Cathy's Southern Banana Pudding
This one’s a forever favorite in our house. It’s cold, comforting, and layered with homemade vanilla pudding, banana slices, and vanilla wafers. Just like my Mama used to make, but with a little extra love.
Ingredients
- 1 5.1 oz box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 8 oz tub Cool Whip (thawed)
- 1 box Nilla Wafers
- 4 ripe bananas sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the pudding mix and cold milk for about 2 minutes until thickened.
- Gently fold the entire tub of Cool Whip into the pudding. This gives it that light, creamy texture and softens the vanilla flavor—so good!
- In a trifle dish or 9x13 pan, start layering:
- First a layer of Nilla Wafers,
- Then a layer of banana slices,
- Then a generous layer of the pudding mixture.
- Repeat until your dish is full (usually 2–3 layers).
- Finish with crushed wafers or a few full wafers and banana slices on top for a pretty look.
- Chill for at least 2–3 hours (overnight is even better).
- Pro Tip: To keep bananas from browning, you can lightly toss slices in lemon juice before layering—or just make it the night before and let it chill tight in the fridge!