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To be honest, I think I only had banana pudding once as a kid, at a neighbor’s house. My mom never made it, so my memories of it are a little fuzzy, but I remember liking it, and really, what’s not to like? Creamy vanilla pudding mixed with whipped cream, bananas, cookies all layered together sounds pretty hard to argue with unless you dislike bananas but they’re really having a bit of a moment right now turning up in creamers, Oreos and as a flavoring in many other products.

When I decided to finally make a vegan version, I tested it a few different ways, but ultimately landed on a really simple and classic combination of cooked pudding, whipped vegan cream, sliced bananas and vegan vanilla wafers. I found cook-and-serve vanilla pudding tasted better than instant pudding to me and it made a thicker, creamier filling. Instant pudding can also be hard to set properly with many plant milks so cook and serve is a safer choice all around. If you decide to use instant, I would recommend using a higher protein milk like soy and reduce the amount called for by a third but you’ve been warned.

Some Banana Pudding History

Believe it or not, banana pudding has been around since the late 1800s, but the version we recognize today with vanilla pudding, bananas and vanilla wafers, came together in the early 20th century. A 1921 newspaper recipe from Bloomington, Illinois is often cited as an early example using vanilla wafers, and Nabisco helped popularize the combination by putting banana pudding recipes on boxes of Nilla Wafers beginning in the 1940s. It eventually became a Southern classic, but for vegans, Nabisco brand Nilla wafers are not vegan but luckily there are some vegan options available.

What You’ll Need

COOK-AND-SERVE VANILLA PUDDING

You’ll need one family size 4.3-ounce package of vanilla cook-and-serve pudding. I used 2 cups of plant milk instead of the 3 cups called for on the box, which results in a thicker pudding that’s better for layering. I prefer soy milk as the higher protein in it helps it set better but other alternatives should work but I have not tested them. Jell-O is the most popular and widely available brand out there but if you can’t find their family sized box, use 1 full and 1/3 of another 3.4 oz box to get roughly the same amount as the 4.6 oz box. You’ll still use 2 cups of plant milk.

VEGAN HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM

For the whipped cream, I like to use either Country Crock Plant Cream, Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream or Califia Farms Heavy Whip. All three whip well and can be used as a 1:1 replacement for dairy heavy cream. I used Aldi’s Friendly Farms brand (which seems like repackaged Country Crock to me) but it can be harder to find.

BANANAS

Use bananas that are ripe and sweet but still firm. You don’t want them so soft that they turn to mush in the pudding. Banana ripeness is very personal and I like a few flecks of brown but some recipes say the stem should still be green. I feel bananas taste a little metallic to me that way but it’s your choice.

VEGAN VANILLA WAFERS

Sprouts brand Vanilla Wafers (what I used), Whole Foods 365 Organic Vanilla Wafers and Partake Vanilla Wafers are all vegan options. Lorna Doone cookies (yes, they’re vegan-friendly!) are another good choice and are especially nice if you like a more shortbread-style cookie. Biscoff or speculoos cookies could be a nice option as well and you could always use a standard vegan graham cracker in a pinch but if you can find vanilla style wafers, it’s the classic and best choice in my opinion.

Some Flavor Options

I like this dessert as-is plain and classic but if you want to mix it up, here are some ideas you could consider:

Chocolate chips: Add mini vegan chocolate chips between the layers.
Cinnamon: A light sprinkle adds a nice warm flavor.
Banana pudding: Use vegan banana-flavored cook-and-serve pudding instead of vanilla.
Biscoff: Swap the vanilla wafers for Biscoff cookies for a caramelized, cinnamon-y version.
Nuts: Add chopped toasted pecans or walnuts for some crunch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sure you can. Most vegan banana pudding recipes use instant pudding, but I prefer the texture of cook-and-serve pudding in this recipe. If you use instant, follow the package directions and adjust the amount of plant milk by a third to get a thick pudding.

You can whip your own plant-based cream but if you’d rather use a prepared topping, So Delicious CocoWhip, Truwhip Vegan and Whole Foods 365 Plant-Based Non-Dairy Whipped Topping are good options. I’m not sure how well a canned dairy-free whipped cream would do in this so that would be a last resort in my opinion.

Absolutely, and in fact, I recommend it. Refrigerate it for at least two hours, but overnight is even better. The cookies soften as they sit and the flavors come together.

It’s best within a day or two, since the bananas and cookies will continue to soften. Keep it covered and refrigerated but note that I do not recommend freezing this as it could get icy, the bananas might become slimy and the texture will suffer. It’s best eaten fresh.

Maybe I didn’t grow up eating banana pudding, but I’m making up for lost time now. There’s something about the combination of creamy pudding, soft bananas, cookies and whipped cream that just works. It’s simple and doesn’t need much fussing over which is probably why it’s a classic and has been around for so long. I’m a sucker for nostalgic recipes and this one has earned a place in my card file now. Please remember to rate and review if you try it!

Get more of my nostalgic recipes made vegan here!

Easy Vegan Banana Pudding

Recipe by Kreg Sterns

5.0 from 2 votes

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

A classic vegan banana pudding that’s simple and easy to make!

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

1 4.6 oz package of vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
2 cups plant milk (soy works best)
1 cup (8 oz) vegan heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3 just ripened bananas, sliced thin
40-50 vegan vanilla wafer cookies

Directions

In a small saucepan, whisk the pudding mix into the 2 cups of vegan milk and over medium heat cook until it comes to a slow boil and thickens. This should take anywhere from 5-10 minutes and make sure to whisk or stir constantly to avoid it burning. Lower the heat if need be to prevent it from boiling over. You want to gently simmer it not a rolling hard boil. Once finished, place in a heat safe bowl or container, cover and let cool completely in the fridge for at least two hours or preferably overnight.
In a large bowl, whip the vegan heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until completely whipped with peaks formed when you pull the beaters out of the mixture. Using a hand or stand mixer is best to whip cream but you could do it by hand with a large wire whisk. Reserve one cup of the whipped cream to top the pudding later then add the cooled pudding mixture to the whipped cream and blend completely. You can use the mixer for this step as it won’t deflate it much or you can also hand fold it in if preferred.
Using an 8×8 baking dish, add a small amount of the pudding mixture to the bottom and spread it evenly edge to edge just to cover it slightly. Add your first layer of cookies overlapping them slightly if need be to cover the bottom then add sliced bananas on top. Now add a thicker layer of the pudding mixture (about half what you have left) and spread edge to edge and add another layer of cookies and bananas. Add the rest of the pudding mixture on top and spread evenly edge to edge. Add the reserved whipped cream on top and spread almost to the edges (it doesn’t have to cover it completely).
Chill for at least two hours for the cookies to soften but leaving it overnight is best. Crumble some reserved cookie crumbs on top if desired and serve. Keep leftovers refrigerated but do not freeze.