24 Really Delicious Ways to Make Banana Pudding

While banana bread may get all the glory as the best way to use up any leftover fruit, we’re here to tell you that slicing a few bananas and adding them to a combination of vanilla pudding and cookies is never a bad ideas — especially when you top the craveworthy creation with a bit of whipped cream! Whether you’re looking for a dessert that can feed a crowd or simply need an easy-to-make treat that can satisfy your sweet tooth, banana pudding fits the bill. Magnolia’s Famous Banana Pudding may have put this dessert on the map but there are so many other delicious ways to reinvent this classic, starting with our absolute best recipe. It’s piled high with layers of just-ripe bananas, rich vanilla pudding and tender cookies. We used vanilla bean paste instead of extract for a bold flavor and then topped everything with swirls of freshly whipped cream. When it all comes together, it’s dreamy, luscious and perfect for any occasion!

Trisha whips up a perfectly airy and light meringue to top off her banana pudding — making a few decorative peaks on the surface, and baking it until the meringue is lightly browned and golden.

We turned a classic vanilla cake into a banana-flavored dream with the simple addition of banana pudding mix. The pudding mix does more than just add flavor. The cornstarch and sugar in it make the cake moist and tender. Plus, the mix sweetens the frosting without requiring any additional sugar and keeps it particularly light and fluffy. The result is a truly delicious snacking cake with a uniquely pudding-like frosting that’s a cinch to make.

Banana pudding — a sweet creamy confection that's been around for ages — is making a comeback. We're jumping on this old treat as a new trend and combining it with our love of decadent cakes and cheesecake to create this impressive dessert mashup. Did we mention it's entirely no-bake? We make the crust from vanilla wafer cookies, then sandwich the instant banana pudding, which is studded throughout with sliced bananas, between two layers of no-bake cheesecake. You can assemble it up to two days in advance (without the final decoration), so it’s the perfect dessert for entertaining a crowd at your next summer gathering.

This creamy banana pudding is bursting with double the banana flavor from just-ripe bananas and instant banana cream pudding. It also comes together quickly and feeds a crowd. Win-win!

This dessert has all the flavors of banana pudding in a handheld treat. The cake is infused with vanilla cookie crumbs and studded with bits of banana, while a silky soft mixture of white chocolate and cream create a filling that tastes just like vanilla pudding. A swoop of frosting finishes off the dessert: perfect for when a craving for banana pudding strikes.

This dish has everything you'd expect from a traditional banana pudding: rich custard, vanilla wafers, fresh bananas and whipped cream.

Cornstarch-thickened pudding, also known as cheater's pudding, creates the same thick, luscious texture as homemade custard with almost none of the fat. A coconut-milk beverage subbed in for regular milk lends a subtle tropical flavor in this classic Southern dessert.

This old-fashioned banana pudding uses a splash of bourbon to enhance the overall flavor.

Kardea says, "In my opinion, banana puddin' made from scratch is one of the best desserts ever. That homemade custard is so comforting and actually really easy to make. This recipe is inspired by the banana pudding at Gillie's Seafood in Charleston. They serve theirs in little mason jars, but I like to make it in a large casserole dish to feed a crowd".

Top creamy vanilla custard with bananas cooked gently in a salted caramel sauce and you'll have a banana pudding-inspired treat that's sure to get rave reviews.

This elegant tart has all the hallmarks of the classic banana pudding — sliced fresh bananas, creamy custard, vanilla wafer cookies and sweet meringue — with one new twist: bruleed bananas. The burned sugar over the top of the tart adds a caramel flavor that pairs well with the vanilla custard and bananas.

These cute little puddings are perfect for a birthday party or as after-dinner treats. Change them up a little and customize to your liking (or your pantry's contents): Use crushed chocolate sandwich cookies instead of vanilla wafers, or add a little bit of strawberry jam for a peanut butter and jelly spin!

The key to this simple, but delicious banana pudding is the homemade vanilla custard, which sets up to the perfect consistency. It's not too thick, but not too thin. The addition of a small amount of heavy cream also gives the custard a luscious texture with just the right amount of richness.

Sunny skips the pudding in this clever recipe, using a combination of peanut butter and whipped topping instead. The combination still has a rich consistency — but a whole new flavor!

Bobby’s chocolatey version of this classic dessert is the perfect make-ahead treat since it needs at least 4 hours (or as long as overnight) in the refrigerator.

Think of this as a quicker, stir-together version of traditional banana pudding — with the same great flavor but less fuss.

If you like banana bread you’re going to love this cake. It has all the flavor you’d expect — along with a creamy pudding layer for additional sweetness.

This recipe calls for a delicious twist: cocoa powder whipped into the cream for a perfectly chocolatey topping.

Not-too-sweet vanilla custard gets a blanket of soft toasted meringue in this Southern-style banana pudding. We let the pudding base sit overnight so the cookies soften and the banana flavor infuses the custard, but if you like your cookies crisp, top the pudding with meringue and bake without resting.

This is basically the classic — with fewer calories and less fat. Stirring sour cream into the cooked pudding gives it a rich creaminess.

You can’t go wrong with the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, even when you’re talking about banana pudding. The rich cocoa and salty peanut flavors are the perfect complements to the sweet fruit.

Instead of cookies, this recipe calls for an extra dose of banana flavor — in the form of banana muffins.