Banana Pudding Trifle

Banana Pudding Trifle

Layers of vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, pound cake, Nilla wafers, and whipped topping — built into one big show-stopping trifle or a dozen individual parfait cups.

Prep30 min

Chill2 hr

Total2 hr 30 min

Yield1 large trifle or 12 cups

CourseDessert

Ingredients

Pudding

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding
• 3 cups cold milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed (divided use)

Layers

• 4 bananas
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons water
• Vanilla wafer cookies (such as Nilla Wafers)
• 1 pound cake (store-bought or homemade)

Instructions

Make the Pudding

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth.
2. Slowly beat in the sweetened condensed milk until fully incorporated.
3. Add the instant pudding powder and blend until smooth.
4. Slowly stir in the milk until fully combined, then mix in the vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, fold half the Cool Whip together with about 1 cup of the pudding by hand. Stir this lightened mixture back into the main pudding bowl — this prevents lumps. Set aside.

Prep the Layers

1. Cut the pound cake into bite-sized cubes and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and water. Slice the bananas, soak in the lemon-water for 1 minute, then remove and gently pat dry with paper towels — this slows browning.

Assemble — Large Trifle

1. Layer in this order: cookies, bananas, pudding, pound cake, Cool Whip.
2. Repeat: cookies, bananas, pudding, Cool Whip.
3. Top with additional cookies for decoration.

Assemble — Individual Cups

1. Place a Nilla wafer in the bottom of each cup.
2. Layer in this order: pudding, bananas, Cool Whip, pound cake.
3. Repeat: pudding, bananas, Cool Whip.
4. Top with a Nilla wafer (and crushed cookies if desired).

Best banana ripeness: Perfectly yellow — no green, no brown spots. Firm but sweet.

Browning bananas: The lemon-water soak slows browning, but bananas will start to darken after about 24 hours. The trifle is best eaten within a day of assembly.

Quick banana ripening: Spread separated bananas on a cookie sheet and bake at 250°F for 15–20 minutes to soften and sweeten them. Let cool before slicing — they'll be softer than usual.

Variations: Add a layer of chocolate, fudge, caramel, or Nutella; swap bananas for strawberries; sprinkle in mini chocolate chips; or use freshly whipped cream instead of Cool Whip (note that fresh whipped cream is less stable, so it's only for serving the same day).

Per serving (1 of 12): 131 cal · 21g carbs · 4g protein · 4g fat (2g sat) · 95mg sodium · 11g sugar

Adapted from Num's the Word by Janelle.