Bananas Foster Banana Pudding is a rich, layered dessert made with creamy vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, buttery shortbread cookies, and a silky homemade rum caramel, finished with warm caramelized bananas on top.

I will be fully transparent with you: I have a problem. A banana pudding problem. It started as a casual interest and quickly became a full-blown obsession where I am constantly asking myself "but what if I made it more extra." That is exactly how this Bananas Foster Banana Pudding was born. The homemade rum caramel alone is reason enough to make this. The whole thing is just fun and absolutely delicious, and if you are going to spend a Saturday in the kitchen, this is a very solid reason to do it.

If you are deep in your banana era like me, you will also want to check out my Magnolia Copycat Banana Pudding, my Banana Cinnamon Rolls, and my Caramel Banana Cookies. You are welcome and I am sorry.

Why You'll Love This Bananas Foster Banana Pudding

The homemade rum caramel is genuinely life-changing and you will want to put it on everything.
The flavor builds in the refrigerator overnight, which means it actually rewards patience for once.
Buttery shortbread cookies give it a richer, more complex base than a standard wafer.
The caramelized bananas on top make it look like you tried much harder than you did.
It can be made in individual cups, a casserole dish, or a trifle bowl, so it works for a dinner party or just you, a couch, and your choices.
The layers of custard-style pudding, fresh banana slices, and caramel are genuinely a lot going on in the best possible way.

Ingredient Overview

Here is a quick look at what you are working with and why each thing is pulling its weight in this recipe.

Granulated sugar, water, and light corn syrup: The base of the homemade caramel sauce. The corn syrup helps prevent crystallization so your caramel stays smooth and glossy.
Heavy cream: Used in both the caramel sauce and the whipped topping. It makes the caramel rich and gives the pudding layer a light, airy texture.
Rum: This is what makes it Bananas Foster and not just banana pudding. Two tablespoons go into the caramel and adds that warm, slightly smoky depth. You can swap it for rum extract if needed.
Butter: Used in the caramel sauce, in the pudding assembly, and in the caramelized bananas. It does a lot here and earns every tablespoon.
Instant vanilla pudding mix: The larger 5.1 ounce box. The base of the pudding layer and what holds everything together.
Cold milk and sweetened condensed milk: Combined with the pudding mix to create a thick layer of rich, creamy custard-style pudding. The condensed milk adds sweetness and body.
Chessman butter shortbread cookies: Richer and more flavorful than a standard wafer. Set three aside for garnish and crush some for the top.
Bananas: Six to eight fresh bananas sliced for layering, plus one extra for the caramelized topping.
Vanilla extract: Goes into the whipped cream and rounds out the flavor.
Brown sugar: Used with butter to caramelize the topping bananas. Dark brown sugar will give you a deeper, more molasses-forward flavor if you want to lean into that.

How to Make Bananas Foster Banana Pudding

This one has a few moving parts but nothing is actually complicated. Here is what you are getting into before you start.

Make the caramel first and let it cool completely. It needs time to cool and thicken before you build the pudding. Do not skip this step or try to rush it.
Mix the pudding base. Combine the cold milk and sweetened condensed milk, then whisk in the pudding mix until smooth. Use a hand whisk here, not a hand mixer. Let it sit for five to ten minutes to thicken.
Make the whipped cream. Beat heavy cream and vanilla extract in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. If you overbeat it, just stir in a tablespoon to smooth it back out.
Fold the whipped cream into the pudding. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Refrigerate for one hour.
Assemble in layers. Start with pudding, then a layer of cookies, then banana slices, then a generous drizzle of caramel. Repeat for two to three layers total. Finish with a pudding layer that fully seals the edges so the cookies do not dry out. Save about a third of a cup of caramel for the top.
Let it rest. Wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least six hours, up to twenty-four. The cookies soften and everything sets into something much better than when you first assembled it.
Finish with caramelized bananas right before serving. Cook butter, sliced bananas, and brown sugar in a pan over medium-high heat for two to three minutes until glossy and golden. Let them cool slightly, then add them to the top along with the reserved caramel and your set-aside cookies.

Which Pudding for Banana Pudding?

Use the larger 5.1 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding mix, not the small one. The small box will leave you with a thin, sad situation that will not hold up in layers. You want the bigger box every time. You are also combining it with sweetened condensed milk instead of just regular milk, which pushes the texture closer to a rich custard than a typical boxed pudding. It is a small upgrade that makes a big difference in the final dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions you are probably going to have at some point during this recipe.

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, and honestly you should. The pudding needs at least six hours in the refrigerator to fully set, and twenty-four hours gives you the best result. Just wait to add the caramelized bananas until right before serving.
Can I use Nilla wafers instead of Chessman cookies? Absolutely. Nilla wafers are a perfectly solid substitute. The Chessman cookies have a buttery, richer flavor, but either will work great.
Do I have to use rum? No. You can substitute one teaspoon of rum extract and get a similar flavor without the alcohol. The caramel will still be excellent.
Can I use a hand mixer for the pudding base? It is better to use a hand whisk for the pudding base. A hand mixer tends to make it clumpy. Save the hand mixer for the whipped cream.
How do I know when my caramel is done? You are looking for a deep, rich amber color. The bubbles will go from small and fast to thick and slow as it caramelizes. Once the color starts to shift, watch it closely because it can go from perfect to burnt very fast.
What dish should I assemble this in? Any of them. Individual cups, a large casserole dish, or a trifle bowl all work well. The trifle bowl looks the most impressive if you are showing off, which is a completely valid reason.

