Quick Banana Pudding with Graham Wafers

Quick Banana Pudding with Graham Wafers comes together in a few minutes using instant vanilla pudding and is ready to serve the following day.

Banana Pudding is not traditional in Newfoundland food culture but it certainly is tasty. Hailing from our neighbours from the South in the United States, it has found it's way to our Northern tables and has been enthusiastically accepted by dessert lovers across the country. 

Speaking of traditions, Banana Pudding is usually made with vanilla wafers or more specifically Nabisco Nilla Wafers but these have been discontinued in Canada and cannot be easily nor economically sourced for everyday use. But it makes no matter to me because I don't like the once ubiquitous little cookie and am happy enough to substitute another tasty wafer in its place. I tried shortbread cookies but found them to be lacking in the flavour I was looking for. Then I tried graham wafers and found them to be the perfect match for the bananas and pudding. I do not say "perfect" lightly but that is what they are--perfect!

There is great debate by my American friends about how to make this pudding because of the (at least) two camps on the matter. There are the die hard fans of cooked pudding layered with the wafers and bananas topped with or without a baked meringue, and eaten hot or cold. (There are many factions to wade through.) This would be under the category of "old-fashioned" banana pudding. Then there are the numerous (should I say thousands) of recipes using instant vanilla pudding as a base which the the "old-fashioned" crowd would scoff at and turn up their staunchly loyal noses at. And sometimes the "instant pudding" crowd will have the audacity to name their puddings as old-fashioned. This is only fuel to the fire of the debate.

But it matters not a bit to me as I have no emotional ties to the much beloved pudding so I chose the easy road when making the trifle-like pudding. Instant vanilla pudding brings this dessert together in a few minutes which is great for this tired old granny. Maybe when things quiet down after Christmas I'll try the cooked pudding version but then I might be considered a double agent by the Banana Pudding crowd.

In the meantime I'll stick with this pudding which I feel is not your typical American Banana Pudding. I have put my own spin on this recipe using not only graham wafers but also chocolate covered graham wafers, Skor bars (thank you Vicki for the Skor bar suggestion) and a whipped cream topping. This recipe makes a family sized pudding and would serve six to eight individuals a serving each. If you have a large crowd to feed or are feeling gluttonous feel free to double the recipe.

Printable recipe at end of post.

Quick Banana Pudding with Graham Wafers

• ½ block cream cheese, room temperature (½ cup)
• 2¼ cups cold milk
• 1 4-serving package instant vanilla pudding powder
• About 3 cups lightly sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping, divided
• About 1 sleeve graham wafers or enough to cover 3 layers of pudding
• 4 or 5 medium-large ripe bananas, peeled (Do not use over ripe bananas.)

Garnish

• 3 or 4 chocolate covered graham wafers, coarsely chopped for garnish
• Crushed plain graham wafers
• 2 Skor bars or other hard chocolate covered toffee bar, chopped 

How to make it:

In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese gradually adding the milk until there are no lumps remaining. Add in the instant pudding powder and beat together until mixture thickens. Fold in 1 cup whipped cream or topping. Lay aside.

In the serving dish put in a large spoonful of pudding mixture and spread around the bottom of the bowl. Add a layer of broken graham wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Cover with a layer of the pudding mixture. You should use less than a third of the pudding mixture as most bowls have a smaller diameter at the bottom. Repeat the wafer, banana and pudding layer, using just a little less than half the remaining pudding. Repeat the same for the third layer using up the remaining pudding to completely cover the banana slices and wafers. You should have three layers of wafers, banana slices and pudding, not including the spoonful of pudding on the bottom.

Pile the remaining 2 cups whipped cream on top of the pudding, spreading to the edges. Garnish the top with chopped chocolate covered graham wafers, coarsely chopped plain graham wafers or chopped Skor bar. Chill overnight in refrigerator. By then the layers of graham wafers should soft and cake-like.

Makes 6-8 servings. 

In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese gradually adding the milk until there are no lumps remaining. Add in the instant pudding powder and beat together until mixture thickens. Fold in 1 cup whipped cream or topping. Lay aside.

Spread a large spoonful of pudding on the bottom of the bowl. This is to give a base for the wafers to soften while chilling overnight. Start layering the wafers and banana slices.

Cover the wafers with the sliced bananas to completely cover. The bananas should be ripe but not overripe. 

Cover the first layer of wafers and banana with just less than one-third of the pudding mixture. Most bowls have a smaller diameter at the bottom so need less pudding.

Continuing laying the wafers, bananas and pudding until you have three layers of each ending with a pudding layer. The first spoonful on the bottom does not count as a layer.

When you come to the last layer of pudding you can end it there and sprinkle with some crushed graham wafers but I like to add one more layer of whipped cream.

Completely cover the last layer of pudding with the remaining whipped cream or whipped topping. 

Chop 2 or 3 chocolate covered graham wafers or two Skor bars. 

Sprinkle the cream layer with your choice of garnish. I used both the  crushed chocolate covered graham wafers and chopped Skor bar. My daughter-in-law suggested the Skor bar which was an excellent idea! Once the pudding is assembled pop in it in the fridge overnight so the wafers can soften into a cake-like texture. 

Certainly not your American Banana Pudding!

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