The Best Banana Pudding Recipe: Easy and Delicious

5 from 3 votes

Easy and delicious recipe for banana pudding with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, bananas, and shortbread cookies. Perfect for any occasion!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: Dessert Cups

Calories: 659kcal

Author: Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller

3 1/4 cups milk
6.8 ounces instant banana cream pudding mix 2 3.4-oz boxes
16 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed, or 6 cups of sweetened homemade whipped cream
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces cream cheese softened
2 bananas sliced
14.5 ounces Chessmen cookies 2 bags

Set 10 12-ounce dessert cups on a workspace.
Add the milk to a bowl and sprinkle the pudding mixture over the milk and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and beat until smooth.
Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
Add the pudding mixture to the cream cheese mixture and stir until well combined.
Crumble 1 cookie into the bottom of each cup.
Add about 2 tablespoons of pudding mix on top of the cookie crumbs.
Top the pudding with 3 thin slices of bananas, keep them near the middle so they are covered with pudding to prevent browning.
Top with another 2 tablespoon of pudding mix.
Crumble another cookie over each cup.
Add more pudding to each cup.
Add another layer of bananas followed by another layer of pudding.
Top with a whole cookie.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nilla wafers or any shortbread type cookies can be used as a substitute for Chessmen cookies.
Instant Vanilla Pudding can be used as a substitute for banana pudding.
6 cups of homemade whipped cream can be used in place of the whipped topping.
9 ounce Dessert cups and parfaits have 9 layers. Cookie crumbles, pudding, bananas, pudding, cookie crumbles, pudding, bananas, pudding, whole cookie. 3 layers of cookies, 2 layers of bananas with pudding in between them all.
Smaller dessert cups can be used, reduce banana layer to one, and only use cookies on the bottom and top of smaller cups.
This can be made in a 9 X 13 dish. Layer the bottom of the dish with whole cookies, add half of the pudding mixture, layer with sliced bananas. Top the bananas with the remaining pudding, then top with another layer of whole cookies. You will need more cookies, about three 7.25-ounce bags of Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies.