My Mom has been making banana pudding for me since I was super little. It’s always been the same, delicious banana pudding recipe, filled with whipped goodness and layers of fresh banana slices. Other banana puddings I’ve been treated to haven’t stacked up to this one; in fact, my husband used to think he didn’t even LIKE banana pudding, until he graciously tasted a small bowl of my Mom’s. I think we had been married about 3 years when he first tried it.
Did he like it? Well, let’s just say that she made a batch last week when she and Dad visited, and he’s eaten 60% of it by himself. Seriously. I got a few bowls in before I realized what he was up to and polished it off. (Between that and the Yo-Ho he discovered, I now know what to make for his birthday!) Even Scarlett digs Nonna’s banana pudding recipe. She sees us eating it and cranes over for her spoonfuls. More bananas, please!
The recipe is simpler than I ever knew, with only a handful of pre-made ingredients to make the whole thing go a little faster, and plenty of ripe bananas sliced up. Pro tip? Use a trifle bowl to display the goodness and your family will come running. Save the broken or chipped vanilla wafers for the interior of the pudding and it will look perfect!
Make sure when you’re shopping for ingredients to grab the INSTANT vanilla pudding. One time I grabbed the cook and serve and it was NOT easy to make. You can do use it, but you’ll waste a few hours waiting for the pudding to set and cool. Do yourself a favor and pay attention on the Jello aisle. Grab the INSTANT pudding!
- 1 (5oz) box vanilla INSTANT Jello pudding
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tb vanilla extract
- 1 (12 oz) container whipped topping
- 3/4 box vanilla wafers
- 10 bananas
- Peel the bananas and cut into 1" rounds. Cut the rounds in halves or quarters to your liking, and set aside.
- Mix the instant (NOT cook and serve) vanilla pudding in a large mixing bowl with the milk using an electric hand mixer.
- When fully blended, add the can of sweetened condensed milk and blend thoroughly.
- Add vanilla extract.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the container whipped topping.
- In the bottom of a trifle bowl, create a layer banana slices. Top with a layer of vanilla wafers and then a layer of pudding mixture.
- Repeat each layer several times.
- Finish the layers with pudding on top and all bananas submerged.
- Dollop the top of the layered mix with whipped topping.
- Cover and chill for two hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
The mama loves you!❤️🎈
My favorite!
I LOVE banana pudding! This recipe looks delicious! I never thought of using sweetened condensed milk in banana pudding.
This gets a big, fat, red heart from me! Banana pudding has always been a favorite in my family, and it’s not complete without the Nilla wafers.
Honestly there’s nothing quite like a mother-made recipe from childhood. I think our childhood brains have those specific recipes forever imprinted on our brains and nothing can quite compare even YEARS later. This looks like a super yummy and refreshing treat!
That looks awesome! It is pretty easy in my book to screw up banana pudding. It takes someone who really knows what they are doing to get it right. Yours looks like you got it right!
Banana pudding is one of my (many) dessert weaknesses! There is something about the flavor combination that reminds me of the comforts of summer too.
My mom makes a similar banana pudding at Thanksgiving every year. I look forward to it even more than the turkey!
Banana pudding is one of my daughter’s favorite! This one looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it for her! I guess mamas make the best banana pudding! 😉
This looks SO good! I don’t think we have those vanilla wafers here though. I did a treat exchange box with a friend of mine in the US and she sent me them. This would be oh so delicious!
My husband LOVES banana pudding! I make it for him when he’s been a good boy 🙂
I love making trifle! They are quick, easy and yummy. This banana pudding looks like that too!
That sounds yummy! Who wouldn’t love that?
I love banana pudding especially when wafers are involved. This looks adorable in that dish too!
I love this recipe. Even the ones in my family that do not like banana pudding, love this
I’m really glad to hear this! My husband feels the same way!
Oh, my son loves banana so much. He will going to love this recipe, I am so excited to try it!
Such a fun way to use the bananas and the wafers. I’d like to make this treat for my kids!!
Oh YUM! This is my kids afvroite summer treat!
Try using the French Vanilla instant pudding instead of plain vanilla. I also use a block of softened cream cheese and beat it with a can of Eagle Brand milk. Then, stir in the pudding you made and last, fold in the Coll Whip. Makes it a little richer (more calories too) and just of so delicious. Layer with bananas a vanilla wafers.
I’m going to make this today and want to know how much if the cool whip do I fold in and how much do I save for the top?
So sorry about that! Use one entire tub (12oz) on step 5, buy a second smaller container (8oz or so) to spread onto the top! I hope it’s awesome!