana Pudding

Cool and creamy, banana pudding is a sweet treat for any occasion.

5 from 16 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 35

Servings:

Calories: 269kcal

Author: Lynda – Southern Kissed

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Whisk

Ingredients

3.5 ounces instant banana pudding mix
1 ½ cups milk
8 ounces Cool Whip
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
2 medium bananas

Instructions

Add contents of pudding mix to a large mixing bowl. Add milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Let the pudding mixture sit for a couple of minutes to thicken.
Slice bananas and coarsely crush vanilla wafers
Blend Cool Whip into the pudding mixture. Fold in bananas and crushed cookies.
Scoop banana pudding into jars or dessert cups. When ready to serve, top with additional banana slices and vanilla wafers.

Nutrition

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Tips

Be sure to cover banana slices entirely in the pudding. When exposed to air, bananas begin to oxidize, turning them brown. Keeping them covered will help prevent this from happening.

Substitutions and Variations

If you can’t find instant banana pudding, you can use any 3.5-ounce box of instant pudding, such as vanilla. Banana and banana cream pudding work best in this recipe.

You can modify this recipe to create an elegant dessert for guests.

Whisk the pudding mix and milk together. Let it thicken for a couple of minutes and then blend in Cool Whip.
Spoon 1/3 of the pudding mixture onto the bottom of a trifle dish.
Add a layer of wafers and sliced bananas, followed by another layer of pudding. Repeat the layers, finishing with a pudding layer.

Last Bite

Did you make this Easy Banana Pudding? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out! Don’t forget to share or pin this recipe so you can whip it up again anytime a banana craving strikes.