Banana Pudding Trifle is a showstopping, no-bake dessert featuring pudding, cookies, bananas and homemade whipped cream. It’s a silky smooth yet crunchy layered treat that is a must for holidays and special occasions.
Why you’ll love banana trifle
Easy, No-Bake Dessert! That’s right — this banana pudding in a bowl requires nothing more than some instant pudding mix and whipped cream. We’ve swapped out the cooked custard filling for a quick and easy homemade whipped cream, which means we never have to turn on the stove or oven. I love to make this during the warmer months, but this is honestly a dessert recipe you can serve any time of year.
Great for Holidays and Special Occasions! Give your guests something special to not only eat but also look at. I love the layered effect of all trifle recipes, but this banana version offers gorgeous layers of white, yellow and sandy colors all wrapped into one. Serve it for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, 4th of July or any time during the busy holiday season.
A Perfect Make-Ahead! Since the banana pudding needs an ample amount of time to hang out and chill in the fridge, it’s the perfect dessert to make well in advance. I like to prep it the morning I am going to serve, but I offer plenty of make-ahead and storage tips below.
Ingredients
Banana cream trifle requires only 8 ingredients – a few of them taking some help from the pantry. Here’s a list of what we need:
- Whole milk
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Instant banana pudding
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Bananas
- Nilla wafer cookies
Ingredient substitutions and notes:
- If you can’t find banana pudding mix, instant vanilla pudding mix will work, too.
- Take a shortcut and swap out the homemade whipped cream for an entire container of Cool Whip.
- Replace the Nilla wafers with shortbread cookies, or any of your favorite sugar or butter cookies.
How to layer banana pudding
Presentation is key with this one. I love the aesthetic of banana pudding in a trifle bowl, but you can use any large glass bowl you have on hand. The key is to make it well enough ahead of time so the pudding has time to sit and chill. Here’s how I like to do it:
Make pudding: In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), whisk together milk, condensed milk and banana pudding for 5 minutes. Once the pudding has come together, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming) and transfer to the refrigerator to continue setting.
Whip cream: In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on high until whip cream is light and fluffy. Do not overmix.
Combine cream and pudding: Gently fold the whipped cream into the banana pudding mixture until no streaks of whipped cream remain.
Layer: Slice the bananas and begin to layer. Start with a layer of Nilla wafer cookies, then banana pudding mixture, then banana slices. Continue in this order until the top is reached. Garnish trifle with crushed Nilla wafers and banana slices.
Chill: Cover with plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 1-2 hours before serving.
Serving suggestions
Nothing says special celebration more to me than a gorgeous, layered trifle dish. Watch everyone’s eyes light up when you pull this baby out of the fridge. A few of my favorite ways to serve include:
- Mother’s Day / Father’s Day: Treat your parentals to something special. A great treat, especially if your mom or dad is a huge fan of bananas!
- Summer BBQ: Dessert in a bowl never looked so good. Keep the banana pudding stored in the fridge or in a super cold cooler with ice up until the moment you are ready to serve.
- Holidays: Since bananas are a year-round fruit, you could honestly make this any time of year. It bodes well for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and more.
Make ahead & storage instructions
Make the trifle 1-2 days in advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge. If going this route, refrain from topping with Nilla wafer crumbles and banana slices until the moment you are ready to serve.
Leftover banana pudding will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the same bowl you served it in or in an airtight container in the fridge. After the 3-day mark, the Nilla wafers turn a bit too soggy and the whipped cream loses its shape.
Recipe tips & notes:
- Use a trifle dish or a large glass bowl. Just make sure the serving dish is clear so you can see all those beautiful layers.
- Build mini versions. Layer them in small mason jars or stemless wine glasses for individual servings.
- Bananas only need to be about a medium ripeness. Unlike most banana dessert recipes that require brown-speckled bananas, the bananas only need to be slightly soft and bright yellow.
- Adorn the sides with banana slices and Nilla wafer cookies. This makes for an eye-catching appeal.
- Get down at eye level. Check each layer after adding it to the trifle bowl to make sure they are even and level.
- Squeeze a bit of citrus juice on the final layer of banana slices. Lemon, orange or pineapple juice will prevent browning. Lightly coat the slices with juice before placing them on top for garnish.
Looking for more banana dessert recipes? Check these out!
- Banana Bread Brownies
- Cinnamon Banana Bread
- Banana Nut Bread
- Banana and Chocolate Cream Pie
- Banana French Crepes
If you make this Banana Pudding Trifle recipe, be sure to tag me on Pinterest and Instagram!
I seriously love seeing what you guys are making and sharing your creations with the College Housewife community!
Banana Pudding Trifle
ingredients
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 – 5.1 oz box instant banana pudding
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 7 bananas sliced
- 1 – 11 oz box Nilla wafer cookies
instructions
- Make pudding: In a large bowl with an electric stand or hand mixer, whisk together milk, condensed milk and banana pudding for 5 minutes. Once the pudding has come together, cover in plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to continue setting.
- Whip cream: In a large bowl with an electric stand or hand mixer, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on high until whip cream is light and fluffy, be careful not to over mix.
- Combine cream and pudding: Gently fold in the whip cream to the banana pudding mixture until incorporated.
- Layer: Slice the bananas and begin to layer a layer of Nilla wafer cookies, banana pudding mixture and banana slices into a trifle dish or bowl until the top is reached. Garnish trifle with crushed Nilla wafers and banana slices.
- Chill: Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 1-2 hours before serving.
notes
Any tips to stop the bananas from turning brown—made the night before cookout.