My Favorite Southern Strawberry Banana Pudding

Two trifle bowls of strawberry banana puddings with a box of nilla wafers and strawberries in the background.

5 from 1 vote

My Favorite Southern Strawberry Banana Pudding

This Southern Strawberry Banana Pudding is a nostalgic treat that's close to my heart. Creamy, dreamy, and loaded with fresh strawberries and bananas, it’s a delightful twist on the classic banana pudding. Perfect for gatherings, this dessert brings a sweet, fruitiness to any occasion. Plus, it's so simple to whip up, you'll find yourself making it over and over again!

Prep Time20

Cook Time6

Total Time26

Course: Dessert

Keyword: banana, banana pudding, dessert, easy, family-friendly, kid-friendly, no bake, southern, strawberry, summer, sweet, sweets

Servings: servings

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

BANANA PUDDING:

4 organic bananas, sliced
2 (11 oz.) boxes Nilla wafer Cookies (You'll only need about 1 ½ of the boxes. Feel free to mix the original size with mini size.)
2 (1 oz.) boxes vanilla instant pudding mix (I like to use the Jell-O brand; SEE NOTES)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups VERY COLD filtered water or milk (You can use unsweetened Almond milk or whole milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 oz.) container container Whipped Cream, store-bought or homemade (For homemade, see my Whipped Cream recipe)
Pinch of ground cinnamon

STRAWBERRY SAUCE:

3 cups fresh sliced strawberries, stems removed
¼ cup organic cane sugar
½ lemon, freshly-squeezed
3 Tbsps strawberry preserves/jam

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS/GARNISH:

Whipped cream
Sliced fresh strawberries or spoons of strawberry sauce
Crushed Nilla Wafer cookies

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY SYRUP/SAUCE:

In a saucepan, add together all ingredients over medium-high heat, stirring until combined. Once strawberries begin to soften, continue stirring until mixture begins to thickened a bit, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

TO MAKE THE VANILLA PUDDING:

In the bowl (using a hand-mixer), mix together the VERY COLD water (or milk), vanilla pudding mixes, and sweetened condensed milk until smooth and the mixture begins to thicken, about 4-5 minutes on medium-high speed (increasing the speed as it thickens). NOTE: The mixture should look like smooth pudding once mixed enough.
Finally, fold in the whipped cream, vanilla extract and cinnamon and mix for another minute or so.

ASSEMBLY:

In a trifle bowl (or your favorite dish), layer vanilla wafer cookies, sliced bananas, and pudding mixture followed by a few spoonfuls of strawberry sauce; repeat layering until all ingredients have been used.
Garnish top with a few dollops of whipped cream, crushed vanilla wafers, and a drizzle of strawberry sauce (if desired), and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. NOTE: Best if chilled overnight.
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Store leftover banana pudding in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The cookies will continue to get soggy, so the texture of the entire dish will change the longer it's left in the fridge past those amount of days.
HOMEMADE VANILLA PUDDING: See post for notes and ingredients.
BOX OF VANILLA PUDDING: I HIGHLY recommend using a really good electric mixer for making the pudding. Be sure that the water or milk is EXTREMELY COLD + You may need to add an EXTRA BOX of vanilla pudding so that it forms to a creamy consistency and not 'watery' if you notice that it isn't "setting" while mixing. To ensure that your pudding comes out smooth and thickened, be sure to purchase the large 3 oz. box or THREE 1 oz. boxes of INSTANT pudding mix and not the cook + serve version.

Nutrition