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    Banana Pudding Jars

    Published: March 14, 2023 | Last Modified: March 15, 2023 by Gail Ng | Leave a Comment

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    Spoonful of banana pudding rest on top of jar.
    A jar of layered banana pudding on wooden board.
    Glass jar showing layers of vanilla pudding, wafers, and banana slices.
    Three banana pudding jars with a spoon resting on the side.

    These banana pudding jars are made with layers of creamy vanilla pudding, vanilla wafers, and fresh banana slices all in cute little jars. They're the perfect no-bake dessert to give away as delicious homemade gifts!

    Three banana pudding jars with a spoon resting on the side.
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make banana pudding jars
    • Storage
    • Freezing
    • Variations
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More pudding recipes to try
    • Recipe

    This is a classic southern dessert that's both delicious and portable - banana pudding in a jar! These banana pudding jars are the perfect combination of creamy and cakey textures. The crunchy vanilla wafer cookies become soft and spongey as they soften from the pudding while the firm and fresh bananas add a creamy bite that's so satisfying.

    By serving them in individual jars, they're a portable treat for picnics, parties, or for giving as gifts. Mason jars with a lid are perfect for this! They're a convenient and easy-to-serve dessert that's sure to impress.

    In this recipe, I'll show you how to make these mouthwatering banana pudding jars step by step, so you can enjoy this classic dessert in a fun and unique way.

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • This recipe is so easy to make with only a few ingredients! It comes together in less than 30 minutes - the hardest part is waiting for the banana pudding jars to set in the fridge for a few hours.
    • It's a no-bake dessert!
    • These banana pudding jars are made in perfect single-serving jars. They make great gifts since they're in a nice and convenient package.
    • They're so delicious with soft cookies, silky pudding, and banana flavour!

    Ingredients

    • Cold water - This is for mixing your pudding box mix. You can also use milk for a richer pudding! Cold water or milk will set your pudding faster to cut down on chilling time.
    • Condensed milk - This sweetens the pudding and gives it a milky flavour that you can't get with just regular sugar.
    • Vanilla pudding mix - Use any store-bought packaged vanilla pudding powder. I recommend using the Jello brand pudding mix!
    • Heavy cream - Use a heavy cream with 36%+ fat content for a creamier and richer pudding or use whipping cream with 30-36% fat content for a lighter pudding. Both work well in this recipe!
    • Vanilla wafers - These are small, round, crunchy, vanilla-flavoured biscuits. One common brand is Nilla but you can use any brand you have available. You can also substitute vanilla wafers with shortbread cookies or ladyfingers.
    • Bananas - Use bananas that are just ripe but not overly ripe. You want the bananas to be firm otherwise they'll just turn to mush in the pudding. Peel and slice them into coins before adding them to your banana pudding.
    A jar of layered banana pudding on wooden board.

    How to make banana pudding jars

    Make vanilla pudding - In a large bowl, stir together cold water, condensed milk, and vanilla pudding mix until smooth and combined. Chill this in the fridge while you do the next steps or overnight.

    Left to right: pouring a can of condensed milk into glass of water, pouring powder into jar.
    Left to right: hand whisking pudding together, pudding mixture in glass container.

    Whip cream - In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip heavy cream until it becomes stiff peaks.

    Left to right: hand mixer beating cream in a bowl, whipped cream in bowl.

    Mix pudding and cream together - Add the pudding to the whipped cream, half at a time, folding with a spatula until no streaks remain. Transfer this pudding mixture to a piping bag and snip the tip off.

    Left to right: adding pudding into whipped cream from spatula, folding pudding and whipped cream together with spatula.

    Fill jars - In your small serving jars, pipe in a layer of pudding at the bottom. Arrange a layer of vanilla wafers and then banana slices on top. Use chopsticks or tweezers to help get the wafers and bananas into a narrow jar opening.

    Left to right: chopsticks arranging vanilla wafers into jar, adding banana slice to jar.

    Top with another layer of pudding. Repeat with as many layers as you want until you've filled the jar. Leave some room at the top of the jar if you'll be putting on a lid.

    Left to right: piping pudding into jar on top of wafers, adding banana slice on top of pudding in a jar.
    Left to right: chopsticks adding vanilla wafer to jar, piping pudding into jar.

