22 Really Delicious Ways to Make Banana Pudding

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Something for Everyone

While banana bread may get all the glory as the best way to use up any leftover fruit, we’re here to tell you that slicing a few bananas and adding them to a combination of vanilla pudding and cookies is never a bad ideas — especially when you top the craveworthy creation with a bit of whipped cream! Whether you’re looking for a dessert that can feed a crowd or simply need an easy-to-make treat that can satisfy your sweet tooth, banana pudding fits the bill. Magnolia’s Famous Banana Pudding may have put this dessert on the map but there are so many other delicious ways to reinvent this classic, starting with our absolute best recipe. It’s piled high with layers of just-ripe bananas, rich vanilla pudding and tender cookies. We used vanilla bean paste instead of extract for a bold flavor and then topped everything with swirls of freshly whipped cream. When it all comes together, it’s dreamy, luscious and perfect for any occasion!

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Banana Pudding

Trisha whips up a perfectly airy and light meringue to top off her banana pudding — making a few decorative peaks on the surface, and baking it until the meringue is lightly browned and golden.

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Banana Pudding Cupcakes

This dessert has all the flavors of banana pudding in a handheld treat. The cake is infused with vanilla cookie crumbs and studded with bits of banana, while a silky soft mixture of white chocolate and cream create a filling that tastes just like vanilla pudding. A swoop of frosting finishes off the dessert: perfect for when a craving for banana pudding strikes.

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Chessmen Banana Pudding

This creamy banana pudding is bursting with double the banana flavor from just-ripe bananas and instant banana cream pudding. It also comes together quickly and feeds a crowd. Win-win!

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Classic Banana Pudding

This dish has everything you’d expect from a traditional banana pudding: rich custard, vanilla wafers, fresh bananas and whipped cream.

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Light Tropical Banana Pudding

Cornstarch-thickened pudding, also known as cheater’s pudding, creates the same thick, luscious texture as homemade custard with almost none of the fat. A coconut-milk beverage subbed in for regular milk lends a subtle tropical flavor in this classic Southern dessert.

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Banana Cream Pudding

This old-fashioned banana pudding uses a splash of bourbon to enhance the overall flavor.

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Homemade Banana Pudding

Kardea says, “In my opinion, banana puddin’ made from scratch is one of the best desserts ever. That homemade custard is so comforting and actually really easy to make. This recipe is inspired by the banana pudding at Gillie’s Seafood in Charleston. They serve theirs in little mason jars, but I like to make it in a large casserole dish to feed a crowd”.

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Warm Salted Caramel Banana Pudding

Top creamy vanilla custard with bananas cooked gently in a salted caramel sauce and you’ll have a banana pudding-inspired treat that’s sure to get rave reviews.

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Banana Pudding Tart

This elegant tart has all the hallmarks of the classic banana pudding — sliced fresh bananas, creamy custard, vanilla wafer cookies and sweet meringue — with one new twist: bruleed bananas. The burned sugar over the top of the tart adds a caramel flavor that pairs well with the vanilla custard and bananas.

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Peanut Butter-Banana Pudding Cups

These cute little puddings are perfect for a birthday party or as after-dinner treats. Change them up a little and customize to your liking (or your pantry’s contents): Use crushed chocolate sandwich cookies instead of vanilla wafers, or add a little bit of strawberry jam for a peanut butter and jelly spin!

Get the Recipe:Peanut Butter-Banana Pudding Cups

Classic Banana Pudding

The key to this simple, but delicious banana pudding is the homemade vanilla custard, which sets up to the perfect consistency. It’s not too thick, but not too thin. The addition of a small amount of heavy cream also gives the custard a luscious texture with just the right amount of richness.

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Sunny’s Banana Pudding “Jar-Faits”

Sunny skips the pudding in this clever recipe, using a combination of peanut butter and whipped topping instead. The combination still has a rich consistency — but a whole new flavor!

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Milk Chocolate Banana Pudding

Bobby’s chocolatey version of this classic dessert is the perfect make-ahead treat since it needs at least 4 hours (or as long as overnight) in the refrigerator.

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Vanilla-Banana Pudding

Think of this as a quicker, stir-together version of traditional banana pudding — with the same great flavor but less fuss.

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Banana Pudding Cake

If you like banana bread you’re going to love this cake. It has all the flavor you’d expect — along with a creamy pudding layer for additional sweetness.

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Banana Pudding

This recipe calls for a delicious twist: cocoa powder whipped into the cream for a perfectly chocolatey topping.

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Southern Banana Pudding

Not-too-sweet vanilla custard gets a blanket of soft toasted meringue in this Southern-style banana pudding. We let the pudding base sit overnight so the cookies soften and the banana flavor infuses the custard, but if you like your cookies crisp, top the pudding with meringue and bake without resting.

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Lightened Up Banana Pudding

This is basically the classic — with fewer calories and less fat. Stirring sour cream into the cooked pudding gives it a rich creaminess.

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Peanut Butter and Roasted Banana Pudding

You can’t go wrong with the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, even when you’re talking about banana pudding. The rich cocoa and salty peanut flavors are the perfect complements to the sweet fruit.

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Banana Muffin Pudding

Instead of cookies, this recipe calls for an extra dose of banana flavor — in the form of banana muffins.

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Banana Pudding

Hosting a last-minute get-together? Serve your guests this easy banana pudding that only takes 35 minutes to whip up.

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