This creamy no-bake dessert is a family classic! My Recipe for Banana Pudding is extra delicious with cream cheese, Chessman cookies, French vanilla pudding mix, and lots of sweet, ripe banana slices.
I would be very disappointed if I arrived at a family party and nobody brought a big dish of banana pudding. It’s only happened one time, and from that day forward I vowed to learn how to make this iconic dessert myself so that I wouldn’t need to experience that again.
Banana Pudding is super easy to make and requires no baking. This is the famous banana pudding recipe by Paula Deen, and it calls for crunchy, buttery Chessman cookies instead of the usual vanilla wafers. The texture and flavor are elevated in this banana pudding, and as Paula says, this is “not yo’ mama’s” Banana Pudding. It’s actually better.
I alternate between making this Banana Pudding recipe and this similar recipe for Banana Pudding Lasagna. Banana Pudding Poke Cake is another banana dessert that is easy to make and delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 7 Ingredients: You’ll have no problems finding all of the simple ingredients needed to make banana pudding. This recipe has some unexpected ingredients, but they are the ones that make it so, so good.
- Banana Pudding with Cream Cheese: One of those unexpected ingredients is cream cheese! This addition is not traditional, but Paula Deen banana pudding calls for cream cheese, and it really makes this dessert so much better.
- Satisfying Presentation: Chessman cookies are squared, so they fit snugly together with no gaps on the top of this banana pudding recipe. There’s something very satisfying about that for me!
- Classic Flavor: Banana Pudding is such a well-known and loved dessert, everyone will be so excited that you made it. It’s a complete crowd pleaser.
- Large Size: This dessert serves at least 10 people, so it’s great to bring to a party to share. Wondering what you should bring to the potluck? Banana Pudding is the answer.
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies: You’ll need two packages of these sweet and simple butter cookies to make this recipe. You shouldn’t have trouble finding Chessmen cookies, they are available year round in most grocery stores. If you don’t have them or can’t find them for some reason, try using any simple butter cookie, vanilla wafers, or shortbread cookies.
- Bananas: Ripe bananas are sliced and layered into this creamy dessert, adding their delicious texture and flavor to the mix. This recipe fills a 9×13 inch pan, so we’ll use six to eight bananas.
- French Vanilla Instant Pudding: Some people like to use banana cream pudding in their banana pudding recipes, but I like the creamy and rich flavor of French vanilla just a bit better.
- Milk: Milk is added to the instant pudding to make it creamy and rich. Use whole milk or 2 percent for best results.
- Cream Cheese and Sweetened Condensed Milk: These two ingredients are the ones that make this recipe better than all the other banana pudding recipes out there that just call for Cool whip. Pudding plus cream cheese and sweetened milk make a thick, rich banana pudding that is more decadent than you might expect. The texture is in between a pudding and a no-bake cheesecake.
- Cool Whip: Of course, we still need to add whipped topping to our banana pudding! It adds a certain flavor and lightness.
How to Make Banana Pudding
- Layer of Cookies: Layer the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan with a single layer of chessmen cookies. You should be able to fit about 20.
- Layer of Bananas: Next layer on all of the sliced bananas.
- Make the Pudding: In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix using a hand mixer. Mix until smooth then set aside to set up a bit.
- Finish the Filling: In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese with condensed milk for about 1 minute. With a spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds. Fold in the Cool Whip, then add the cream cheese mixture to the Instant pudding mixture and stir until well combined.
- Pour: Spread or pour the pudding mixture over the banana layer.
- For the Final Layer: Top with the remaining Chessmen cookies, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge overnight (or at least 4 hours).
Recipe Tips
Use Ripe Bananas: You know how bananas are, they start out green, then they have just a couple of days where they are perfect before they turn into a Banana Bread Ingredient. You want to use the perfect bananas that are yellow and have just started to turn brown. They should be sweet, but still firm when you slice them.
If the pudding seems runny: Don’t worry. It will finish setting up in the refrigerator. You don’t need to let the instant pudding set all the way before adding in the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk, but it’s ok if it does. Refrigerating banana pudding before serving it is key to getting a perfectly set no-bake dessert.
Have broken cookies? It’s possible that some of your Chessman cookies will be broken in the bag. Open both bags in the beginning, and pull out the broken ones to use as the bottom layer. Nobody will notice them there, and you want the top layer to be nice straight lines of full rectangular cookies.
Make a smaller portion: This recipe serves a group and is best eaten within a day or two, so if you’re cooking for less than 5 people, you may want to halve the recipe. You can do this by halving the ingredients and assembling them in an 8×8 pan.
