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Banana Pudding Trifle

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Banana Pudding has never looked or tasted so great as it does in this Trifle recipe.  These Banana Pudding Trifle Cups take Banana Pudding to the next level by adding pound cake!  Whip this recipe up into a large beautiful trifle or make turn it into beautiful individual trifle cups! Either way, your guests will ask for seconds!

 

 

Banana pudding is one of those desserts you KNOW everyone will enjoy!  It’s also one of the most forgotten desserts too!  By forgotten I mean, when was the last time you saw a banana pudding trifle at a potluck or work party?  

As popular as it is, it’s also often not one of the first desserts we think of outside of the summer months!  Lucky for you, my family loves banana pudding and we especially love when it comes in a trifle form!  

Layers of pudding, bananas, whipped topping and vanilla wafers and pound cake make for a great make ahead treat that EVERYONE will love!  

 

 

For this recipe of Banana Pudding Trifle Cups, I simply took my popular Banana Pudding with Cool Whip recipe, and turned it into a trifle.  However, instead of serving in a large bowl format, I made individual portions for dinner guests that looked stunning and tasted great!

Now you can DEFINITELY make this into a traditional banana pudding trifle or even turn your leftover pudding into this Banana Poke Cake.  However, if you’re looking to impress party guests with a dessert that is stunning and delicious, you really can’t go wrong with these banana pudding parfait cups!

 

 

What is in a Banana Pudding Trifle?

  • Cookies – Banana Pudding traditionally uses Nilla Wafers or a vanilla cookie.  However some people like to kick it up a notch and use these Chessmen cookies or shortbread cookies.  You can too if you wish.  I however keep it simple with classic Nilla Wafers.
  • Bananas – How ripe a banana should be is always going to be a hot topic among banana pudding lovers. Some people like a hint of green in their banana peel and others like a few brown spots.  I however think the best banana is a perfectly yellow one.  No green or spots, firm and yet sweet, bananas that are perfectly yellow taste great in this banana pudding trifle!
  • Pound Cake – The difference between banana pudding and this banana pudding trifle recipe is the addition of pound cake.  You can use a frozen pound cake from your freeze section or a fresh baked on by your local baker or yourself.  However pound cake is the best choice for cake because it’s dense and can hold up to the layers without turning to mush from the layers in your trifle.  
  • Pudding – Traditional Banana Pudding – or Southern Banana Pudding is made with vanilla pudding.  {GASP!  Shut the front door!}  Yes it’s true.  It’s only been in the last few years that using artificial banana pudding in a banana trifle has even become a thing.  REALLY.  Banana pudding is actually made with vanilla pudding layered with bananas, whipped topping and Nilla Wafers.  This is so that the actual bananas can shine in their flavor and not the artificial laffy taffy flavor or banana pudding. However if you love the flavor of banana flavored pudding then use it! Your the only one stopping yourself from doing it!
  • Whipped Topping – The other debate that is often centered around banana pudding is frozen whipped topping (like cool whip) or real whipped cream. Tradition says frozen whipped topping, but if you’ve got the time and the skills, whip up your own whipped cream.  The one major downside to using real whipped cream is that it’s not as sable as cool whip and your trifle wont last as long.  So if you plan on making this ahead of time, cool whip if your friend!

 

 

How do you assemble a Banana Pudding Trifle?

There are two ways to layer a banana pudding parfait recipe.  There is the way for a LARGE single trifle and a separate way for individual portion trifles.  

Large Banana Trifle:

  1. Nilla Wafers! Line the bottom of your dish with Nilla wafers. If doing individual portions, depending on your cup, this may be 1 or 2 cookies.
  2. Fresh Bananas! Slice up your bananas and place them on top of your Nilla wafers.
  3. Pudding!  Banana pudding traditionally is made with vanilla pudding.  So put a generous amount over your bananas.  
  4. Pound Cake!  Bite sized squares of pound cake will look great and add height to your dessert.  Don’t be shy, put a nice helping in your dish!
  5. Cool Whip!  

Using those 5 ingredients, layer cookies, bananas, pudding, pound cake, cool whip.  Then cookies, bananas pudding and cool whip with an additional cookie on top for decoration!

