Banana Pudding Pie

5 from 7 votes

This easy banana pudding pie has a creamy, fluffy vanilla pudding filling layered with fresh bananas in a buttery Nilla Wafer crust. It's a delicious make-ahead dessert with all the flavors of classic banana pudding in pie form.

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Eden

Cost: $20

Ingredients

Nilla Wafer Pie Crust

4 cups Nilla wafer cookie crumbs
11 tbsp unsalted butter melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Banana Pudding Pie Filling

8 oz cream cheese softened
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
5 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups cold milk whole or 2%
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream divided 1 cup and 1/2 cup
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 sliced bananas for the topping

Instructions

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the Nilla Wafers to a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Measure 4 cups of crumbs and combine them with 11 tablespoons melted butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then let the crust cool completely before adding the filling.
Whip the cream: Beat 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Make the filling: In a separate bowl, beat 8 ounces of fully softened cream cheese until smooth and lump-free.
Add 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 5 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups cold milk, the remaining ½ cup heavy cream, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat until completely smooth. The filling will be soft at this point and will thicken as it chills.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture with a spatula until completely incorporated.
Assemble the pie: Slice 3 bananas just before assembling. Spread about ⅓ of the pudding filling into the cooled crust, add a layer of sliced bananas, and repeat the layers two more times.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the filling is chilled and set. For a firmer, cleaner slice, chill it longer.
Just before serving, top with whipped cream, fresh banana slices, and Nilla Wafers, if desired.

Video

Notes

Cream cheese: Make sure it's completely softened before mixing. Cold cream cheese can leave lumps in the filling.
Keep the cream cold: Unlike the cream cheese, the heavy whipping cream and milk should be cold.
Instant pudding: Use instant vanilla pudding mix, not cook-and-serve pudding.
Bananas: Wait to slice the bananas until you're ready to assemble the pie to help minimize browning.
No-bake option: The filling is no-bake. For a completely no-bake pie, use a prepared graham cracker or cookie crust.
Make ahead: Assemble the pie ahead of time, but wait to add the whipped cream, fresh banana slices, and Nilla Wafers on top until just before serving.
Storage: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for 2 to 3 days. I don't recommend freezing this pie because the bananas and creamy filling can change texture after thawing.

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