To Store: Banana pudding should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator. This dessert is best eaten within two days of making it. The bananas will start to get brown after that.
What to Serve with Banana Pudding
This dessert is welcome at any type of meal, but since banana pudding is a traditional Southern dessert, you may want to enjoy it with other Southern-style favorites.
For dinner enjoy a spicy and savory Shrimp Boil, Instant Pot Pulled Pork, or Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders.
Add some yummy side dishes like Southern Cornbread Salad, Velveeta Mac and Cheese, and classic Baked Beans.
Want more southern-style desserts? Make Sweet Potato Pie or a fresh Peach Pie. Some of the very best desserts come from the South. I think that must be why I love Paula Deen’s Banana Pudding so much.
FAQs
Yes, you should keep banana pudding refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. It tastes best cold, and since it’s made with milk it should be kept that way.
Just like Oreo Icebox Cake, Peanut Butter Pie, and Tiramisu, this is a no-bake dessert, so there is no baking required. Using instant pudding and pre-made cookies allows you to make a delicious banana pudding without ever turning on the stove.
Nilla Wafer banana pudding is good, but I’m definitely preferring this version made popular by Paula Deen that uses Chessman Cookies instead. You can use whichever type of simple vanilla-flavored cookie you prefer though. Your banana pudding will be delicious either way.
For banana pudding, I don’t worry too much about the bananas turning brown. The bananas in this recipe are all in the center of the pan and covered with the creamy filling, so they shouldn’t turn brown because they aren’t exposed to air. If you need them to say super fresh, you can lightly sprinkle the banana slices with a small amount of fresh lemon juice before layering them in the pan.
I suggest making banana pudding no more than 48 hours prior to when you’ll be serving it. It’s best served within 24 hours.
I can’t wait to hear about how much you and your family love this banana pudding recipe! It truly is the best, so be sure to pin it so you can find it again.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Chessmen Banana Pudding
Equipment
- 9x13x2 inch pan
Ingredients
- 40 Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies 2 packages
- 6-8 medium bananas sliced
- 2 cups milk
- 1 5-ounce box french vanilla instant pudding
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed
Instructions
- Layer the bottom of the pan with a single layer of chessmen cookies, you should be able to fit about 20. Then layer with the sliced bananas.
- In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix using a hand mixer. Mix until smooth then allow to set.
- In a separate bowl using a hand mixer beat the cream cheese with condensed milk (1 minute). With a spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.
- Fold in the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
- Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well combined.
- Spread/pour the mixture over the cookies and fresh banana layer in the pan.
- Top with the remaining Chessmen cookies, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight (or at least 4 hours).
Notes:
- Use Ripe Bananas: You want to use the perfect bananas that are yellow and have just started to turn brown. They should be sweet, but still firm when you slice them.
- If the pudding seems runny: Don’t worry. It will finish setting up in the refrigerator. You don’t need to let the instant pudding set all the way before adding in the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk, but it’s ok if it does. Refrigerating banana pudding before serving it is key to getting a perfectly set no-bake dessert.
- Have broken cookies? It’s possible that some of your Chessman cookies will be broken in the bag. Open both bags in the beginning, and pull out the broken ones to use as the bottom layer.
- Make a smaller portion: This recipe serves a group and is best eaten within a day or two, so if you’re cooking for less than 5 people, you may want to halve the recipe. You can do this by halving the ingredients and assembling them in an 8×8 pan.
- To Store: Banana pudding should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator. This dessert is best eaten within two days of making it. The bananas will start to get brown after that.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Naomi says
Great recipe however I wasted an entire first batch of ingredients. Cause I didn’t realize I was supposed to cook the pudding , I just combined the milk and pudding mix and then added that directly to the cool whip mixture . I realized after it being in the fridge over night and still being ridiculous runny that I missed a step and that step was very easy to miss being how the recipe was written. So for anyone else make sure to combine the milk and pudding mix and then boil it per the box instructions because if you miss this step the pudding will never set.
Diana says
Naomi, I’m sorry you had trouble with the pudding. This recipe calls for instant pudding, which doesn’t require cooking. If you used the cook-and-serve type, you’d need to cook it first per the package instructions. Thank you for letting me know!
Erika says
I love this recipe! We just made it and already know this is the one we are gonna love.
Jasson says
Very nice recipe chef👋👍👌. Thank you for your effort 🌹🌞😎
Fawnta Camm says
My family truly enjoyed this banana pudding recipe.