Description

This Christmas Banana Pudding is a no-bake, ultra-creamy holiday twist on the classic Southern favorite. Layers of vanilla wafers, ripe bananas, and a rich pudding–cream cheese filling are topped with fluffy Cool Whip and festive garnishes. It’s easy, make-ahead friendly, and perfect for Christmas parties, potlucks, or cozy family gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

1 box (11–12 oz) vanilla wafers, plus extra for topping if desired
4–5 ripe bananas, sliced
1 box (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
Optional Christmas toppings: crushed vanilla wafers, white chocolate shavings, festive sprinkles, extra banana slices

Instructions

Make the pudding base: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix and cold milk for about 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk until completely smooth and combined. Set the bowl aside.
Cream the cream cheese: In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth, creamy, and free of lumps.
Gently fold the whipped cream cheese into the pudding mixture, stirring until fully blended and silky.
Fold in Cool Whip: Add about half of the Cool Whip to the pudding mixture and gently fold until the filling is light and fluffy. Reserve the remaining Cool Whip for topping.
Assemble the banana pudding: In a large trifle dish or 9×13-inch baking dish, start with a single layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom.
Add an even layer of sliced bananas over the wafers.
Spoon and spread a layer of the pudding mixture over the bananas, smoothing it to the edges.
Repeat the layers—wafers, bananas, pudding—until all ingredients are used, finishing with a pudding layer or leaving room for topping.
Spread the reserved Cool Whip evenly over the top as the final layer.
Chill: Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best flavor and texture.
Optional Christmas touches: Just before serving, sprinkle the top with crushed vanilla wafers, shaved white chocolate, and festive holiday sprinkles. Add fresh banana slices right before serving to keep them from browning.
Serve cold, scoop into bowls, and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is no-bake, but it does require several hours of chilling for the wafers to soften and the flavors to meld.
Use bananas that are ripe and sweet with yellow peels and a few brown speckles, but not mushy.
For neat layers in a trifle, line banana slices and wafers around the glass edge first, then fill the center.
If making ahead the day before, wait to add banana slices on top until just before serving to prevent browning.
Light or reduced-fat cream cheese and light whipped topping can be used, but the texture will be slightly softer.
Instant pudding is required—cook-and-serve pudding will not set correctly in this no-bake recipe.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus chilling)
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: No-Bake
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/10–1/12 of recipe)
Calories: Approx. 350
Sugar: Approx. 34 g
Sodium: Approx. 260 mg
Fat: Approx. 14 g
Saturated Fat: Approx. 8 g
Unsaturated Fat: Approx. 5 g
Trans Fat: Approx. 0 g
Carbohydrates: Approx. 52 g
Fiber: Approx. 1 g
Protein: Approx. 6 g
Cholesterol: Approx. 35 mg

Keywords: Christmas banana pudding,no bake banana pudding,holiday dessert,banana pudding trifle,cream cheese banana pudding,easy Christmas dessert