No Bake Banana Pudding Pie is a delicious, easy dessert that's just like banana pudding in a graham cracker crust!
The decadent filling of instant pudding, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and Cool Whip layers with Nilla Wafers and fresh bananas for an easy no bake recipe you'll be asked to make again and again.
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This incredibly delicious Banana Pudding No Bake Pie recipe has the same creamy texture and banana flavor as classic banana pudding, but in pie form!
Creamy pudding, vanilla wafer cookies, fresh banana slices -- it's all there in a buttery graham cracker crust.
It's an easy no bake dessert you can whip together in just a few minutes. Just be sure to allow time to let it chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
If you love this No Bake Banana Pudding Pie recipe, you're really going to dig this Easy Banana Pudding and Mason Jar Banana Pudding.
More Favorite Desserts
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. I always remember that cook and serve pudding has a spoon on the box.
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, consider giving Truwhip a try. Here's a link to learn more about it. If you prefer whipped cream, I suggest using stabilized whipped cream to keep it from deflating or becoming runny.
Sliced bananas. Use fresh bananas that are firm and ripe enough to eat, that is, the peels are speckled with brown spots.
9-inch graham cracker pie crust. You can use a store-bought graham cracker crust or make your own graham cracker crust with my recipe here.
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
1. Make the creamy pudding filling.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until completely smooth. Add the condensed milk and mix until there are no lumps.
In a separate medium bowl, mix the pudding mix and cold milk together until smooth.
Add the pudding mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined.
Fold in ½ of the Cool Whip.
2. Assemble the banana pie.
Spread ½ of the pudding mixture into the graham cracker crust.
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.
Spread the remaining pudding on top of the bananas, making sure to completely cover the bananas. This will keep them from turning brown.
Add the remaining Cool Whip on top of the pudding.
3.Chill, serve, enjoy.
Cover in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours up to overnight.
Before serving, crumble 1-2 vanilla wafers 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.
To cut the pie into clean slices, wipe the blade of your knife between cuts.
Store leftover pie covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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.
FAQs
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 use this trick in my banana pudding recipe and mason jar banana pudding recipe and it works like a charm!
That's totally up to you. This graham cracker crust recipe works well for a baked or no bake recipe. I prefer to bake it first because it makes the crust a bit firmer. But you can see in this chocolate pudding pie recipe, it's a great no bake crust, too!
Get the Stuff I Use
My electric mixer from Kitchen Aid is the second hardest working thing in my kitchen ;). I love the whisk for whipping egg whites for macaroons and cream for this yummy caramel whipped cream.
This offset spatula is great for spreading creamy pie fillings into crusts and frostings on cakes.
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Banana Pudding Pie (No Bake)
Ingredients
- 1 9" 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 pudding mix
- 1 cup cold milk
- 8 ounces Cool Whip, divided
- 1-2 bananas, sliced
- 16 vanilla wafers
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 14) 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.
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