Banana pudding is a classic barbecue dessert. There are many recipes to choose from, some quick and easy, others a bit more complicated. Here are two that are very simple but very good!
Judy’s Banana Pudding – Big Bowl
This recipe comes from Jack Daniel’s Old Time Barbecue Cookbook by Vince Staten. This book is out of print but can be found occasionally as a used book.
The recipe uses convenience items that make it easy to whip up, but don’t let that fool you—it’s tasty!
You’ll need a large serving bowl for this banana pudding presentation.
Ingredients List
- 3 boxes instant vanilla pudding mix (3 to 3.4 ounces per box)
- 5 cups milk
- 8 ounces frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed (e.g. Cool Whip brand)
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 5-6 ripe bananas
- 1 box vanilla wafer cookies
Allow the frozen whipped topping to soften in the refrigerator for 4 hours before preparing this recipe.
Peel the bananas and slice about 1/4″ thick then set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk, whisking for 2 minutes. Add the dessert topping and sour cream and whisk until well combined.
In the bottom of a large serving bowl, place a layer of vanilla wafer cookies, then a layer of banana slices, then 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Use a spatula to spread the pudding evenly over the bananas. Repeat for two more layers.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with extra cookies around the edge of the bowl and maybe a few banana slices arranged in the middle.
Judy’s Banana Pudding – Mason Jars
For this scaled-down version of Judy’s Banana Pudding, you’ll need half pint (8-ounce) regular mouth Mason jars for this pudding presentation. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients List
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (3 to 3.4 ounce box)
- 1-2/3 cups milk
- 2-2/3 ounces frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed (e.g. Cool Whip brand)
- 2-2/3 ounces sour cream
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 box vanilla wafer cookies
Allow the frozen whipped topping to soften in the refrigerator for 4 hours before preparing this recipe. Weigh the dessert topping and sour cream using a kitchen scale and set aside.
Place 4 cookies in a Ziploc bag and crush into crumbs using a rolling pin.
Peel the bananas and slice about 1/4″ thick then set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk, whisking for 2 minutes. Add the dessert topping and sour cream and whisk until well combined.
Place 2 cookies in the bottom of each jar. Place 3-4 banana slices on top of the cookies. Using a measuring cup or large spoon, place a layer of pudding on top of the bananas. Gently tamp the jar on a folded dish towel so the pudding settles into the cookies and bananas. Repeat for two more layers to the top of the jar.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the cookies to soften. Garnish with a sprinkle of cookie crumbs, a dollop of dessert topping, a cookie and a banana slice.
Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding
This recipe comes courtesy of Paula Deen and her show “Paula’s Home Cooking” on the Food Network.
Ingredients List
- 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
- 6-8 bananas, sliced
- 2 cups milk
- 1 5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 12-ounces frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed (e.g. Cool Whip brand)
Allow the frozen whipped topping to soften in the refrigerator for 4 hours before preparing this recipe.
Line the bottom of a 9″x13″ baking dish with one bag of cookies. Layer the banana slices over the cookies and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine milk and pudding mix. Blend according to package instructions using an electric hand mixer. Set aside.
In another large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and condensed milk using the electric hand mixer until smooth. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. When combined, fold the cream cheese mixture into the pudding mixture.
Pour the mixture over the bananas and cover with the second bag of cookies. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before serving so the pudding has a chance to set.
Just a note about arranging the cookies. Each bag contains 24 cookies. I was able to fit 23 cookies in the bottom of the pan (I ate cookie #24), but as you can see in the above photo, 24 cookies will not cover the pudding completely because the pan is wider at the top than at the bottom. Either save cookie #24 from the bottom for use on the top or try arranging the cookies into 4 rows of 6 cookies instead.
