This creamy, rich Banana Pudding Recipe is a delicious, no-bake dessert! Perfect for weeknights or potlucks, everyone will LOVE this classic recipe! A delicious Paula Deen recipe featuring banana pudding and chessmen cookies!
If you love easy pudding desserts, have you tried these amazing Pudding Cookies? They stay soft for days! Or give this delightful chocolate Pudding Cake recipe a try soon.
Why this Banana Pudding is BEST
My family has been enjoying this easy banana pudding for years, as I’m sure many of you have as well. I figured it was about time to share the recipe and photos with all of you!
When trying out different versions and variations through the years, the recipe that stuck is Paula Deen’s Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding. She knows her banana pudding, for sure.
- No Bake– sets up in 4 hours, firm enough to slice and serve
- Looks beautiful in a trifle bowl, layered!
- I changed the recipe so it’s ONE BOWL. Easy to make, easy to clean.
If you love banana pudding as much as we do, try our banana pudding cupcakes next. Or go easy and whip up this banana pudding cake!
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas. Start with fresh, ripened bananas. Preferably ones that are still firm, as the bananas will soften even more as this sits in the refrigerator.
- Cookies. Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies are delicious shortbread cookies and make a great layering cookie. If you can’t find them, butter cookies or vanilla wafer cookies (Nilla Wafers) will work too! The cookies soften as this sits, much like in a Chocolate Eclair Cake or Icebox Cake. They become “cake-like” and amazing.
- Pudding. I opt for banana cream instant pudding mix. I think it intensifies the banana flavor to a delicious level. However, Paula Deen uses French Vanilla, and I think even plain vanilla would work too. Be sure to use instant pudding not cook and serve for best results.
- Whipped Cream vs Cool Whip. I chose to use Cool Whip for my banana pudding, but if you want to use a homemade whipped cream that would work too. It just might not be as stable. If serving in a trifle bowl, totally go for the whipped cream! You could also make our stabilized whipped cream (made with heavy cream) which is similar to cool whip, but homemade!
How to Make Banana Pudding
Learning how to make banana pudding is so easy. Mix and layer as directed below:
Bottom Layer. Line the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish with a single layer of cookies (it’s okay if they overlap slightly). Use the deepest 13×9 you own.
Layer sliced bananas over the top. I used 6 medium size bananas, and cover the bottom so you don’t see any cookies (about 2 layers worth of banana slices).
Pudding Filling. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk. Beat until creamy, with no clumps! Add in pudding mixture, and milk, and beat again for several minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Fold in the cool whip or whipped cream.
Final Layer. Pour pudding mixture over the top of the bananas and top with a layer of cookies.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Storage
Banana Pudding should be stored in a covered container (or with plastic wrap on top) in the refrigerator. Leftovers of my homemade banana pudding should be eaten within 2-3 days of making it.
I feel banana pudding doesn’t freeze well. The layer of bananas turns brown and quite mushy, and the cookie layers will get too soft. You’re better of eating this one quickly, or sharing with others!
Make-Ahead Instructions
While you can’t freeze banana pudding, you can make it ahead of time. And I recommend doing it about 24 hours in advance, which allows the cookies to soften slightly so they can be sliced!
You can also make the pudding filling ahead of time (and refrigerate it) and assemble before serving for a crunchy cookie layer.
Either way, you’re going to agree this is the best banana pudding recipe you’ve ever made!
Best Dessert Recipes
Banana Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 packages Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
- 6 medium bananas sliced
- 1 package cream cheese, softened 8 ounce
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounce
- 1 box Instant Banana cream pudding mix 5 ounce ***
- 2 cups milk ***
- 12 ounce Cool Whip thawed
Instructions
- Line the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish with one package of chessmen cookies. Top with sliced bananas.
- In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add in pudding mix and milk. Beat for several minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Fold in cool whip and spread over banana layer.
- Top with remaining package of chessmen cookies. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Notes
- French Vanilla or Vanilla Pudding Mix can be substituted for the Banana Cream flavor
- I used 2% milk, but any variety would work.
- Vanilla Wafers or Butter Cookie can be substituted for the Chessmen Shortbread Cookies.
- Recipe slightly adapted from Paula Deen’s Not Yo Mamas Banana Pudding Recipe.
- Use an electric mixer to get smooth pudding results. Make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature!
- For best results, allow the banana pudding to chill for at least 4 hours, overnight is best!
- Store banana pudding covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Video
Nutrition
This creamy, rich Banana Pudding Recipe is a delicious, no-bake dessert! Perfect for weeknights or potlucks, everyone will LOVE this classic recipe!
