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!
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 my updated recipe and photos with all of you!
This banana pudding recipe was originally published in January 2020. The photos were improved and updated in 2023 and I updated the recipe notes in February 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
- Prep Note: This no bake recipe sets up in 4 hours, firm enough to slice and serve.
- Serving Suggestion: Looks beautiful layered in a glass trifle bowl.
- Top Tip: I changed the recipe so it’s ONE BOWL. Easy to make, easy to clean.
When trying out different versions, including the famous Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding, the recipe that stuck is Paula Deen’s Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding. She knows her banana pudding, for sure.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 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.
- 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!
Scroll down past the recipe card if you want to see step by step photos on how to assemble this Banana Pudding recipe!
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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
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!
More Pudding Based Recipes
- If you love easy pudding desserts, have you tried these amazing Pudding Cookies? They stay soft for days!
- Give this delightful chocolate Pudding Cake recipe a try soon.
- If you love banana pudding as much as I do, try my banana pudding cupcakes next. Or go easy and whip up this banana pudding cake!
- My banana pudding cookies are a delicious treat when you want something on the go!
Best Dessert Recipes
This creamy, rich Banana Pudding Recipe is a delicious, no-bake dessert! Perfect for weeknights or potlucks, everyone will LOVE this classic recipe!
Very creamy and delicious! My husband and kids love it.
I sent hubby to buy the Chessman Cookies as that was all I was missing to make the Banana Pudding recipe.
I tweaked it and used my 13″ x 9″ metal pan with cover. Lined the bottom with the cookies. I mixed the cream cheese with condensed milk, made the White Chocolate Vanilla Pudding with the milk and then I mixed them together and added my sliced bananas.
I spread this whole mixture of cream cheese, condensed milk, White Chocolate Vanilla Pudding with bananas sliced and added. Topped the whole pan with more Chessman Cookies. Covered it and placed in the refrigerator overnight.
It tastes like Banana Cream Pie! Delicious and hubby was smacking his lips!
Delirious! The whole family loved it for Easter dessert. I needed a few more cookies so used 3 of something I had on hand. The chessman cookies were better!
Made this exactly as written yesterday, it was super easy. Took it to a luncheon and it got eaten so fast I didn’t even have a chance to try any. So I will be making this again so I can have some.
I made this for Easter and it was delicious.
Everyone loved it. It was easy to make too!
I used plain vanilla instant pudding and it was great.
Made this for Easter, it was a huge hit! So easy to make!!
I make this pudding every Easter. It is always a big hit. My son likes this as his birthday cake.
This recipe is awesome! Everyone loves this! It’s a hit for my family!
Made this for Easter brunch and it was so easy and delicious! Thank you!
My wife made this for Easter it was a hit everybody loved it
Super easy to make super yummy and just a fun recipe.And it looks as good as it tastes!!
I’m not a big banana pudding fan, but this one changed that for me. It’s absolutely delicious.
This is Paula Dean’s Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding Recipe. I’ve been using this for YEARS!! Best ever!
Yes! It’s truly the BEST.
Made this several times it is a winner very easy to make and everyone raved about it. I put a small amount of lemon juice on the bananas to prevent them from turning brown
We love it all year round! Glad it’s a hit for your family too!
LOVED this! An absolute make again for my whole family!
My family loved this, even with the alterations I had to make so it would be gf for me (yay wheat allergy 😭). It was so so good. My husband loves banana pudding desserts, but his mom’s recipe has never turned out right for me, but this one was amazing and he even said it was better than his mom’s (!), so I’m happy lol. It’s seriously so good. The only change I had to make was to use gluten free vanilla cookies instead, but it was honestly amazing. This recipe will be my go-to from now on when I want banana cream pie or pudding.
Everyone loves this !!! I squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the bananas so they don’t turn brown so quickly.
I have made this twice and both times it came out delicious! the first time I followed the instructions to a t, perfect and everyone loved it. The second time I added more sliced bananas and a layer of sliced strawberries. It came out just as delicious but I may have made the layer of fruit too thick because the pudding mixture wasn’t able to seep down and soften the cookies. It was still amazing but don’t put a thick layer of fruit like I did, lol. As for making the pudding mix first or adding it in dry…both times I added the dry pudding mix and milk to my cream cheese/condensed milk mixture and beat for 3-5 mins. Let it sit for another 3-5 mins and it thickens beautifully.
Using this recipe, I have officially became the banana pudding person. This recipe is awesome!
This is my go-to dish for cookouts now and it’s ALWAYS a hit! People always say they can’t get enough! So easy and so delicious!