best ever banana pudding

(2 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Krys Furniss
Chillicothe, OH

This is totally different from "Southern" banana pudding that needs to be baked and has meringue on it. This is not baked! We've been making it for years and it's always a hit!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This is definitely not your more traditional Southern banana pudding (with meringue) but it's just as good. It has all the flavors - banana, creamy custard, and vanilla wafers. But, in this version cream cheese is whipped into the pudding and whipped cream. It changes the filling texture slightly and adds a hint of tang that offsets all the sweetness. Thick, creamy, and full of banana flavor, this banana pudding is very easy to make and quite delicious.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield 10 -15
prep time 1 Hr
method No-Cook or Other

Ingredients For best ever banana pudding

  • 1 pkg
    cream cheese (8 oz. block)
  • 1 can
    sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 1/2 box
    instant French vanilla or vanilla pudding mix (small box, 3.4 oz)
  • 1/2 box
    instant banana or banana cream pudding mix (small box, 3.4 oz)
  • 1/2 Tbsp
    pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pt
    whipping cream
  • 4 Tbsp
    powdered sugar
  • 5
    ripe bananas
  • 1/2 box
    vanilla wafers
  • 1
    container of Cool Whip

How To Make best ever banana pudding

Test Kitchen Tips
Depending on the size of your serving dish, you may get one or two layers. Layers will vary based on the size of your serving dish.
  • Condensed milk and cream cheese mixed together.
    1
    Soften cream cheese block to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with condensed milk.
  • Vanilla extract and pudding mixed in.
    2
    Add vanilla and both instant pudding mixes. Set aside.
  • Lemon juice sprinkled over sliced bananas.
    3
    Slice bananas thinly and drizzle with lemon juice to keep from turning brown.
  • Whipping powdered sugar and whipping cream together.
    4
    In a small chilled bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed with powdered sugar, until stiff peaks start to form. If you can't chill your bowl, put the carton of whipping cream in the freezer for about 10 minutes before this step.
  • Bananas stirred into the mixture.
    5
    Stir bananas into pudding mixture.
  • Whipping cream folded into the mixture.
    6
    Fold whipped cream into pudding.
  • A layer of vanilla wafers in a serving bowl.
    7
    In a large serving bowl, put a layer of whole vanilla wafers on the bottom.
  • A layer of pudding added to the bowl.
    8
    Add a layer of pudding.
  • Crushed vanilla wafers sprinkled over top the pudding.
    9
    Crumble some vanilla wafers on top of the pudding and add whole wafers around the edges of the bowl, if desired. Continue pudding & wafer layers until pudding is gone.
  • Cool Whip spread on top of the pudding.
    10
    Add Cool Whip to the top. Chill and serve.
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