 

 

Individual Banana Trifle Cups:

  1. Nilla Wafer – If i’m doing individual portions I like to place one on the bottom of the cup and one on the top of these mini trifles for decoration!  You can also crumble some up and sprinkle on top too! 
  2. Pudding!  Place a nice scoop of pudding on the bottom of each dish.  I’ve found that you need to be generous with the pudding!  Make sure there is enough to accompany every bite of pound cake.
  3. Bananas!  Fresh bananas that are perfectly yellow do best!
  4. Whipped Topping!  Cool Whip or fresh whipped cream if serving immediately.
  5. Pound Cake!  A nice dense cake that wont collapse under the pressure of the layers and will compliment the pudding is a must!

I then take those 5 ingredients and layer: pudding, bananas, cool whip, pound cake, pudding, bananas, cool whip and a Vanilla wafer to top it all off!

 

 

How do you keep bananas from turning brown in a trifle?

I could tell you all kinds of tricks, but the truth is that you can’t stop a banana from turning brown.  You can delay the process but after 24 hours, you’re bananas will start to darken.  This just means you need to eat your trifle faster!

To slow the process, after slicing your bananas, place them in a 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons of water mixed.  The acid in the lemon juice will slow the browning process down.  And the puddings will cover up any sour taste!

 

 

How do you ripen a banana quickly?

There are two ways to ripen bananas!

The slow way to ripen bananas: Place bananas in a brown paper bag.  Roll top of bag down but do not clamp shut.  Let bananas sit 1 – 2 days depending on how green they are when placed in the bag.  If you want to speed this process up even more, add over ripe bananas or apples to the bag which will help!

The quick way to ripen bananas:  separate bananas and place them on a cookie sheet.  Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes at 250*F.  This will soften and sweeten your bananas.  Let cool before you open a slice.  Bananas will be softer.

 

 

Suggestions to make this Banana Pudding Unique:

  • Add a layer of chocolate sauce or fudge sauce.
  • Switch the bananas out for strawberries
  • Add a layer of Nutella.
  • Use real whipped cream, whipped, instead of cool whip.
  • Include a layer of Caramel.
  • Add mini chocolate chips!

 

 

Other Banana Recipes You’ll Love:

Other No Bake Dessert Ideas:

 

 

Banana Pudding Trifle Cups make for an easy make ahead dessert that will have your family and guests asking for seconds!  Perfect all year round or offer them at your next party! 

 

Yield: 1 Large Trifle or 12 Trifle Cups

Banana Pudding Trifle Cups

Banana Pudding Parfait Cups - 4 finished trifle cups ready to be eaten!

This banana pudding parfait is easy to put together and always a crowd pleaser! Simply layer Nilla Wafers, bananas, pudding, pound cake and cool whip for one of the best tasting desserts ever!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese
  • 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 (5 ounce) package INSTANT vanilla pudding
  • 3 cups milk, cold
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (8 ounce) container cool whip, thawed, divided
  • 4 bananas
  • Vanilla wafer cookies
  • 1 pound cake
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 Tablespoons water

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl beat cream cheese until smooth - I use a mixer for this.
  2. Slowly beat in condensed milk until entire can has been mixed in.
  3. Add instant pudding powder and blend until smooth.
  4. Slowly add milk as you stir until all is incorporated.
  5. Add vanilla and blend well.
  6. In a separate bowl add half tub of cool whip and 1 cup of pudding. Mix by hand until blended.
  7. Pour cool whip mixture into banana pudding - this will help prevent lumps. Set aside.
  8. Cut up pound cake into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
  9. In a small bowl add lemon juice and water.
  10. Slice bananas and place in lemon juice for 1 minute then remove and gently pat dry with paper towels.
  11. If doing a Large single trifle, layer cookies, bananas, pudding, cake whipped cream in that order.
  12. Then layer cookies, bananas, pudding and cool whip in that order on top of first layer. Top with more cookies.
  13. If doing small single trifles layer pudding, bananas, cool whip, pound cake, pudding, bananas, cool whip in that order. Top with 1 cookie and crushed cookies if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 131Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g

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