This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclaimer for details.
This easy vegan banana pudding has layers of creamy homemade vanilla pudding, sliced fresh bananas and vanilla wafer cookies. Topped with dairy free coconut whipped cream, this recipe makes for a classic summer dessert.
📝 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Banana Pudding:
- Taste: Sweet with subtle vanilla and fresh banana flavor throughout.
- Texture: So creamy with soft banana slices and crunchy vanilla cookies.
- Difficulty: Super easy!
- Why this Recipe Works: Traditional southern banana pudding has layers of vanilla pudding, fresh banana slices, Cool Whip or whipped cream, and of course…Nilla Wafers. This vegan version has a homemade pudding instead of an instant vanilla pudding mix. It’s made with both coconut milk and oat milk. The combination of both types of milk gives the best creamy texture without an overwhelming coconut flavor.
- Why We Love It: As far as summer desserts go, banana pudding is definitely a nostalgic classic for me. This recipe is super easy to make and has best homemade vegan pudding! To keep this recipe as simple as possible, it uses store-bought vegan vanilla wafers (I’ve listed a few brands below). But you could use homemade ones if you have the time to make them!
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Coconut Milk: The pudding in this recipe uses full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream) to help thicken it and give it a super creamy texture. This is our substitute for heavy cream and I don’t recommend subbing this for another type of dairy free milk.
- Oat Milk: To help balance the flavor of the vegan vanilla pudding, this recipe also uses oat milk. This can be subbed for soy milk, almond milk or another type of non-dairy milk.
- Cornstarch: Because this vegan pudding is made without eggs, cornstarch helps thicken it.
- Vegan Vanilla Wafers: This recipe uses store-bought vegan vanilla wafer cookies. Many generic store brand Vanilla Wafer cookies are accidentally vegan. I used ones from Giant but I’ve also used ones from Whole Foods before. Other vegan vanilla wafers are by Partake or MadeGood. Use gluten-free cookies to keep this entire recipe GF!
- Vegan Whipped Cream: You can use your favorite store-bought vegan whipped cream or you can make one from scratch. I’ve included a simple recipe in the notes section of the recipe card. My favorite store-bought vegan whipped cream is the So Delicious CocoWhip.
- Maple Syrup: This can be swapped for agave nectar, vegan white sugar or another granulated sweetener. Brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used. They give the pudding a caramel flavor and a darker color.
Helpful Equipment
Here are a few tools that will make creating this recipe extra easy:
- Glass Cups or Jars: if making individual servings (or use an 8×8″ Baking Dish or Small Trifle Dish)
- Medium Saucepan: to make the homemade pudding
- Cutting Board: to slice the bananas
- Plastic Wrap: to cover the pudding as it cools
Step-by-Step Instructions
🍌 *Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
STEP 1: In a pot, combine the cornstarch and salt.
STEP 2: Set the pot over medium heat. Gradually pour in the oat milk and maple syrup, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps from forming.
STEP 3: Pour in the coconut milk (or coconut cream), then simmer the mixture for 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously. The pudding should thicken noticeably and it should easily coat the back of a spoon.
STEP 4: Remove from the heat and stir in the vegan butter and vanilla extract until melted and combined with the pudding. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours to thicken.
STEP 5: Layer the vegan vanilla wafers at the bottom of a jar or serving glass. Add a layer of banana slices and spoon the chilled pudding on top. Repeat until the glass is full. Top with a dollop of dairy free whipped cream.
STEP 6: Repeat with the remaining serving glasses.
📌 TIP: If assembling the pudding in a trifle dish or baking dish, follow the same steps. Use more vanilla wafers, banana slices or vegan whipped cream as needed to fill the dish. A good rule of thumb is to use about 1 banana per serving. This recipe makes 4 large servings.
Serving & Storage
Once the pudding is assembled, this no bake dessert is best served immediately! If needed, it will keep for up to a day in the fridge. I don’t recommend storing long than that as the bananas will oxidize and brown.
The vegan vanilla pudding can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. Be sure the plastic is touching the top of the pudding to prevent a ‘skin’ from forming.
Helpful Tips For The BEST Vegan Banana Pudding
❶ Use Full Fat Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream: For the best texture, I recommend chilling the can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight and using only the solid parts of coconut cream from the can.
❷ Whisk the Pudding Continuously: To prevent lumps from forming be sure to whisk the pudding as you pour in the vegan milk.
❸ Store the Pudding with Plastic Wrap: Be sure to cover the pudding with plastic (so it touches the top of the pudding). This prevents a skin from forming.
❹ Use Barely Ripe Bananas: For the best flavor, I recommend using bananas that are mostly yellow with a tiny bit of green on them. Barely ripe bananas will prevent the pudding from being too sweet and hold their shape better than spotted bananas.
❺ Cover the Bananas to Prevent Oxidation: To help keep the bananas from browning as quickly, make sure they are completely covered with pudding.
More Classic Southern Vegan Desserts:
Did you make this Vegan Banana Pudding Recipe?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Vegan Banana Pudding
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- ¼ cup cornstarch, 32g
- ¼ tsp salt, 1.5g
- ¾ cup oat milk, or dairy-free milk of choice, 180g
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup, 60g
- 1 ½ cups full fat coconut milk, or coconut cream from the can, 12oz
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, 30g
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 4g
- 4 large barely ripe bananas, sliced
- 35-45 store-bought Vegan Vanilla Wafers, or other vanilla cookie, about 8 oz
- 1-2 cups dairy-free whipped cream, for topping- see notes
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch and salt.¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ tsp salt
- Set the saucepan over medium heat. Gradually pour in the oat milk and maple syrup, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps from forming.¾ cup oat milk, or dairy-free milk of choice, ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- Pour in the coconut milk (or coconut cream), then simmer the mixture for 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously. The pudding should thicken noticeably and it should easily coat the back of a spoon.1 ½ cups full fat coconut milk, or coconut cream from the can
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the vegan butter and vanilla extract until melted and combined with the pudding.2 tbsp vegan butter, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Press plastic wrap on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. For a thicker, chilled pudding, store in the fridge for 2-3 hours before assembling.
- Slice the bananas into coins.4 large barely ripe bananas
- Layer the vegan vanilla wafers at the bottom of a jar or serving glass. Add a layer of bananas and spoon the pudding on top. Repeat until the glass is full. Top with a dollop of dairy free whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining serving glasses.35-45 store-bought Vegan Vanilla Wafers, 1-2 cups dairy-free whipped cream
- This can also be assembled in an 8×8" baking dish or a small trifle dish. Add more sliced bananas or vanilla wafers as needed to fully cover each layer.
- Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge for 1 day.
Recipe notes
Did You Make This?
Leave a star rating and a comment below to let others know how it turned out for you!
Want to Save this Recipe for Later? Pin it to Pinterest!
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my blog so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!
