This recipe has all the delicious flavors of good old-fashioned banana cream pie but is literally done in minutes. Takes only 5 ingredients and is an easy no bake dessert that tastes amazing! 

Banana cream pie with pudding

One of my very favorite pies is banana cream pie. My husband’s grandma makes it for our Thanksgiving menu every year (along with about a dozen other pies) and it’s always the kid’s favorite. I was shocked when I heard it was so simple to make! It not only tastes delicious around the holidays, but makes a great summer time pie to whip up since you don’t have to warm up the kitchen with a hot oven.

This recipe is so easy and if you love bananas, you are bound to love this pie too. It’s light, fluffy and full of delicious banana flavor. Plus it’s made with just 5 simple ingredients…one being a box of instant banana pudding mix. It honestly doesn’t get any easier than this!

5 ingredient banana cream pie

While I love to make pies from scratch with homemade pie crust and filling, it’s also nice to have easier recipes in your back pocket that taste just as good but are made with less ingredients in a fraction of the time. And that’s exactly why I love this easy banana cream pie. It only takes 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to assemble, leaving the rest of the time for chilling in the fridge.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is the instant banana pudding. It helps to make a creamy banana filling and has such great flavor. The pudding doesn’t require ANY cooking – all you do is mix together the pudding and milk in a bowl and that’s it!

1. Pie crust: You can use a store-bought or homemade pie crust for this recipe. I usually buy a premade crust to stick with the easy theme. A graham cracker crust or nilla wafer crust would also taste delicious.
2. Instant banana pudding: Using the instant banana cream pudding mix is what makes this recipe so simple. No cooking on the stovetop required. Just simply mix with milk and let set!
3. Milk: Make sure to use either whole milk or 2% milk. Other varieties like skim, almond or soy won’t thicken the pudding enough.
4. Cool whip: This adds a light and fluffy component to the filling. Just make sure it’s thawed before mixing it in. If you’re feeling up to it, you can even make homemade cool whip or substitute with homemade whipped cream.
5. Bananas: Look for bananas that are ripe with a few brown spots (but not overly brown). These will have the best sweet flavor and a soft yet sturdy texture.

Tips + variations

• Cook and Serve pudding. If you can only find Cook and Serve pudding, that’s fine to use. Simply prepare as instructed on the package and let chill in the fridge until the pudding is set. Then mix in the Cool Whip and banana slices before folding into the pie crust.
• Keep bananas from browning. Although bananas brown pretty quickly, it’s not too big of a concern in this recipe. Because they’re mixed in with the pudding, they aren’t exposed to air which usually keeps them from browning. If you’re adding fresh banana slices on top of the pie, then I’d recommend adding those on right before serving, so they stay fresh.
• Assembling the pie. There are several different ways to assemble this pie. You can add a layer of sliced bananas on top of the crust, then spread the filling on top. You can even add a 3rd layer of whipped cream to make it extra creamy and delicious.
• Toppings. This pie is super simple to make, so the toppings are where you can make it look a little more sophisticated. Pipe on a fun design with some stabilized whipped cream (I use a large 1M tip) and then add more fresh banana slices on top. You can also sprinkle on some toasted coconut or crushed vanilla wafers to fancy it up a little more.

• To make ahead. This pie needs to chill for at least 3 hours before serving in order to set, so it’s even better if you can let it set overnight! Make the recipe according to instructions (do not add toppings) and then cover and place in the refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and fresh bananas.
• To store. Loosely cover the pie top with aluminum foil (or plastic wrap) and place in the fridge. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
• To freeze. Make the pie according to directions and then freeze after filling the crust. Let thaw in the fridge overnight, then add the whipped cream and sliced bananas right before serving.

More easy no bake desserts:

• Banana pudding
• Lemon coconut dessert lasagna
• No bake cheesecake
• No bake banana split dessert
• Strawberry lasagna

Easy Banana Cream Pie

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana cream pie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Chill: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 237

Author: Jamielyn Nye

This recipe has all the delicious flavors of good old-fashioned banana cream pie but is literally done in minutes. Takes only 5 ingredients and is an easy no bake pie that tastes amazing! 

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Ingredients

• 5.1 ounces instant banana cream pudding mix , 1 big box
• 2 cups whole milk , cold
• 8 ounces cool whip , thawed
• 3 medium bananas
• 1 pie crust , pre-made or homemade

For garnish (optional): whipped cream and more sliced bananas

Instructions

• Whisk the instant pudding mix and milk in a large bowl. Whisk fast for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it has thickened. Fold in the cool whip. Then slice 2 bananas into 1/4-inch slices and stir into the pudding.
  
• Evenly spread the filling into the pre-made pie crust.
  
• Chill at least 2 to 3 hours before serving. Garnish with any remaining cool whip (or whipped cream) and fresh bananas. Slice and serve chilled.
  

Video

Notes

Milk: Make sure to use whole milk or 2% milk. If you use skim milk, almond milk or soy milk it will not thicken properly.

Crust: You can use a store bought or homemade crust for this recipe. 

• Recipe for homemade graham cracker crust: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/graham-cracker-crust/
• Recipe for homemade pie crust: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/easy-pie-crust-recipe/

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 0.6mg

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Now somebody give me a gigantic fork so I can dig right in! Yum!