I highly recommend this recipe. I have made it several times and most recently Christmas Eve. My family and friends alike really compliment me when I have this dessert. In fact I get requests to make it all the time. Thanks for sharing this recipe. We very much enjoy it each time!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I split it to make two small dishes; one for my parents and one for my in-laws. I also used mini nilla wafers and it was precious.
This was extremely sweet. It felt weird adding a full can of condensed milk to an already sweet pudding mix plus sweet bananas but I followed the recipe 🙁 Definitely should have read the reviews first.
Im confused, so was it too sweet with condensed milk, or should have added it?
Lovely recipe!!! This banana pudding was so delicious.My chessman cookies did not soften over night or the next day. Maybe next time I will push them into the pudding.
I followed the instructions to the t except for I only used 8 oz of Cool whip as opposed to 12, would that be the reason why the pudding is so thick and the cookies look like they’re not going to moisten at all?
Yes I would think so!
Is it OK to put the Cool Whip in with the rest of the ingredients or is it supposed to be separate from the mix of other ingredients??
Fold it gently into the other ingredients.
I normally don’t write reviews on recipes but I figured I’ve used this recipe SO MUCH I kind of owed it to write one lol.. this is literally the best and easiest banana pudding recipe I’ve found, it has quickly turned into something I have to make several times a year and for every celebration you can think of! I use the vanilla pudding instead of the banana cream one but that’s the only change I make.. I’ve probably had to make this at least 10 times in the past year if not more!! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Do you just pour the dry pudding in with the rest of the ingredients? Or prepare pudding before adding in to mixture.
Just add the dry pudding to the rest of the ingredients.
You mix it in with the rest of the ingredients!
I am typically the go-to for banana pudding and I make a refreshing classic dish, but I was in the mood for something new. My mother had been asking me to make her some banana pudding. With my mother’s birthday coming up, I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to surprise her with not only banana pudding but also a “new” version. I made the pudding according to the recipe with the addition of a vanilla wafer layer in the middle, along with placing it around the sides of the dish, before pouring the mixture inside. Letting it set in the fridge overnight gave it the perfect texture and balance of flavors. It was gone within a day (everyone helped her eat it)! What a delicious twist. I will be making it again, for Christmas, per request.
If you dip your banana slices into lemon juice it makes the bananas last longer and not turn brown as soon not to mention the twang that it gives your banana pudding is delicious
Wow! It crazy you say because I have always made my banana pudding with lemon pudding so I can totally get that. I’m going to try that next time. This is my first time using French vanilla and I have never used banana pudding ever. I have been wanting to make this recipe for a while now but I was a alkaline vegan for about three years and was only eating raw fruits and vegetables that contain seeds and I definitely was not eating that banana. That is GMO so I am in for a treat tomorrow after this settles in sets!!🤩
Bananas won’t turn brown when slicing?Is it best to cut them first an cover store in fridge till ready?
Please change ‘for best results’ to MUST USE instant mix. Wasted my ingredients because of this wording. Usually when a recipe says ‘for best results’, if a similar ingredient is used the food is still edible. For ANY results this ingredient cannot be substituted…
The recipe does state ” Instant Banana Pudding “.
And by the way it is great.
I live for dessert but I am sorry to say this was too sweet for me. Perhaps I could leave out the sweet and condensed milk next time?
I left the condensed milk out and i used light whipped cream tasted pretty good to me!!
Can I make this a day before? I’m wondering how the bananas will hold up if making a day before?
The bananas will be fine for one day. You could also skip the cookies on top (and the bananas) and add those the day of serving.
I made this recipe it was delicious found it too sweet for my taste. My kids loved it , and said it tasted better with the nilla wafers.
This recipe was so easy and simple to make…I omitted the fresh bananas due to being allergies..so I doubled the banana cream pudding and milk of course and it came out perfect! 😋
We made this tonight, looking forward to having it tomorrow. I just wanted to share a small addition we did – on top of the banana, we added a layer of butter pound cake slices – then the pudding. We can’t wait to try it!
I am so excited, Aimee, to try. I’m throwing a potluck tomorrow night for some fairly new/not yet met friends and will be using a trifle bowl that is pretty big. I’ll buy double to make it to the top-thanks Miss Aimee!
Mine is a little lumpy, although I mixed for several minutes. Will they go away?
I will be making this recipe soon
for I love to cook and bake so I will get back to you soon
Made this on yesterday and it is the best banana I have ever made!!!
Love to hear it 🙂