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A visually appealing banana pudding trifle with distinct layers of pudding, bananas, and wafers

Decadent & Easy Banana Pudding Trifle

This recipe creates a rich and creamy banana pudding trifle, perfect for a crowd. Layers of vanilla pudding, cream cheese mixture, vanilla wafers, and fresh bananas come together for a delightfully decadent dessert that's surprisingly easy to make.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 12 servings
Calories 450 kcal

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Separate bowl
  • Mixer (for cream cheese)
  • Trifle bowl (or deep glass bowl)
  • Plastic wrap

Ingredients
  

Pudding Mixture

  • 2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounce)
  • 4 cups cold milk (Whole milk works best for a richer, creamier pudding.)
  • 1 package cream cheese, softened (8 ounce)
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce)
  • 1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed (12 ounce)

Layers

  • 1 box vanilla wafers (12 ounce)
  • 5-6 medium ripe bananas, sliced

Instructions
 

Pudding Base

  • Whisk together instant vanilla pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes to thicken. In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth, then gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until creamy.
  • Gently fold half of the thawed whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture, then fold this mixture into the prepared vanilla pudding until smoothly combined.

Preparation

  • Slice ripe bananas into ΒΌ-inch thick rounds. Leave some vanilla wafers whole for layering and lightly crush about a third for sprinkling.

Assembly

  • In a large glass trifle bowl, create layers: start with whole vanilla wafers, then sliced bananas, and then one-third of the pudding mixture.
  • Repeat the layers (vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding) until finished, ensuring the top layer is pudding.
  • Spread any remaining whipped topping over the top pudding layer and garnish with crushed or whole vanilla wafers.

Chill

  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight, allowing flavors to meld and wafers to soften before serving.

Notes

For best results, allow ample chilling time so the wafers can soften and absorb the delicious pudding flavors. You can adjust the sweetness by using less sweetened condensed milk if desired. Fresh whipped cream can be used instead of frozen whipped topping for an extra homemade touch.