Easy, delicious banana pudding.
I grew up eating banana pudding which is a mainstay in any good Southern diet. Furthermore, I was indoctrinated to believe that magnificent banana pudding could only be made one way…from scratch. This being the status quo of my grandmother and mother, I blindly went through life loving the creamy vanilla pudding, sweet wafers and soft banana goodness having no idea other people were making banana pudding with instant vanilla pudding -the horrors! Once I tasted the instant version I understood why my family culinary teachers had practically made me swear on a Bible I would never use instant pudding, the taste did not even remotely come close to the goodness my palate was accustom to. Cue me, adult, reading recipes one day coming across a version that was a “quick” rendition of what was held as sacred. As I read the ingredients I realized I liked them all and combined maybe, just maybe, it might work out. Tentatively the next trip to the grocery store I gathered the said list I needed and came home to knowingly sin before the Lord as I was using instant pudding! Fifteen minutes later the deed was done and it tasted pretty good, so into the fridge it went. After dinner that night I served up the husband, waiting and watching for any reaction that might suggest treason, but instead he raved and in time, the family did. Behold-an acceptable substitute for making hot pudding on the stove while not compromising taste! Interesting tidbit: never, ever underestimate the power of remarkable banana pudding-it sealed the deal on my first teaching job in education and that is the truth.
- 1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 5.1 oz pkg instant vanilla pudding
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 18 oz. Cool Whip
- 1 11oz. box Vanilla Wafers
- 5 bananas, sliced and coated in 1 tsp lemon juice (to prevent browning)
- In a large bowl beat room temperature cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth, making sure there are no lumps and set aside.
- Next in another bowl make instant vanilla pudding according to directions and add vanilla extract, set aside to set-up.
- In a small bowl, slice bananas and toss in lemon juice.
- Combine cream cheese mixture and pudding stirring until well incorporated then fold in Cool Whip until throughly combined.
- In a serving bowl line bottom with vanilla wafer and alternate layers of wafers, pudding, and bananas ending with wafers on top.
- Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours to set.