If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing better than a dessert that is cold, creamy, and requires zero oven time! I still chase that perfect spoonful of nostalgia every time I bake. This recipe, the Strawberry Banana Pudding, takes everything perfect about the classic banana version and adds this bright, beautiful pop of fresh fruit. This recipe reminds me so much of the banana pudding my mom made for church picnics — cool, creamy, and always the first dessert gone. Adding strawberries brought a little extra brightness and sweetness that made it feel new again. Trust me, once you taste how these layers meld together, it will become your go-to dish for potlucks.
Why This Strawberry Banana Pudding Recipe Stands Out
Some layered desserts are fussy, but this one is designed to be easy, which is why I love serving it.
- It’s packed with two amazing textures: the smooth, cool pudding and the soft fruit.
- The flavor is perfectly balanced—sweet but not sickly because of that macerated strawberry syrup.
- It gets better overnight, which means less work for you the day of your party!
We all want simple, delicious things to bring to gatherings. See how easy other easy recipes can be!
Effortless Preparation for Your Strawberry Banana Pudding
This is truly an easy strawberry dessert because we aren’t spending any time near a hot oven! The cook time is zero, folks. You are just mixing, layering, and chilling. That’s the secret of this amazing Strawberry Banana Pudding—it comes together fast, but looks like you spent all day on it.
The Perfect Layered Strawberry Pudding Aesthetic
I’m all about that classic, decadent look, similar to a beautiful Strawberry Shortcake aesthetic, even in a simple pudding dish. When you cut that first slice, you want to see distinct stripes of white pudding, yellow banana (if you use them!), and bright red strawberries. The contrast makes it look so inviting when you’re making your other Strawberry Desserts Recipes!
Gathering Ingredients for the Best Strawberry Banana Pudding
Okay, let’s talk logistics! To get that perfect, thick, cloud-like texture, you need the right stuff assembled before you start layering. Because this dish is all about the creamy pudding and the sweet, fruit-syrup combo, we break our ingredient list down into three easy groups. Don’t skip the softened cream cheese; it makes such a difference!
If you want to see how we use fruit in other fun ways, check out these ideas for homemade fruit roll-ups, which use a similar fruit prep technique!
Ingredients for the Creamy Pudding Base
You’ll need the powerhouse ingredients here to build that luscious texture. Grab these items before you walk into the kitchen:
- Two boxes of Instant pudding mix (Vanilla or French Vanilla are my go-tos).
- Two cups of cold milk—whole milk is best for richness, but oat or almond works too!
- Fourteen ounces of sweet condensed milk.
- Eight ounces of cream cheese! It absolutely must be softened to room temperature, or it won’t blend smoothly.
- One teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Eight ounces of Cool Whip to fold in at the end.
Components for the Macerated Strawberries
This step is non-negotiable if you want that beautiful reddish syrup swirling through your final dessert. Remember, these need time to sit!
- Sixteen ounces of fresh strawberries, sliced up small.
- Two-thirds cup of granulated sugar.
We let these hang out for the full 60 minutes of maceration time. That waiting period is crucial for the final flavor punch in your Strawberry Banana Pudding.
Cookie and Fruit Layer Details for Strawberry Banana Pudding
These are what give us that wonderful structural integrity between the creamy layers. We use simple, sturdy options here:
- Two boxes of vanilla wafers—they soak up just the right amount of moisture without getting mushy right away.
- Two ripe bananas, sliced (I always put them in, but you can skip them if you prefer a pure strawberry focus!).
- Optional: One box of Chessman cookies if you want an extra buttery crunch!
Expert Steps to Assemble Your Strawberry Banana Pudding
Now that everything is gathered and waiting patiently, we start the assembly. Remember, this isn’t a race! The beauty of this dessert is that every step builds on the last one, creating that incredible texture we are looking for. Patience is going to be your best friend today.
Preparing the Macerated Strawberries First
First things first, you have to get those strawberries started. Slice up your 16 ounces of fruit and toss them in that bowl with the two-thirds cup of granulated sugar. Give them a good stir. Here’s the tip: You must let this sit for the full 60 minutes of maceration time. That time lets the sugar pull all the beautiful juice out of them, giving you that necessary sweet syrup that flavors the whole Strawberry Banana Pudding.
