Banana Pudding

Why This Banana Pudding Works

• The pudding starts with a shortcut that tastes like scratch. Instant vanilla pudding mix gets whisked with cold milk and sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened condensed milk makes it richer and thicker than pudding made with milk alone. It sets up in five minutes.
• Whipped cream folded into the pudding changes the texture completely. The pudding on its own is dense. After you fold in the whipped cream it becomes light and almost mousse-like. Each spoonful has body but doesn't feel heavy.
• The layers matter. Cookies on the bottom, pudding, bananas, repeat. The vanilla wafers soften as the pudding chills and turn into something between a cookie and cake. The bananas stay fresh because they're tucked between pudding layers and not exposed to air.

Same kind of make ahead, no bake setup as my cherry delight. One sits in the fridge, the other sits in the fridge, and you show up to the party done.

Ingredients You Need

For the pudding:

• 2 cups cold whole milk
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (5.1 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 box vanilla wafer cookies
• 5 large bananas, not fully ripe

For the topping:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to Make Banana Pudding

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cold milk and sweetened condensed milk until fully combined. Sprinkle the instant pudding mix over the top and whisk until smooth with no lumps. The mixture will start to thicken quickly. Refrigerate for 5 minutes until set.
2. While the pudding chills, make the whipped cream. In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. The cream should hold its shape when you lift the beaters.
3. Pull the pudding from the fridge. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding in three additions. Use a spatula and a light hand. You want the mixture combined with no streaks but still airy. Overmixing deflates the whipped cream.
4. Peel the bananas and slice them into ½ inch thick pieces. Wait to slice until right before you assemble so the bananas don't brown.
5. To assemble, cover the bottom of a trifle dish or large serving bowl with a single layer of vanilla wafers. Spread a quarter of the pudding mixture over the cookies and smooth with a spatula. Add a layer of banana slices on top of the pudding.
6. Repeat the layers. Cookies, pudding, bananas. After the first layer of cookies, press a row of wafers upright against the inside of the dish, alternating with banana slices. These show through the glass and it looks like you fussed way more than you did.
7. Keep layering until you run out of pudding. End with a pudding layer on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The cookies need time to soften.
8. For the topping, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
9. Spread over the top of the chilled pudding. Crumble a few extra vanilla wafers over the whipped cream and add more banana slices if you want. Serve cold.

Make Ahead and Storage

Banana pudding gets better after a night in the fridge. The wafers fully soften and the layers come together into one creamy bite. You can assemble the whole thing the night before and add the whipped cream topping right before serving.

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to two days. The bananas will brown slightly by day two but the taste stays the same. Do not freeze. The texture of the pudding and bananas breaks down after thawing.

What to Serve with Banana Pudding

This is a cookout dessert through and through. It goes next to pulled pork, burgers, hot dogs, BBQ baked beans, or anything coming off the smoker. It's cold, creamy, and a nice change from a heavy chocolate dessert at the end of a big meal.

If you want something chocolate on the table too, my no bake chocolate lasagna handles that without touching the oven either.

If you love this one, grab more summer dessert recipes for your next cookout.