No Bake Banana Pudding

This classic and easy, no-bake banana pudding recipe features layers of a creamy vanilla custard, slices of fresh bananas, some light and fluffy whipped cream, and crushed digestive biscuits. It’s simple, it’s quick, and best of all, it looks extravagant!

no bake banana pudding

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About This Recipe

What Is Banana Pudding?

No, it’s not a banana-flavored pudding, it is a classic Southern dessert made with layers of vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers. although I used crushed digestive biscuits instead of wafers so that anyone can enjoy this delicacy no matter where you live in the world!

This simple dessert is full of a surprisingly complex variation of textures, a silky smooth vanilla custard, sweet banana slices, light as-air whipped cream, and crunchy wafers/biscuits. Not only that, the banana pudding also looks amazing, making it perfect for parties and get-togethers!

The banana pudding can be made in a trifle dish or even glasses. I used a small 1 1/2 liter trifle bowl, which makes enough to serve about 8 people.

Why You Should Make This Banana Pudding

  • Easy, quick, and requires no baking whatsoever!
  • Made with simple ingredients, and everything is homemade no store-bought pudding mix or anything like that! (If you wanted to, you could use a store-bought pudding mix.)
  • Looks so pretty! This dessert is perfect for parties, those layers will leave your guests in amazement! 🙂
  • This banana pudding isn’t too sweet, making it perfect for those who don’t like overly sweet desserts!

What You Need To Make This Recipe

Whole Milk: This is for the vanilla custard. I highly recommend using whole milk, not skimmed milk, as this will make the custard rich and creamy.

Sugar: the only place we’re going to be using sugar for this recipe is the vanilla custard. All you need is regular granulated sugar.

Cornstarch: this helps thicken the vanilla custard.

Butter: Adding just a little bit of unsalted butter elevates the vanilla custard, making it super rich and decadent!

Egg and egg yolks: the egg is the binding agent in the custard, it’s what helps give structure to the custard so we don’t end up with a soupy mess. The extra egg yolks also add richness to the custard. You absolutely do not want to skip the eggs in this recipe!

Vanilla extract: it’s a vanilla custard, of course, you’ll need vanilla extract!

Bananas: you’ll need 4 large or 5 small bananas that are roughly sliced. Make sure the bananas aren’t too ripe otherwise, they’ll ruin the texture of the pudding.

Whipped Cream: this is just plain heavy cream that is whipped to soft peaks, no sugar needed. Just make sure your heavy cream is cold and has a fat percentage of 35% or higher, otherwise it will not whip up. You could also just use store-bought whipped cream, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

How To Make No-Bake Banana Pudding

Step 1: Make the vanilla custard.

Heat up some milk in a saucepan, and while that’s on the stove, combine the egg, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Add a little bit of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking. Then add all of the milk into the bowl, while whisking until everything is fully combined.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium heat while whisking until the custard thickens. Remove from the heat and add the butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Strain the custard through a sieve to remove any lumps then let the custard cool down completely.

Step 2: Assembly.

Whip up some cold heavy whipping to soft peaks using an electric hand/stand mixer, this takes about 4-5 minutes. Roughly crush up some digestive biscuits/vanilla wafers using a zip-lock bag and a rolling pin.

Into your trifle bowl, or glasses, add a layer of vanilla custard. Then arrange a layer of sliced bananas on top of it.

Then add a layer of crushed digestive biscuits/vanilla wafers, and finally a layer of whipped cream. Repeat this process of layering, vanilla custard, sliced bananas, crushed biscuits/vanilla wafers, and whipped cream until you reach the top. A small 1 1/2 liter trifle bowl makes about two of these “sections”. I also piped the remaining whipped cream on top to finish it off.

Step 3: Refrigerate the banana pudding for at least 4 hours before serving. It can also be refrigerated overnight.

Storing Instructions

Store any leftover banana pudding in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Pro Tips

  • You could make the banana pudding in advance, up to two days.
  • Pass the vanilla custard through a sieve to remove any lumps.
  • When heating the milk, DO NOT bring it to a boil!
  • Use bananas that aren’t too ripe, using mushy bananas will completely ruin the texture of the pudding. If you have mushy, over-ripe bananas, try my banana chocolate swirl cake!
  • If you want to use vanilla wafers instead of digestive biscuits, but it’s not available in your area, here’s a quick recipe for homemade ones! (Note: the recipe for the wafers is not mine!)

FAQ’s

Can I make the banana pudding in advance?

Yes! This no-bake banana pudding can be made up to two days in advance.

Can I use store-bought vanilla custard?

I mean you could, but nothing beats this rich and decadent homemade vanilla custard! It’s packed with flavor and is very easy to make. Just a little bit more effort will give you outstanding results! Trust me, it is definitely worth making the custard from scratch.

Can I use store-bought whipped cream?

Of course, just keep in mind that store-bought whipped cream is usually sweetened, so you would need to reduce the sugar in the vanilla custard by about a 1/4 cup, otherwise, your banana pudding will be too sweet!

No-Bake Creamy Banana Pudding

Check out my YouTube Channel for detailed recipe tutorials! Made one of my recipes? Tag me on Instagram, I would love to see your creations!

Recipe Card

No-Bake Banana Pudding

This classic and easy, no-bake banana pudding recipe features layers of a creamy vanilla custard, slices of fresh bananas, some light and fluffy whipped cream, and crushed digestive biscuits. It’s simple, it’s quick, and best of all, it looks extravagant!

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 8 min

Chill Time: 4 hrs.

Course: Dessert

Servings: 8

Calories: 603kcal

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Custard

  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk (565ml)
  • 1 egg, room temp.
  • 2 egg yolks, room temp.
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (170g)
  • 4 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch (45g)
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed (57g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Remaining Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled (460ml)
  • 4 medium bananas
  • 1 pack digestive biscuits/ vanilla wafers (~200g)

Equipment/Utensils

  • Electric hand/stand mixer (for whipping cream)
  • Medium sized saucepan
  • Medium sized bowl
  • Whisk
  • 1 1/2 liter trifle bowl (or glasses)

Instructions

Make the vanilla custard

  1. Pour the milk into a medium sized saucepan, and place it on medium heat. Slowly bring it to a simmer.
  2. While the milk heats up, in a medium sized bowl whisk together the egg, egg yolks, granulated sugar and cornstarch until fully incorporated.
  3. Add about a cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture and whisk immediately. While continuing to whisk, add in all the remaining hot milk into the bowl. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.
  4. Pour the milk mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium-low heat, while whisking until the custard thickens. This takes about 6-7 minutes.
  5. Remove the custard from the stove and add in the butter, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk until it’s fully incorporated.
  6. Strain the custard through a sieve to remove any lumps, then set it aside to cool completely.
  7. While the custard cools, whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks, and crush up your digestive biscuits/vanilla wafers using a zip-lock bag and a rolling pin.

Assembly

  1. Into your trifle bowl, or glasses, add a layer of vanilla custard, then arrange a layer of sliced bananas on top of it. Then add a layer of crushed digestive biscuits/vanilla wafers, and finally a layer of whipped cream. Repeat this process of layering, vanilla custard, sliced bananas, crushed biscuits/vanilla wafers, and whipped cream until you reach the top.
  2. Refrigerate the pudding for at least 4 hours or up to overnight before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 603.49kcal

Total Fat: 37.25g

Carbs: 62.04g

Sugars: 38.19g

Protein: 7.87g

Sodium: 369.03mg

Fiber: 3.356g

** Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more. **

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