    Chill - Chill banana pudding in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours for the wafers to soften but serve on the same day before the bananas brown.

    Storage

    These banana pudding jars should be stored in the fridge for 3-4 hours before serving but they're best eaten in the first 1-2 days after they're made. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days but keep in mind that the bananas will start to become brown and mushy the longer they are stored.

    Freezing

    You can freeze banana pudding but the bananas may become more brown and mushy after thawing. If you have to freeze it, I would recommend thawing it slightly and eating it as an ice cream rather than thawing it completely.

    When freezing banana pudding in glass jars, make sure the jars are made of tempered glass like mason jars or specifically made for freezing. Always leave about 1" of empty space at the top of the jar to account for expanding.

    Spoonful of banana pudding rest on top of jar.

    Variations

    • Use a different pudding flavour. Instead of vanilla pudding, you can use a banana pudding mix for a stronger banana flavour. Chocolate pudding pairs perfectly with bananas or go for something completely different like butterscotch pudding for a unique dessert.
    • Add mix-ins. Add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or other fresh fruits like sliced strawberries for extra textures and flavours.
    • Use different cookies. Vanilla wafers are the classic choice for banana pudding but you can also try using butter cookies, shortbread cookies, ladyfingers, or biscoff cookies.
    • Add a topping. Classic banana pudding is topped with whipped cream or meringue. You could also add something like caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, or more of your mix-ins.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do you keep bananas from turning brown in banana pudding?

    Use bananas that are just ripe but still firm. Bananas that are still slightly green are great to prevent them from breaking down too much in the pudding. You can brush your banana slices with a small amount of lemon juice or citric acid to prevent them from browning. I find that using barely ripe bananas, slicing the bananas just before use, and serving the banana pudding on the same day is good enough!

    Is banana pudding better the next day?

    Banana pudding tastes good the first day and better the next day. The vanilla wafers become soft after soaking in the pudding overnight and the pudding firms up slightly. Just be sure to serve it before the bananas have browned too much.

    Can you make banana pudding ahead of time?

    I would recommend making the pudding mix part ahead of time and storing it in the fridge for up to 3 days. On the morning you plan on serving the banana pudding jars, make the whipped cream, mix in the pudding, and assemble the banana pudding jars. Chill them in the fridge until you serve them later in the day.

    More pudding recipes to try

    • Mango Sago
    • Baked Tapioca Pudding
    • Mango Pudding (Hong Kong Style)

    Recipe

    Three banana pudding jars with a spoon resting on the side.

    Banana Pudding Jars

    Author: Gail Ng
    These banana pudding jars are made with layers of creamy vanilla pudding, vanilla wafers, and banana slices all in cute little single-serving jars!
    5 from 6 votes
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Chilling Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins
    Yield 8 jars
    Category Dessert
    Cuisine American

    Ingredients
      

    • 340 g cold water
    • 1 can condensed milk
    • 1 package Jello vanilla pudding mix
    • 500 g heavy cream
    • 72 vanilla wafers, about 2 boxes
    • 3 large ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into coins

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, stir together cold water, condensed milk, and vanilla pudding mix until smooth and combined. Chill this in the fridge while you do the next steps or overnight.
    • In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip heavy cream until it becomes stiff peaks.
    • Add the pudding to the whipped cream, half at a time, folding with a spatula until no streaks remain. Transfer this pudding mixture to a piping bag and snip the tip off.
    • In your small serving jars, pipe in a layer of pudding at the bottom. Arrange a layer of vanilla wafers and then banana slices on top. Top with another layer of pudding. Repeat with as many layers as you want until you've filled the jar.
    • Chill banana pudding in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours for the wafers to soften but serve on the same day before the bananas brown.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 706kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 1079IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Keywords banana pudding, banana pudding jars, mini banana pudding
    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating & comment to let us know how it was and tag your Instagram posts with @teakandthyme!

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    Hi, I'm Gail! I'm a Chinese-Canadian girl with a major sweet tooth. I make desserts, baked goods, and drinks inspired by French pastries, twists on classics, and flavours from my Asian background. I hope your second stomach is hungry!

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