My no-bake ube banana pudding is light, creamy, and made with real ube! It’s not-too-sweet, great to make ahead of time, and is customizable. Make it for your next party—people will be raving about it!
Not familiar with ube? See my ultimate guide to ube!
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What is Banana Pudding?
Banana pudding is a beloved American dessert usually associated with southern food! It’s typically made with layers upon layers of vanilla pudding or custard, vanilla wafers, and fresh sliced bananas. Usual toppings include crushed Nilla wafers, whipped cream, or meringue, and it can be served cold or warm.
This recipe puts a creative twist on the classic: a no-bake ube banana pudding made with instant pudding mix and real ube (a Filipino purple yam—want to learn more? Check out my ube guide). It’s served chilled, with a texture so light and creamy it practically melts in your mouth.
The best part? It’s endlessly customizable. Swap the coconut wafers for Nilla cookies, use instant coconut pudding instead of vanilla, or add a layer of shredded coconut for extra texture. However you make it, this pudding is guaranteed to impress.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy to make! Since this recipe uses instant pudding, there’s no need to cook anything over the stovetop.
- It’s highly customizable. Instead of the coconut wafers, you can use cookies, Graham crackers, Oreos, etc. You can also change up the instant pudding flavor and the toppings!
- It’s great for parties and get-togethers. It’s a classic party dessert for a reason. You can make it in advance, you can easily double the recipe to feed more people, and it’s a total crowd pleaser!
Looking for other no-bake recipes? Try out my popular mango sago!
Ingredients
To make homemade ube banana pudding from scratch, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- The bananas should be slightly ripe or just ripe enough. We’re looking for bananas with a bright yellow color and very few brown spots on it. Overripe bananas will brown quickly and become too mushy when mixed with the other ingredients.
- I use cold whole milk for the pudding mixture. You can opt to use plant-based milk, but make sure to use half the amount required for the recipe, or else it won’t set properly.
- I like to use the zero sugar version of the Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding. I like my banana pudding quite light and creamy, but if you want a thicker texture, you can use the family-sized packet!
- Make sure to thaw the Cool Whip before using. Similar to the Jell-O Pudding, I like to use the zero-sugar one, too! I recommend it over regular whipped cream because it’s a bit denser, with a marshmallow-like texture.
- For the ube flavor, use pre-made or homemade ube halaya (ube jam) and ube extract.
- You can add a pinch of salt to further enhance the sweet banana flavor!
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
💡 Flavor Variations
- Omit the ube and make my original banana pudding recipe!
- Swap out the coconut wafers with Nilla wafers, graham crackers, chocolate chip cookies, etc.!
- Instead of instant vanilla pudding, try out instant coconut, banana, or chocolate pudding!
How to Make Ube Banana Pudding
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add cold milk and 1 packet of Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding. Whisk until combined and let it sit for about 5 minutes to thicken.
Step 2: Mix in ube jam and ube extract. Fold in Cool Whip until smooth.
Step 3: In your serving container, add a layer of cookies, top with sliced bananas, and then spread an even layer of the pudding. Repeat until you use all of your ingredients, with the top layer ending in pudding.
Step 4: Add crushed wafers on top. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before eating. Serve chilled and enjoy!
For full instructions, see the recipe card below.
😋 More No-Bake Desserts You’ll Love
Did you try this recipe?
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Thank you so much! -Bianca ❤️
📖 Recipe & Video
Ube Banana Pudding
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Equipment
- serving cups, bowl, or dish I like to split a 1x batch into a large trifle dish or in multiple mason jars/cups!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (488 g) whole milk cold (if swapping in plant-based milk, use half the amount or it will not set!!!)
- 1 ounce packet (28 g) Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding
- ½ – 1 cup (118 g) ube halaya adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) ube extract
- 8 ounces (226 g) Cool Whip thawed
- pinch of salt optional
- 4-5 (544 g) large bananas sliced
- 1 box (311 g) Nilla wafers* you may not need all of them; can swap wafers for your favorite cookie!
Instructions
Make the pudding:
- In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups whole milk (cold) and 1 ounce packet Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding. Whisk until combined and let sit for about 5 minutes to thicken.
- Mix in ½ – 1 cup ube halaya and 1 teaspoon ube extract until fully combined. Fold in 8 ounces Cool Whip until smooth. Taste and add pinch of salt or more ube extract/jam as needed.
Assemble the banana pudding:
- In your serving container(s), add a layer of wafers, top with sliced bananas, and then spread an even layer of the ube pudding. Repeat until you use all of your ingredients, with the top layer ending in pudding.
- Add crushed wafers on top. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before eating, so all the flavors meld nicely. Serve chilled and enjoy!