Creating the Smooth Pudding and Cream Cheese Layers
While the berries are working, get your pudding base going. Whisk the pudding mix and cold milk together until it’s completely smooth. Then, cover it and stick it in the fridge for a solid 30 minutes to chill and thicken up. Now for the main event: beat that room-temperature cream cheese until it’s fluffy. Slowly mix in the sweet condensed milk and vanilla. When you fold in the Cool Whip, take your time! You want it incorporated evenly without knocking out all the air. I always add just a splash of the strawberry syrup here to tint the cream mixture slightly pink—it looks beautiful!
Layering the Strawberry Banana Pudding Components
Grab your 9×13 inch baking dish; this recipe layers up perfectly in it. Start by spreading a thin, even layer of your pudding mixture across the bottom. Then, sprinkle a layer of vanilla wafers, top that with your macerated strawberries (and bananas, if you’re using them!), and drizzle a bit of that precious syrup over top. Repeat this whole process twice more to get those gorgeous, distinct layers, finishing the very top surface with the last of your pudding mixture. It helps insulate the cookies so they don’t get soggy too fast.
Crucial Overnight Chilling for Set Flavor
This is where we move from assembly to magic! Cover the entire dish tightly with plastic wrap. You absolutely must let this chill in the refrigerator overnight—seriously, don’t try testing it after just four hours! This extended refrigeration time allows the cookies to soften perfectly and lets all the creamy flavors marry together. This overnight rest is what makes a good Strawberry Banana Pudding an absolutely unforgettable one. You can sneak a peek at some other baking secrets for texture here for perfect scones, as the principles of texture building are similar!
Tips for Perfect Strawberry Banana Pudding Presentation
You’ve done the hard work over two days, so don’t rush the finale! We always wait until right before serving to decorate everything. If you put the toppings on the night before, those beautiful vanilla wafers get totally soggy and sad looking.
For that stunning Strawberry Cake Design look, I like taking the prettiest, firmest strawberry slices—the ones that didn’t break down in the maceration—and arranging them in neat rows right on top of the final pudding layer. Then, I drizzle just a little bit of that gorgeous, thick strawberry syrup over them. It catches the light! If you saved some whole or halved cookies, I place those standing up around the edge of the dish for height. If you want to see some other fun topping ideas, check out these recipes for sprinkle sugar cookies, which always have fun finishing touches!
Ingredient Substitutions for Your Strawberry Banana Pudding
I love that people want to make this recipe their own, and honestly, it’s flexible enough for a few little tweaks! Sometimes you run out of one thing, or maybe you just prefer a different crunch. That’s totally fine; this is still a fantastic dessert, even when you need to substitute.
The most important thing to remember is that the texture relies on that thick pudding base holding everything together. If you want to see how different ingredient choices affect taste, you might find this guide on salt differences interesting for balancing sweetness!
Cookie Swaps Beyond Vanilla Wafers
Vanilla wafers are my absolute favorite because they’re sturdy, but if you don’t have them, don’t panic! I mentioned Chessman cookies above, and they are divine here—they add a buttery richness. You can also use any plain, hard tea biscuit or even gingersnap cookies if you want a tiny bit of spice to peek through the sweetness of the Strawberry Banana Pudding.
Making Strawberry Banana Pudding Dairy-Free
If you need to keep things dairy-free, this recipe adapts really well. Remember, I already suggested oat or almond milk for the initial pudding mix, so that’s one hurdle cleared! You’ll also need to find a good vegan substitute for the Cool Whip, as most store-bought tubs contain dairy, but there are plenty of nice coconut-based whipped toppings out there now that work wonderfully instead.
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Strawberry Pudding
Since this is a chilled dessert, the storage part is super easy—you just need to keep it cold! Cover that 9×13 dish tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap doesn’t touch the top layer too much if you want to keep your fresh strawberry decoration pristine. This delicious Strawberry Pudding stays wonderful in the fridge for about three days, though frankly, there are never leftovers in my house by day two.
You don’t reheat pudding, of course! It’s meant to be served cold, straight from the refrigerator. If you notice the cookies on the bottom feel a little *too* soft on day three, that’s okay; it just means the vanilla wafers have fully absorbed all that extra creamy flavor, turning them into a soft, cake-like layer, which is actually pretty delicious if you enjoy that texture in your Fresh Strawberry Desserts.
