Banana Pudding
Nilla wafers, vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, whipped cream. The BBQ dessert that matters. Every cookout needs a closer — something sweet after hours of smoky meat that makes people lean back and say
Ingredients
- 2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups cold whole milk
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 12 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip) or fresh whipped cream
- 1 box (11 oz) Nilla wafers
- 5-6 ripe bananas (sliced)
Method
- Whisk the pudding mix with the cold milk until thickened (2 minutes). In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then fold in the sweetened condensed milk. Combine the pudding and cream cheese mixture. Fold in the whipped topping until smooth and uniform.
- Layer in a 9x13 dish or trifle bowl: Nilla wafers on the bottom, sliced bananas, pudding mixture. Repeat layers 2-3 times, ending with pudding on top. Crush a few Nilla wafers over the top for garnish.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The wafers absorb moisture from the pudding and soften into a cake-like texture — this transformation is essential and cannot be rushed.