No Bake Banana Pudding Pie is a delicious, easy dessert that's just like banana pudding in a graham cracker crust! The decadent pudding filling with layers of Nilla Wafers and fresh bananas come together for a creamy no bake pie recipe you'll be asked to make again and again.
If you love this delicious Banana Pudding Pie recipe, you're going to dig this Easy Banana Pudding and Mason Jar Banana Pudding.
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This easy Banana Pudding Pie recipe is incredibly delicious with the same creamy texture and banana flavor as classic banana pudding but in pie form!
It's an easy no bake dessert you can whip together in just a few minutes.
For a fun twist on banana pudding, try my friend's recipe for Banana Pudding Rice Krispie Treats. So fun!
Why You're Going to Love This Recipe
- Easy instant pudding banana cream pie recipe with simple ingredients
- Like banana pudding, but in a graham cracker crust
- No bake banana cream pie recipe you can make ahead of time
Ingredients
Cream cheese. Soften one 8 oz. brick of cream cheese at room temperature until it's very soft to ensure it beats to a smooth creamy consistency with no lumps.
Sweetened condensed milk. Sweetened condensed milk makes the pudding mixture velvety and luscious.
Instant vanilla pudding mix. You can use regular vanilla or French vanilla. Be sure to get instant pudding mix -- it's easy to grab cook-and-serve by accident. You can also use instant banana pudding mix, but there's plenty of delicious banana flavor without it -- and I personally find the flavor a bit too artificial.
Cool Whip whipped topping. If you're not a fan of Cool Whip, I suggest giving Truwhip a try. Here's a link to learn more about it. If you prefer homemade whipped cream, I suggest using stabilized whipped cream to keep it from deflating or becoming runny.
Sliced bananas. Use firm, ripe bananas that are perfect for eating, that is the peels are speckled with brown spots.
Graham cracker pie crust. This is a tall pie and will fit in a 9- or 10-inch crust. You can make your own graham cracker crust with my recipe here, or use a store-bought graham cracker crust.
Vanilla wafer cookies. Classic Nilla Wafers are always a good choice in this easy banana cream pie recipe. You can also use Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies or other shortbread cookies, gingersnaps, or butter cookies.
How to Make Banana Pudding Pie -- No Bake
Step 1: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the condensed milk and mix until completely smooth. No lumps.
Step 2: In a separate medium bowl, mix the pudding mix and cold milk together until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the pudding mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined.
Fold ½ of the Cool Whip into the pudding creamy pudding mixture.
Step 4: Pour half of pudding filling into the graham cracker crust.
Step 5: Add a layer of vanilla wafer cookies on top of the pudding layer. Place sliced bananas in a single layer over the layer of cookies.
Step 6: Spread the remaining pudding on top of the banana layer, making sure to completely cover the bananas to keep them from turning brown. This is a tall pie. so your pie plate will be mounded high!
Step 7: Add the remaining Cool Whip on top of the pudding. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours up to overnight.
Step 8: Immediately before serving, sprinkle vanilla wafer crumbs on top of the pie.
Make your delicious dessert extra special by topping it with fresh banana slices, toasted coconut, chocolate shavings, and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to grab instant pudding -- if you try to use cook and serve pudding with this recipe, it won't set up. Just remember that cook-and-serve pudding has a spoon on the box.
- Completely cover the bananas with pudding to keep them from turning brown.
- You can use a ready-made graham cracker crust or make your own. Here's my favorite homemade graham cracker crust recipe.
- This is a tall pie and the plastic cover from the graham cracker crust package won't fit on top. To store, place toothpicks into the pie and tent plastic wrap over the toothpicks to protect the toppings.
FAQs
No bake banana pudding pie is best served within 1-2 days. Store leftover pie covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To cut banana pie into clean slices, wipe the blade of your knife between cuts.
It may be that you accidentally used cook and serve pudding mix, which won't set up using this recipe. Or if you used whipped cream, it may have deflated and become runny overnight in the refrigerator. This recipe for banana pudding pie with cream cheese and instant pudding thickens up perfectly.
Some folks like to toss them in lemon juice, but that can affect the banana flavor. If you completely cover the fresh banana slices with pudding, air won't be able to get to the bananas and turn them brown. I also use this trick in my banana pudding recipe and mason jar banana pudding recipe and it works like a charm!
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📖 Recipe
Banana Pudding Pie (No Bake)
Ingredients
- 1 9" or 10" graham cracker crust homemade or store-bought
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 3.4 oz box instant vanilla or French vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup cold milk
- 8 ounces Cool Whip, divided
- 1-2 bananas, sliced
- 18 vanilla wafers, divided
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until perfectly smooth. Add the condensed milk and mix until there are no lumps.
- In a separate bowl, mix the pudding mix and milk together until smooth.
- Add the pudding to the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined and smooth. Fold in ½ of the Cool Whip.
- Spread ½ of the pudding mixture into the graham cracker crust. Place one layer vanilla wafers (about 16) and one layer of banana slices on top of the pudding. Spread the remaining pudding on top of the bananas. Add the remaining Cool Whip on top of the pudding layer.
- Cover and chill the banana pudding pie for at least 4 hours up to overnight.
- Before serving, sprinkle the top with 1-2 crushed vanilla wafers.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to grab instant pudding -- cook and serve pudding won't set up.
- Completely cover the bananas with pudding to keep them from turning brown.
- You can use a ready-made graham cracker crust or make your own. Here's my favorite homemade graham cracker crust recipe.
- This is a tall pie, and the plastic cover from the graham cracker crust package won't fit on top. To store, place toothpicks into the pie and tent plastic wrap over the toothpicks to protect the toppings.
Nine inches does not seem to be an adequate size for this. I would recommend either a larger pie crust or not using all the filling. "Half" filled a good portion of it, and the wafers and bananas pretty much took it the rest of the way, leaving me unable to put a lid on. Still good though.
Hi, Sara, Thank you for your note. You're right, the lid that comes with the graham cracker crust won't fit because this is such a tall pie. I use toothpicks and plastic wrap to cover it. You could definitely use a 10" pie shell, as well. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks again, Sara! Cara