Banana Pudding Dessert

My mom made banana pudding all the time when I was a kid, and today I only have to think about it to remember exactly what it tasted like!  She made it with vanilla wafer cookies, chopped up bananas and vanilla pudding, and it was so rich and sweet and fresh tasting, especially after it chilled in the refrigerator for a while, and the vanilla wafers would soften a bit, and become a delicious part of the pudding….YUM!

My hubby of 27 years happens to LOVE banana pudding…actually, any kind of banana dessert, and he RAVES about the banana bread that I frequently make.  I’ve made it so many times, I have the recipe memorized in duplicate and triplicate!

I really think my mom sealed the deal with my husband for my hand in marriage, when she made her banana pudding for him when we were dating.   😉
While I now know that lots of cooks make this very same banana pudding, I still like to think my mom had the market cornered.
Even though this pudding is scrumptious, it absolutely couldn’t be simpler!

Here’s what you need to make it:
Two 3.4 ounce boxes of instant vanilla pudding
5 bananas
3 1/2 cups milk
11 ounce box vanilla wafer cookies

You want to use lightly ripe bananas, not over ripe, otherwise you’ll have mushy brown bananas…ewww.

Mix up your pudding with the milk first, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 minutes.  Making this up first and having it ready to go, will prevent the bananas from too much air exposure, and turning a yucky color, when you start layering. Then start layering your ingredients in a 9 x 9 baking dish.  First, a layer of vanilla wafer cookies, then a layer of sliced bananas, and then half of the pudding mixture.  Repeat another layer of cookies, bananas, and the rest of the pudding.  Cover and refrigerate till you’re ready to serve.  Then top with about 1/2 cup of crushed vanilla wafers to make it look pretty.  My husband prefers topping it with a generous dollop of whipped cream too…your choice!  🙂

Make sure to store in the refrigerator before serving, and also any leftovers, so that your pudding won’t spoil.  This makes about 6 generous portions, and
possibly more, if you serve tiny portions.  I’m used to a 20 year old son’s and 6’4″ husband’s appetite, so I tend to err on the lower side of number of portions.

Print

Banana Pudding Dessert

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 6

Author Joyful Homemaking

Ingredients

• Two 3.4 ounce boxes of instant vanilla pudding
• 5 bananas (lightly ripe, not over ripe)
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 11 ounce box vanilla wafer cookies

Instructions

• Mix up your pudding with the milk first, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 minutes. This will prevent the bananas from too much air exposure, when you start layering, and turning a yucky color.
• Then start layering a 9 x 9 baking dish with your ingredients.
• First, a layer of vanilla wafer cookies, then a layer of sliced banana, and then half of the pudding mixture.
• Repeat another layer of cookies, bananas and the rest of the pudding.
• Cover and refrigerate till you're ready to serve. Then top with about 1/2 cup of crushed vanilla wafers to make it look pretty.

This pudding is such a treat; it’s rich and creamy and full of banana and cookie pieces, and I just know that you’ll enjoy it!

If you’re a fan of a banana desserts, here are a couple of other delicious recipes you might be interested in as well!

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Super luscious Banana Cake