Simple Banana Pudding Recipe with Instant Pudding and Fresh Bananas

You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers! If you have a question you don’t see listed below, please drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can! 

Whipped cream and slices of fresh bananas are the classic toppings of choice for banana pudding. However, toppings are a great way to get creative and add a bit of visual appeal to your pudding!

If you are entertaining a crowd, try setting up a pudding toppings bar and place various topping options in individual bowls, that way your guests can help themselves and customize their pudding to their liking! Below are a few topping ideas to help get you inspired!

• Wafers: When I make this layered banana dessert I always pick through the box of wafers. I use the pretty ones for layering and set the “ugly” broken ones aside to crush up and use as a topping!
• Cinnamon: I typically finish my pudding off with a generous sprinkling of ground cinnamon. The warming, woody spice is a natural companion to bananas!
• White Chocolate: If you are looking to get fancy, white chocolate curls make a beautiful pudding topping!
• Toasted Coconut: Unsweet coconut flakes add a delicious, slightly tropical flare to this pudding dessert! For the best flavor and prettiest aesthetic, make sure you lightly toast your coconut flakes!
• Caramel: If you are a salted caramel lover, a generous drizzle of sticky, sweet caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought) is a decadent way to top off this pudding!
• Sprinkles: Fancy sprinkles, edible glitter and round nonpareils are a fun way to add pop of festive flare to your pudding!
• Graham Crackers: If you don’t have any leftover wafers, crushed up graham crackers make a wonderful topping choice!

You can use any flavor of instant pudding mix you love to make layered banana pudding! If you are looking for a richer flavor, try using a combination of two complementary pudding mixes! Below are the best pudding mix flavors to use when making banana pudding.

• Banana Cream pudding: Call me crazy, but I want my banana pudding to have an intense banana flavor, so I prefer to use instant banana cream pudding mix. However, some people find instant banana pudding has a slightly artificial taste, which is why I highly recommend using a combination of banana cream and white chocolate pudding (see below).
• Vanilla pudding: Most old-fashioned banana pudding recipes use instant vanilla pudding. I find that those recipes taste more like vanilla pudding with bananas than actual banana pudding. However, if you love vanilla, by all means, use instant vanilla pudding!
• Banana Cream + White Chocolate: I always use a combination of banana cream and white chocolate pudding mix, especially if I am entertaining a crowd. The white chocolate actually enhances the banana flavor and results in an out-of-this-world, ultra-decadent tasting pudding!
• Banana Cream + Vanilla: If you are a die-hard fan of using vanilla pudding in your banana pudding trifle, try using a combination of vanilla and banana instant pudding mixes to give your pudding a little more flavor.
• Banana Cream + Caramel (or Butterscotch): If you love salted caramel, this combination is no-brainer! The sweet, complex flavor of caramel pairs beautifully with banana jello pudding.
• Banana Cream + Coconut Cream: If you are a fan of coconut cream pie, you will love the combination of banana cream and coconut cream pudding mixes!

Unfortunately, once you peel and slice bananas it is completely normal for them to turn slightly brown. However, there are a three simple tricks to prevent bananas from turning brown once you slice them!

• Use barely ripe bananas: It’s imperative you use barely ripe bananas to layer in banana pudding! Look for bananas that are slightly green at their stems. Barely ripe bananas will keep much longer and tend not to brown as fast. Plus, slightly green bananas are less sweet, which actually works to offset the sweetness of the pudding and Cool Whip!
• Toss them with lemon juice: After peeling and slicing the bananas, toss them with a bit of fresh lemon juice. The acidic juice helps neutralize the ph of the bananas, which helps to slow down the browning process! (Note: You can also use club soda if you don’t have any fresh lemons!)
• Cover the banana layer completely: Air is what causes the bananas to turn brown. Therefore, the less contact the bananas have with air, the less brown they are likely to become. Make sure you cover the top layer of bananas completely with Cool Whip to prevent browning!

There really is no “wrong” or “right” way to layer and assemble banana pudding – it all depends upon your personal preference. However, there are a few different classic ways to layer banana pudding, one of which I use.

To layer pudding, start with a layer of cookies, followed by a layer of pudding, bananas and then Cool Whip. Repeat all the layers once or twice more, depending upon the depth of your serving bowl or dish. When you are ready to serve, garnish the pudding with more Cool Whip and your choice of toppings, such as crumbled cookies, slices of bananas or a sprinkling of cinnamon!

Absolutely! There are a few different ways you can prepare this banana jello pudding recipe in advance!

• Preparing the entire recipe in advance: You can make and layer this banana pudding up to 48 hours (2 days) in advance! If you prepare the entire pudding (with layers of wafers and fresh bananas) any further in advance the wafers start to lose their crisp and the bananas begin to brown. Tip: If preparing the entire pudding (layers and all) in advance, make sure you cover the top layer of bananas completely with whipped cream so they are not exposed to air, which will cause oxidation (browning of your bananas).
• Preparing just the pudding in advance: You can prepare just the pudding portion of this recipe up to 4 days in advance! I actually recommend preparing the pudding at least 3-4 hours in advance so the flavors have a chance to develop.

Homemade banana pudding should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours maximum!

Make sure you keep the banana trifle cold (in a cooler or something similar) if you are transporting it or bringing it to a party. If you are serving this pudding at an outdoor event, such as a picnic or barbecue, I recommend keeping the pudding refrigerated, on ice or in a cooler until you are ready to serve. Likewise, you may want to consider placing the pudding in a shady spot while serving!

Unfortunately, this recipe is not dairy-free as it is made with Cool Whip which contains sodium caseinate, a milk derivative.

This recipe as written is not gluten-free as it uses Vanilla Wafers which contain gluten. However, you can easily use Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafers to make this a gluten-free banana jello pudding recipe!

Note: If you are adhering to a dietary restriction, always make sure you check all labels to ensure the products you are using are in fact gluten-free before consuming.

Unfortunately, this pudding is not vegan-friendly as it contains animal products, such as cream cheese and condensed milk.