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!
It is an awesome banana pudding recipe.
Really nice recipe. Thanks for sharing. Also see https://www.beckandbulow.com
Made tonight and it’s soup 7 hours later. Going to try again tomorrow.
Make sure you used INSTANT pudding mix, not cook and serve.
If it’s soupy next time put it in the freezer for bout an hour. You don’t have to store it in the freezer, after it thickens up keep it in the fridge.
I add 1 tsp. of banana extract along with, 2 mashed up bananas to the pudding mixture and extra sliced bananas after my first time making it. Everyone asks me to bring this for dessert now. Thanks Aimee.
Hi I was wondering how different it would be if I used sour cream instead of cream cheese?
Haven’t tried it!
I use sour cream rather than cream cheese, my preference and it’s delicious.
I must of missed something left overnight in fridge and it’s still runny. Can’t think what I missed it’s an easy recipe
Yeah it definitely should not be runny. Did you use INSTANT pudding mix? Not the cook and serve?
Did you use whole milk or a reduced fat milk? Just like when you make a baked custard…the recipe calls for whole milk. I believe the fat in the milk allows the custard to form and not be runny.
Because you’re using instant pudding mix, it doesn’t matter too much. Either work just fine.
Mine is runny too . I used cook and served
The recipe calls for instant pudding. You won’t get the same results with cook and serve unfortunately.
Did you use 3 cups of milk per package instructions? The recipe state only use 2 cups.
Nope I used 2 cups like the recipes states 🙂
Worked like a charm! I even got the wrong size cool whip 😂 still good. Suggestion! Get 3 packs of cookies. I ended up doing coolie puzzle work on the bottom (the pictures in them helped lol) for like 15 min because of shattered cookies. Extras would keep this from being an issue! Plus you could fold the crumbled ones into the filling? Or crush use for plate garnish.
So, I could not find the Cool Whip, or the pudding in the exact ounce or weight amount indicated. The Cool Whip is a fairly easy fix. But the pudding only came in 3.4 oz size. I bought two, can I use a scale to get the exact amount needed?
Thank you,
Robit
Just use two small boxes of pudding mix (3.4 oz) and it will work out great!
Thank you so much for your quick response! I’m trying to make this for Father’s Day. Blessings!
Can I used cook and serve pudding if I cook it first then fold it in with the cream cheese and condensed milk mixture? Store was out of instant pudding.
I HATE Bananas, would this work with strawberries and strawberry pudding??
Probably! Or even strawberries and vanilla. Or peaches and vanilla? Gosh now I wanna try.
Im way late to this discussion, but hell yeah . Sounds amazing Erv.
Can this be made with non dairy milk?
I used crushed Oreos on bottom and on top….. delicious!!!
Oooh I like that idea!
Made this for my wife for her birthday, followed tbe recipre and instructions exactly. Everyone loved it!
We first tasted a small piece after only an hour in the fridge and the cookies/crust were still too crunchy, letting it sit as instructed allowed just enough soaking in to be perfect. Essential – secure the plastic wrap top to seal in the moisture.
We’re going to try different bottom and/or top crusts next – chocolate cookies, chocolate chip cookies, regular or chocolate ground graham cracker crusts, etc.
Tip: – A 13” x 9” dish is the size for laying out one pkg. of the Chessmen cookies on bottom and top. On the top, you might need to experiment some to see which spacing is just right. We laid them quite tightly and on the bottom that was perfect but on top they didn’t cover the last 1 1/2” or so of the corner. We also slightly pushed down the top ones to make sure they were embedded to best soak up the moisture and soften just right.
Another Tip – Open both packs of cookies first and pull them all out. If any are broken, put those on the bottom layer so the top will look perfect.
Can u taste the cream cheese or does it taste like typical banana pudding?
Tastes like banana pudding!!
This banana pudding is the best I’ve ever had. It was easy to make and took less than 15 minutes to put together. An absolute hit in my house.
Hi,
I cannot wait to make this recipe soon. Not only do the ingredients sound delicious but it’s such a pretty dessert and now Chessman has the spring/summer pics on top (sun, flower, etc) so perfect for summer. Anyway, my question is: do you mix the dry instant pudding plus the 2 cups regular milk in with the mixed cream cheese and condensed milk or do you mix the pudding and milk separate and add it in? It states to put plastic wrap on the pudding and store in frig for 4 hours so I was confused. Also, is the 2 C plain milk listed in the recipe in addition to the milk required for the pudding? Or is the 2 cups milk the only regular milk?
Thanks so much for this recipe and for your patience with my question.
Mix the dry pudding mix into the cream cheese, condensed milk, and 2 cups milk. No additional milk.
ENJOY!
Thanks so much!
That’s what I was trying to figure out with the pudfing mix. I’m making this tonight, May 24, 2022. I’m just bummed that I don’t have the Chessmen Cookies, so Nilla Wafers it is. I can’t waIt!!!!!!
So don’t cook the pudding first?
No. And use instant pudding, not cook n serve.
Great question Diane regarding the milk, I was wondering the same thing because the vanilla pudding recipe calls for 3 cups of milk. I figured that since the the recipe calls for a can of condensed milk it would make up the difference. I’m also wondering if people are using the extra milk is what’s causing their finished product to be soupy?
I love this recipe, with only one change. I do not like the (fake) taste of banana pudding, so I use INSTANT vanilla pudding, adding a tablespoon of pure vanilla extract. I love Chessmen cookies but have also used leftover Girl Scout Trefoils (yummy) and Lorna Doones when Chessmen were out. I’m sure any thick, yummy shortbread cookie would be delicious! (I’m not a fan of ‘nilla wafers)
This recipe is a keeper, and my adult students love it, as well as the staff who love the leftovers. Easy to make!
I tried this last night and it was amazing! The banana flavor and creamy texture made it so yummy!! I used vanilla wafers instead of the chessmen cookies and put cool whip on top. So good!!😋
I made it over the weekend an everyone loves it. I didn’t add bananas and I couldn’t find the 5oz box so i I use 1 1/2 of the 3.4oz.
You should really emphasize the INSTANT pudding mix. I know it says instant, but I didn’t realize there was a difference in pudding boxes between instant and cook&serve. Tried making this recipe and it came out runny. I had to read the comments to discover that I got the wrong kind of jello mix in my grocery order (along with many other commenters). Such a waste of all those ingredients!
The blog post and recipe mention is a couple times to use Instant Pudding mix. People always hit the “jump to recipe” and they miss this information. But, it’s also in the recipe card to use Instant. Sorry you learned the hard way.
It CLEARLY says instant in the ingredients in the recipe.
I’ve made this several times over the course of a few holiday family get togethers. Family loved it so much the first time, they request I bring it for every family function. Love using the chessman cookies, and they are sometimes themed for the season. Working on my Easter dinner dessert now! Love this recipe!!