Three individual dessert dishes of banana pudding topped with crushed nilla wafers next to a stainless steel spoon with a towel behind all on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

French Vanilla Banana Pudding with Nilla Wafers

A slight twist on classic banana pudding including plenty of fresh banana slices and nilla wafers, with pudding inside and cool whip on top!

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One evening we had a bunch of bananas and weren’t sure what to do with them. Justin said he really wanted some good homemade banana pudding. Well, I had never made it before so I had no idea where to even start, besides bananas and pudding.

So I took to the internet and started looking up recipes. As we usually do, we mixed a few of them together and came up with our own recipe. It’s so tasty and so refreshing. It also is great to bring for a delicious dessert when you need to bring a dish to share somewhere. Or of course, keep it for yourself like we tend to do!

Banana pudding is such a classic Southern dessert and is a perfect no-bake dessert the whole family will enjoy. The simple ingredients can be found at almost any grocery store. 

The banana pudding will stay good for a few days in the refrigerator, but after that, the nilla wafers start to get a little soggy. Justin doesn’t mind that, but I have a ‘texture thing’ and can’t eat soggy chips or crackers, yuck!

Edited to add: When your silly child decides he wants a Banana Party for his birthday, this is a great dessert to make, as well as a delicious banana cake. This pudding was the first thing gone because everyone was going back for seconds and even thirds!

A Note About Ingredients

To get the unique flavor, this pudding recipe uses a large package of instant banana pudding and a small package of instant French vanilla pudding. Or if you can’t find the large package get two of the small ones. By combining the two, you get the banana flavor you are looking for, plus a hint of rich vanilla flavor. Just make sure it’s the instant pudding mix for both of them. 

If your grocery store doesn’t carry French vanilla pudding mix, you can substitute it with regular instant vanilla pudding mix. 

For the best results, make sure to use the brand name Nilla Wafers. We tried to be cheap the first time and bought the generic brand vanilla wafer cookies and they just weren’t the same. 

Whole milk is a must. When I found out I was allergic to dairy, we tried making this with almond milk and it didn’t set properly. Just this past year, for Ryan’s 8th birthday, he asked for banana pudding again. Since we were having our friend over with severe dairy allergy, I tried with almond milk again. It had the same results, the pudding never set and was a runny mess. She said she’s had this happen before with almond milk because it doesn’t have the fat content to make it thicken up.

Banana Pudding Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 5 cups whole milk
  • 1 5.1 oz pkg instant banana pudding mix
  • 1 3.4 oz pkg instant French vanilla pudding mix
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 box nilla wafers
  • 3 ripe bananas (sliced)
  • 8 oz whipped topping

Preparation

Pour both of the pudding mixes into a large mixing bowl with the required amount of milk, which should be 5 cups total. Use a whisk to combine the milk and pudding, beating until it starts to thicken. While you are preparing the rest of the recipe, it helps to give the pudding a quick stir every so often so it doesn’t get too thick.

Ingredients for banana pudding: stainless steel bowl of milk, bananas, a box of nilla wafters, 3 packs of jello, vanilla extract, and whipped topping all on a wooden surface

Meanwhile, arrange half of the nilla wafers in the bottom and up the sides of a large serving bowl or trifle bowl to create the bottom layer. You want to have a good base layer of wafers. Then top the cookies with a layer of banana slices.

Stainless steel bowl with pudding mixture next to a plate of sliced bananas and two individual dessert dishes with a layer of nilla wafers in each all on a wooden surface
Three individual dessert dishes with a layer of nilla wafers and bananas in each next to a stainless steel bowl with pudding mixture and a plate of sliced bananas all on a wooden surface

Pour half of the pudding mixture on top of the wafers and bananas. Carefully spread it around so it is flat on the top without moving the bottom layers as much as possible.

Three individual dessert dishes with a layer of nilla wafers, bananas, and pudding in each next to a stainless steel bowl with pudding mixture and a plate of sliced bananas all on a wooden surface

Repeat the layers with a layer of cookies, a layer of fresh bananas, and the remaining pudding mixture, making sure to save a few bananas and cookies for your topping.

Three individual dessert dishes with two layers of nilla wafers, bananas, and pudding in each on a wooden surface

Let the pudding set in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving so the pudding has time to stiffen. Cover the top layer of pudding with whipped cream once cool.

Three individual dessert dishes with two layers of nilla wafers, bananas, and pudding in each topped with whipped topping on a wooden surface

You can leave it just like this, or get fancy by adding some bananas and crushing a few of the remaining cookies onto the top of the pudding. It depends on if you are going for a nice presentation or just flavor! 

Three individual dessert dishes of banana pudding topped with crushed nilla wafers next to a stainless steel spoon with a towel behind all on a wooden surface (vertical)

Banana Pudding Leftovers

Storage: Leftover pudding can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. After that, the Nilla Wafers will start to disintegrate into the pudding.

Recipe

Originally Published On: January 23, 2016

Last Updated On: August 20, 2023

Three individual dessert dishes of banana pudding topped with crushed nilla wafers next to a stainless steel spoon with a towel behind all on a wooden surface

Banana Pudding

A slight twist on classic banana pudding including plenty of fresh banana slices and nilla wafers, with pudding inside and cool whip on top!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
banana
|
cookies
|
pudding
Servings: 12 cups
5 from 4 votes

Ingredients

  • 5 cups whole milk
  • 1 5.1 oz pkg instant banana pudding
  • 1 3.4 oz pkg instant french vanilla pudding
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 box nilla wafers
  • 3 bananas (sliced)
  • 8 oz whipped topping

Instructions

  • Pour milk into large bowl and add dry pudding mixes and vanilla extract
  • Beat with whisk 2 minutes or until well blended and begins to thicken
  • Meanwhile, arrange half of wafers on bottom and up sides of 2 quart serving bowl
  • Top with layer of half of bananas
  • Add half of pudding
  • Repeat layers of wafers, and bananas
  • Add the rest of the pudding
  • Refrigerate 3 hours
  • Cover with whipped topping and a few crushed nilla wafers for garnish and serve cool
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Nutrition Facts
Banana Pudding
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cups)
Calories 66 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 30mg1%
Potassium 129mg4%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 99IU2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 65mg7%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

22 thoughts on “French Vanilla Banana Pudding with Nilla Wafers”

  1. You had mare at pudding… I love pudding, bananas and Wafers. So guess what I’m making this weekend 😊

  2. 5 stars
    This looks delicious and so easy to make! I cannot believe how expensive vanilla is getting over the years! is it just me or did everyone else notice?

    1. Yes! I have tried making my own vanilla extract before and it was fun, and delicious. But the vanilla beans are so expensive it isn’t worth it. Although I hate all the small plastic bottles we go through because of that.

  3. 5 stars
    This does look so delicious. It reminds me of desserts I had as a child. But I couldn’t do the pudding in the refrigerator after a few days either. I wouldn’t like the taste because of the texture issues either.

  4. I love banana pudding! It’s such a refreshing and comforting dessert. Adding the ingredients I need to make this to my grocery list.

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