How to Make Caramel: Tips and Tricks

Homemade caramel sounds intimidating and it is slightly dramatic, but it is totally manageable if you know what to watch for.

Start by combining the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and stir just until the sugar is moistened. Once it hits the heat, put the spoon down and do not touch it. Stirring after it starts cooking causes crystallization and turns your caramel grainy. Not great.
Let the mixture cook undisturbed until it shifts from clear to a deep golden amber. The bubbles will start out small and fast, then become slower and thicker as the caramelization happens. Once the color starts to change, it can go from perfect to burnt in under a minute, so stay close and do not walk away to check your phone.
While the caramel cooks, warm your heavy cream in the microwave for about one minute. Warm cream is important because cold cream added to hot caramel causes it to seize and clump. Once the caramel hits that golden amber color, pull it off the heat and slowly pour in the warm cream while you whisk constantly. It will bubble aggressively. This is normal. Do not panic.
Add the butter, rum, and salt, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool completely before using it in the pudding. It will thicken as it sits. If it gets too thick before you are ready to use it, just gently warm it back up.

Storing and Freezing

Storing: This Bananas Foster Banana Pudding keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days. Keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap to prevent the top from drying out and to keep the cookies from picking up any refrigerator odors. If you have already added the caramelized bananas, those are best enjoyed the same day since they will soften significantly overnight. If you are making this more than a day ahead, hold off on the caramelized banana topping until right before you serve.

Freezing: Freezing is not recommended for this recipe. The pudding will weep and separate after thawing, the banana slices will turn mushy, and the cookies will not hold their texture. The end result is not something you want to eat. If you want to get ahead, make the caramel sauce up to a week in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. Reheat it gently before using and it will be just as good as the day you made it.

FOR MORE FUN RECIPES LIKE THIS HERE ARE SOME YOU SHOULD TRY!

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Recipe

Bananas Foster Banana Pudding

Molly Murphy

is a rich, layered dessert made with creamy vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, buttery shortbread cookies, and a silky homemade rum caramel, finished with warm caramelized bananas on top.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings Servings

Ingredients

For the Caramel Sauce (Do First):

1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons rum you can sub 1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter added to the caramel at the end

For the pudding

5.1 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix the larger box
2 cups cold milk
1 can 13.4oz sweeten condensed milk
2 bags Cheesman butter short bread cookies, sub Nilla wafers. Set aside 3 cookies for the top!
6 to 8 bananas sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cups crumbs of cheesman butter short bread cookies for the top

For the caramelized bananas

2 tablespoons butter
1 banana sliced
¼ cup brown sugar

Instructions

For the Caramel Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup, stirring with a small rubber spatula just until the sugar is evenly moistened.
1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
Place over medium heat and cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Once on the heat DO NOT STIR. That will cause crystallization and make for a grainy caramel.
Let the syrup continue to cook, undisturbed, until it shifts from clear to a deep golden amber color! At first, you'll notice the bubbles are small and fast as it start to caramelize the bubble become thicker and slower. It takes a few minutes to start changing colors and once it does change colors, it can go from perfect to burnt very quickly.
While the caramel cooks, microwave the heavy cream for about 1 minute until it's warm to the touch (this helps prevent the caramel from seizing).
¾ cup heavy cream
Once the caramel reaches that rich golden color, remove it from the heat and very slowly pour in the warm cream while whisking constantly. The mixture will bubble up aggressively at first this is normal.
Add the butter, rum, and salt, then continue whisking until the caramel is smooth, glossy, and fully combined. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool slightly. it will thicken as it sits. Let it completely cool before you make the banana pudding.
2 tablespoons rum, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter added to the caramel at the end

For the Banana Pudding

In a large bowl, add the cold milk, sweetened condensed milk and mix. The mixture will be slightly clumpy and thin. That's okay. Sprinkle vanilla pudding mixture over the top. Whisk together until smooth. This will take 2-3 minutes. I prefer a hand whisk not a hand mixer because it will get clumpy. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken up. While it sets, beat the heavy whipping cream.
5.1 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups cold milk, 1 can
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a handheld mixer add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks form to make whipped cream. If you over beat and it looks grainy, add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream and gently mix to smooth it out.
2 cups heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream into the pudding mixture. Set aside in the fridge for 1 hour.
To assemble, you can use individual cups, a large casserole dish, or a trifle bowl. Start with a layer of pudding on the bottom, then add a neat layer of whole cookies, followed by a layer of sliced bananas followed by a generous drizzle of the cooled caramel. (SAVE ⅓ cup CARAMEL FOR THE GARNISH) Repeat until you have 2-3 layers total. Finish with a final layer of pudding that fully covers everything, making sure to seal the edges so the cookies don't dry out.
2 bags, 6 to 8 bananas
Gently wrap with plastic wrap and allow it to sit on the fridge for at least 6 and up to 24 hours to soften up.

Serving

Once you are ready to serve, in a medium size sautéed pan add the butter, banana's and the brown sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until the bananas are softened and coated in a bubbling, glossy caramel, about 2-3 minutes. Let it slight cool before topping.
2 tablespoons butter, 1 banana, ¼ cup brown sugar
Unwrap the plastic wrap from the banana pudding, drizzle the remaining caramel on top. Top with the reserved cookie crumbs, and top with the caramelized banana's!
1 cups crumbs of cheesman butter short bread cookies for the top

Keyword caramel, banana, pudding, no bake

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Best Bananas Foster Banana Pudding Recipe