During the summer I try to avoid spending too much time in my kitchen. That’s where this dairy free banana pudding!

It comes together so quickly, and is made with delicious layers of fresh bananas, sweet vanilla pudding, chopped vanilla wafers and whipped topping.

What Is Banana Pudding?

Before we dive into how to make this banana pudding, let’s talk about what banana pudding actually is. A lot of people think it’s made with banana-flavored pudding, but that’s not the case!

Banana pudding is usually made with layers of sweet vanilla custard or pudding, vanilla wafers or lady fingers, slices of fresh bananas and whipped cream.

While the name might make you think this dessert is full with banana flavor, it really just has a hint of it from the fresh slices of banana. It’s just enough to give it a subtle, delicious banana flavor.

To make this banana pudding dairy free we use dairy free sweetened condensed milk for the pudding and whipped topping instead of whipped cream. These simple swaps make this delicious dessert an option for anyone who is sensitive to dairy.

Dairy Free Banana Pudding Ingredients & Substitutions:

This banana pudding recipe doesn’t use a ton ingredients but I know you might not have all of them on hand.

Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered. Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make:

• Unsweetened coconut milk – I highly recommend using the full fat coconut that comes in a can, like this! If you have a coconut allergy, use other types of dairy-free milk. They are usually thinner than coconut milk, so they will yield a thinner condensed milk. However, they still work great! You can use oat, almond, soy, hemp, or flax milk. If you use one of these alternative milks, I recommend cooking down the mixture for an extra 15 minutes, and using 1 cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cup to help give it a thicker consistency.
• Granulated sugar – You also can use less processed sugars that aren’t bleached like turbinado sugar, light brown sugar, or coconut sugar to make this vegan.
• Vanilla Pudding Mix – Any vanilla pudding mix should work for this. Just be sure to get a 3.4 oz. sized box.
• Vanilla Wafers – I use mini Nilla wafers for easy layering, but any brand or even vegan vanilla wafers will work great.
• Slices Bananas – Fresh sliced bananas are a non-negotiable in this recipe. Use large, ripe bananas. The riper the banana, the more flavor it’ll add to your banana pudding!

Using Different Sized Dishes

The quantities in this recipe are based on 12 oz cups.

You can also make smaller banana pudding servings in stemless wine glasses or mason jars, for easy storage and serving!

The amount of ingredients you need will vary based on the size of your cups. Please adjust as needed 🙂

Why Banana Pudding is the Perfect Make Ahead Dessert

When you’re able to beautifully layer your ingredients you don’t have to spend much extra time on the decoration of the dessert.

As long as you create even layers of filling, your dairy free banana pudding will be a work of art by the time you finish.

Banana pudding is also a great make ahead desserts and can easily be made in advance. Just be sure to fully cover each cup with plastic wrap to make sure it’s protected in your fridge.

Tips for Making the Best Dairy Free Banana Pudding

• Toss the banana slices with squeeze of fresh lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
• Carefully spoon and smooth the layers of pudding and whipped cream with an offset spatula to give your banana pudding a gorgeous finished look.
• If you have time, make the whipped cream from scratch. It only takes a few minutes to make and tastes so amazing!!
• If you’re short on time just use creamy cool whip! It has a nice consistency and also works great in this recipe.
• While making the each cup of banana pudding, get down at eye level to make sure the layers are even and the roughly same thickness.

Making this Dairy Free Banana Pudding in Advance & Storage Tips

• Make this banana pudding in advance to make life easier! It can easily be made a day or two before an event or party. Wrap the top of the cup with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.
• Wait to garnish the top of each cup until right before you plan to serve it.
• Leftover banana pudding can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days if tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. After that the whipped cream will lose its shape.

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Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this dairy free banana pudding recipe, please tag me @chelsweets. Also use the #chelsweets so that I can see your baking!