By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 2, 2026
Serves 10
222 cal · 195 min
Southern Banana Pudding
Recipe GLPR31203b681518ce
A classic Southern dessert featuring layers of creamy vanilla pudding, fresh banana slices, crispy vanilla wafers, and fluffy whipped topping. This no-bake treat is chilled for hours, allowing all the flavors to meld beautifully. Perfect for potlucks, family dinners, or any special occasion.
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Ingredients
3¾ cups Fat-free milk, divided
2 boxes (3.4 oz each) Instant vanilla pudding and pie-filling mix
2 cups Light frozen whipped topping
32 Vanilla wafers
2 Medium bananas, sliced
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine 3½ cups of the milk with both boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix.
Whisk the mixture vigorously for 2 minutes until it becomes smooth and well blended with no lumps.
Allow the pudding to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
Gently fold 1 cup of the frozen whipped topping into the pudding mixture until no white streaks remain.
Arrange a single layer of vanilla wafers along the bottom and sides of a 2-quart serving bowl.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the remaining milk evenly over the wafer layer to soften them slightly.
Place a layer of sliced bananas on top of the wafers.
Spread approximately one-third of the pudding mixture over the banana layer.
Repeat the layering process: add another layer of wafers, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of milk, add banana slices, and top with another one-third of pudding.
Add a final layer of wafers, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk, finish with the last of the banana slices, and top with the remaining pudding.
Spread the remaining 1 cup of whipped topping evenly over the top of the pudding layer.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until chilled through before serving.
Comments
Every ingredient is available at any Charlotte chain without a special trip—milk, vanilla pudding mix, whipped topping, vanilla wafers, and bananas are basic grocery stock. Cost per serving runs about 60 cents, driven mainly by the whipped topping, making this extremely budget-friendly for ten people. The stated 195 minutes is honest only if you account for three hours of chilling time; active prep is closer to 15 minutes, which the recipe should flag clearly. This is a genuine Southern comfort dessert that reheats poorly (whipped topping breaks down), so it's a same-night dish, but it feeds a crowd, requires no skill, and demands zero attention once assembled.
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