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!
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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
This creamy, rich Banana Pudding Recipe is a delicious, no-bake dessert! Perfect for weeknights or potlucks, everyone will LOVE this classic recipe!
How much of each item should be used? I don’t see an ingredient list. How much milk should be added? — or do you just follow the pudding recipe? How many boxes of pudding? . . .etc.
The one box of instant pudding uses 2 cups of milk to make. This goes for any flavor of instant pudding you use.
I Love all your Cakes… Thanks very much…
Made it yesterday! Amazing recipe. I used mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese.
This was just a great dessert. It was so good…. I would put a pic up but theres no opinion
I am pretty sure
Hello
Can this be made in an aluminum pan?
Quick question…if using a Trifle bowl, could you do a middle layer of cookies as well? Would they hold up?
looking forward to trying this! thanks!
Depending on how far ahead it’s been made, they hold up just fine 🙂 And regardless, even when softened slightly, they taste amazing!
If using a trifle bowl, could you do a middle layer of cookies?
Why is there just one layer of bananas
Can you use something different then cream cheese
Wow! Amazing recipe! However, next time I probably will use regular heavy whipping cream whipped instead of cool whip. It was a tad bit too sweet for me but it was still AMAZING! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
is there any way to make it less sugary for wife (diabetic)???
Use sugar free pudding mix. Use evaporated milk instead of condensed milk has lower sugar. You could see if the lite cool whip has lover sugar or make whipped cream using sugar alternatives Splenda or the like. I’m not sure about the cookies though. Maybe search for low sugar nilla wafers or shortbread cookies. Hope this helps
How much cream cheese etc?
It’s all in the recipe card at the end of the blog post 🙂
Instead of milk. I use Banana Milk.
Made this just now for later this evening. The filling is delicious. I used a box of banana cream pudding and a box of cheesecake pudding…aside from that I did everything else the same! Can’t wait to try it in a few hours.
For someone living in Australia we do not get chessmen biscuits, do you have an alternative to use….thanks
Try shortbread cookies…any brand.
My bad. I see it now. Gonna make this right now! Thanks for sharing!
I would like to make this for thanksgiving, looks doable but I’m concerned I won’t be able to find banana pudding mix… Is it Jello brand? Or Sheriff? I’m hoping my local grocery store will have it but I’m not sure if I’ve seen it before
I use JELLO brand. If you can’t find it, french vanilla or vanilla is just as amazing!
Love it!!
I did half banana and half vanilla pudding mix and instead of cool whip, I made homemade whipped cream to fold in. TURNED OUT INCREDIBLE!!!! I made it for my moms bday and everyone loved it so much!! Def saving this recipe. Mmmmm
Great recipe!…banana-pudding
I’d never had this before, let alone made it, but every time I’d see it on a menu or in a restaurant, I’d wanted to order, just never did. I splurged and tried this recipe. Holy cow was it ever GOOD!! My whole family loved it. Only sub was french vanilla pudding for the banana pudding to avoid banana overload. I’ll make this one again and again.
Does your Aunt use same recipe? If so, what kind of coconut cookies do you use?