Last Updated on December 3, 2022
This banana pudding with vanilla wafers is the perfect quick and easy dessert for big groups! And, it is a versatile recipe packed with fresh flavors!
The vanilla wafers make this recipe easy and save you a ton of time. You can of course make them from scratch, but who has the time these days? And, you can add some sauce to the layers, chopped nuts, or other delicious garnishes.
What Is A Banana Pudding With Vanilla Wafers?
Did you know that banana pudding dessert is actually about a hundred years old? That’s almost unimaginable! You can find references to it in books and newspapers almost everywhere in the 1930s and 1940s. The earliest reference of banana cream pudding is in a New York Times column dated 1878.
Originally, banana puddings with vanilla wafers were made in a very similar way to traditional British trifles, but with the addition of bananas of course. It consisted of homemade custard, layers of sponge cake, and sliced bananas.
As you can see, the more modern version of this pudding started using vanilla wafers as a way to save time and possibly money too. Regardless, modern banana puddings are still incredibly delicious and refreshing, making them perfect for summer or spring puddings.
Why We Love This Recipe
Our favorite part of this recipe is how incredibly quick it is to make. You can whip up this dessert in under half an hour, making it perfect for last-minute guests or when you really don’t feel like spending hours in front of your stove.
Another reason we love it is because of how versatile it is. Despite modern recipes using vanilla wafers, you can of course still use sponge cake.
You can also use pre-whipped cream and add a variety of other fruits to make it more colorful. We absolutely love adding raspberries and peaches too.
And finally, this recipe can be doubled up without causing any disastrous effects to the mixture. This makes it the perfect and quick dessert to make for large crowds at special events too.
What You Will Need To Make This Banana Pudding With Vanilla Wafers
Ingredients for the banana pudding dessert
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 5 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 3/4 cups milk, cold
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 fresh bananas, sliced
- 12 ounces vanilla wafers
- 1/2 cup whipped cream, for garnish
- Walnuts, chopped and toasted
Equipment for banana cream pudding
- Glass mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Spoon or silicone spatula
- 9 x 1-inch serving dish
How To Make Banana Pudding With Vanilla Wafers?
Step 1: Whip the cream
Place the cream in a medium to a large glass bowl. The glass bowl should be clean and completely free of any fat stains. Then, using an electric whisk, beat the cream until it reaches medium peaks.
You know you have beaten the eggs for long enough when they stand upright and the tips only slightly fold over.
Do not over-beat the cream because it will be difficult to incorporate it into the pudding mix and your mixture will have lumps of cream inside. Set the whipped cream inside the fridge until you need it again.
Step 2: Make the pudding base
First, beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture. Once aerated, beat in the condensed milk until it is fully incorporated.
Then, add the pudding mix and blend the ingredients together well. Make sure that the mixture doesn’t have any lumps.
Finally, slowly add the cold milk to the mixture while whisking continuously. You can also add in the vanilla extract.
Step 3: Fold in the whipped cream
Next, you can start folding in the whipped cream. The best way to do this is to mix in a third of the cream directly into the base until it is almost fully incorporated. Then, fold in another third, more gentle this time.
Again, right before it is almost fully incorporated, you can add the final third of whipped cream. Keep folding in the cream until it is fully combined. This technique will help keep the mixture as airy as possible.
Step 4: Assemble the banana pudding with vanilla wafers
The final step is to assemble your delicious banana cream pudding. To do this, line the bottom of your serving dish with vanilla wafers. Then, arrange the sliced bananas evenly over the vanilla wafers, covering as much area as possible.
Then, spread the pudding mixture over the sliced bananas, and finally, top with some delicious whipped cream and toasted chopped walnuts.
Tips And Tricks For Making This Banana Pudding With Cream Cheese Recipe
- Unlike most other dessert recipes, this banana pudding with vanilla wafers can easily be divided or multiplied without any problems. This makes it perfect for large parties or gatherings.
- There are a ton of alternatives you can use for this recipe. For example, you can use unsweetened condensed milk to make the dessert less sweet. Or, you can add additional fruits like berries along with the banana. You can also use a wide variety of different nuts including pecan nuts or macadamia nuts.
- This banana pudding with cream cheese doesn’t last extremely long. The wafers will naturally get soggy after a while and the bananas will also start losing quality. So, the best way to store this dessert is to wrap the entire container in saran or plastic wrap. Then, keep it inside the fridge for about 2 days. After that, it really won’t be as good.
- For this recipe, we use instant pudding. So, the mixture doesn’t have to be set at all. It will be ready to eat as soon as it has been assembled.
Learn more about Substitute For Banana In Baking and How To Use It Correctly
Servings And Preparation Times For Banana Pudding With Vanilla Wafers
| Preparation time | Baking Time | Servings |
| 20 minutes | 0 | 6-8 |
Final Words
If this recipe sounds delicious to you, give it a try! We can all but guarantee that it will become a new staple recipe in your file! And, let us know what variations you’ve tried!
Read more about The Best Variations On Banana Bread And 4 Easy Substitutes
Banana Pudding With Vanilla Wafers
Equipment
- Glass mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Spoon or silicone spatula
- 9 x 1-inch serving dish
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 5 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 3/4 cup cups milk, cold
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 fresh bananas, sliced
- 12 oz vanilla wafers
- 1/2 cup whipped cream, for garnish
- Walnuts, chopped and toasted
Instructions
- Place the cream in a medium to a large glass bowl. The glass bowl should be clean and completely free of any fat stains. Then, using an electric whisk, beat the cream until it reaches medium peaks.You know you have beaten the eggs for long enough when they stand upright and the tips only slightly fold over.Do not over-beat the cream because it will be difficult to incorporate it into the pudding mix and your mixture will have lumps of cream inside. Set the whipped cream inside the fridge until you need it again.
- First, beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture. Once aerated, beat in the condensed milk until it is fully incorporated.Then, add the pudding mix and blend the ingredients together well. Make sure that the mixture doesn't have any lumps.Finally, slowly add the cold milk to the mixture while whisking continuously. You can also add in the vanilla extract.
- Next, you can start folding in the whipped cream. The best way to do this is to mix in a third of the cream directly into the base until it is almost fully incorporated. Then, fold in another third, more gentle this time.Again, right before it is almost fully incorporated, you can add the final third of whipped cream. Keep folding in the cream until it is fully combined. This technique will help keep the mixture as airy as possible.
- The final step is to assemble your delicious banana cream pudding. To do this, line the bottom of your serving dish with vanilla wafers. Then, arrange the sliced bananas evenly over the vanilla wafers, covering as much area as possible.Then, spread the pudding mixture over the sliced bananas, and finally, top with some delicious whipped cream and toasted chopped walnuts.
Lindy Van Schalkwyk is a culinary specialist with a background in Advanced Cooking, Advanced Pâtisserie, Media Communications and Nutrition. She has gained invaluable experience in the culinary industry having worked in some of the top restaurants in Africa in 2016 and 2017. Her expertise in nutrition has enabled her to develop recipes for special dietary needs. In 2018, Lindy began working in the Food Media industry, focusing on recipe development, recipe writing, food writing and food styling.