Health Benefits of Fresh Strawberry Desserts
Even though this is a totally indulgent, creamy treat, I love that we are loading it up with fresh strawberries! It just makes me feel a little better about indulging, you know? When we macerate them, we keep all those good things locked in. Strawberries are famous for packing a punch of Vitamin C, which we all need. Plus, they bring those lovely antioxidants into every bite.
You don’t have to compromise on flavor, and you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying a truly great dessert. It’s the little things, like using real fruit, that make the difference! You can read more about how other ingredients play a health role in dishes like avocado chicken salad if you’re curious!
Frequently Asked Questions About Strawberry Banana Pudding
I get so many questions about this dessert because everyone wants their layers to look perfect! It’s such a classic, and nobody wants to mess up a good layered creation. Here are the top things folks ask me when they’re getting ready to assemble. If you’re looking for more layered inspiration, you should check out my post on no-bake strawberry cheesecake parfaits!
Can I make this Strawberry Banana Pudding without bananas?
Absolutely, yes! I mentioned them being optional, and that’s because sometimes bananas just aren’t your favorite, or maybe you don’t have any ripe ones on hand. If you skip the bananas entirely, you end up with a fantastic, pure Strawberry Pudding. It loses that specific banana flavor, but the creaminess and the strawberry syrup are still totally winning!
What is the best cookie to use for this recipe?
Hands down, stick with the vanilla wafers if you can find them. They are sturdy enough to hold up overnight in the humidity of the pudding, but they soften just enough by morning to melt in your mouth. They provide that perfect little subtle vanilla flavor contrast to all our sweet fruit and pudding layers in these Strawberry Desserts Recipes.
How much syrup should I save for topping the Strawberry Banana Pudding?
This is such a practical question! When you are mixing the maceration syrup into the cream cheese/Cool Whip mixture, I usually reserve about three large spoonfuls. You want to mix enough syrup in so that the cream mixture gets a beautiful light blush and a hint of flavor, but you need that extra thick syrup reserved to drizzle right on top just before serving, otherwise it pools too much.
If you’re looking for more ideas on classic summery desserts, take a peek at what is a traditional banana split made of!
Share Your Perfect Strawberry Banana Pudding Creation
We’ve done the hard work of layering and waiting—now comes the best part: enjoying and sharing! I truly hope this recipe brings back some of those sweet, creamy memories for you and your family, just like it does for me every time I make it.
When you take that first glorious spoonful after the overnight chill, please come back and let me know how it went! Did you use the bananas? Did your layers stack up beautifully? Drop a comment below and tell me what you thought! If you’re shouting from the rooftops about this amazing creation, feel free to share a picture of your amazing result on social media.
If you need to reach out about substitutions or just want to connect about baking in general, you can always find my contact form right here where we can chat more about getting in touch.
Happy layering!
By Grace Williams, Contributor at Recipes by Betty.
Strawberry Banana Pudding
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Separate bowl
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the pudding mix
- 2 boxes Instant pudding mix (Vanilla or French Vanilla)
- 2 cups Cold milk (whole, oat or almond)
- 14 oz Sweet condensed milk
- 8 oz Cream cheese softened, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 8 oz Cool Whip
- 2 boxes Vanilla wafers
- 2 Ripe bananas optional
- 1 box Chessman cookies optional
For the macerated strawberries
- 16 ounces Strawberries
- 2/3 cup Granulated sugar
Instructions
- Cut strawberries into small slices, add sugar, and mix. Allow them to sit for at least one hour to create syrup.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pudding mix and cold milk until smooth. Set this mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until well combined. Slowly add two tablespoons of the strawberry syrup mixture. Slowly fold in the Cool Whip. Continue folding until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Add three additional tablespoons of syrup, then add two tablespoons of macerated strawberries.
- Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the prepared pudding, making sure the consistency is smooth and uniform.
- Pour a layer of the pudding mixture over your cookies in the baking dish, spreading it evenly.
- Add a layer of crushed vanilla wafer cookies, macerated strawberries, and sliced bananas. Add the pudding mixture and repeat this layering process until you have three layers, finishing with a layer of vanilla pudding on top.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate the banana pudding overnight. Do not decorate until the next day. This extended refrigeration allows the flavors to set.
- Before serving, decorate your banana pudding with cookies, strawberries, and strawberry syrup.