Banana Pudding with Salted Caramel: A Decadent No-Bake Dessert

This creamy, no-bake dessert features classic banana pudding, carefully layered with freshly sliced bananas, crunchy vanilla wafers, and a luscious homemade salted caramel sauce. The salted caramel adds a delightful twist to this southern-inspired sweet treat, elevating it to gourmet status.

Whether you layer it into a large trifle dish for a stunning centerpiece at your next gathering or portion it into individual parfait glasses for an elegant touch, this banana pudding with salted caramel will surely impress.

This Banana Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce is a family favorite. It’s a requested dessert for special occasions and brings a smile to everyone’s faces. The combination of the creamy banana pudding and the sweet and salty caramel sauce creates an irresistible flavor profile that’s simply unforgettable.

After making this recipe for years, it is always a crowd-pleaser!

Why This Banana Pudding Recipe Is Amazing

• It’s a no-bake dessert, perfect for warm weather or when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
• The recipe is incredibly easy to follow, even for beginner bakers.
• The sweet and salty combination of the pudding and caramel is utterly addictive.
• It’s cool and creamy, offering a refreshing and satisfying dessert experience.
• The homemade salted caramel sauce elevates the pudding to a gourmet level.
• Easily customizable with your favorite toppings, such as homemade whipped cream or toasted nuts.
• It is make-ahead friendly, allowing you to prepare it in advance for parties or gatherings.

For the salted caramel sauce:

• Sugar: Traditional caramel sauce is made with white sugar.
• Unsalted butter: Bring your butter to room temperature and cut it into cubes before adding it to the caramel mixture. This helps with the emulsification process, where the fat in the butter combines with the sugar and cream to create a silky-smooth texture.
• Heavy cream: Adding cold heavy cream to hot caramel can cause the mixture to bubble vigorously, so it’s recommended to bring your cream to room temperature to help reduce bubbling and ensure smoother incorporation.
• Sea salt: Large-flake sea salt is recommended. If you prefer to use kosher salt, start with ½ teaspoon. Note: Table salt is much finer than large-flake salt, so you’ll need to use much, much less; otherwise, your caramel sauce will be WAY TOO SALTY.

For the banana pudding:

• Whole milk: Creates a rich and creamy base for the pudding.
• Instant pudding: Use one box of vanilla and one box of instant banana pudding. Make sure to use instant pudding mix rather than cook-and-serve pudding for this recipe.
• Cream cheese: Ensure this is fully at room temperature before using to avoid a lumpy pudding.
• Sweetened condensed milk: Adds sweetness and creaminess to the pudding, making it lusciously thick and rich.
• Cold heavy cream: Whip it until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the pudding mixture. This adds lightness and airiness to the dessert. Pro Tip: Chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator before whipping the cream to help it whip faster and achieve stiff peaks.
• Bananas: For the best flavor and sweetness, use just ripe bananas that are yellow and have minimal brown spots. Overripe bananas are great for moist banana bread, but they’ll be too soft here.
• Nilla Wafers: You can use any type of vanilla wafer or shortbread cookie for this recipe or even graham crackers for a different twist.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

This recipe consists of two parts – the salted caramel sauce and the homemade banana pudding.

1. Make the Salted Caramel Sauce

It’s important to use a heavy-bottomed saucepan made of a material that conducts heat evenly, like stainless steel or copper, just like when making homemade caramels. Avoid using a nonstick pan, as the high temperature required to make the sauce could ruin it.

1. Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the sugar until it begins to melt and darken in color, about 10 minutes. If chunks form, continue stirring until they dissolve.

Pro Tip: Avoid vigorous stirring, as this can cause sugar crystals to form and result in a grainy texture. Keep a close eye on the sugar as it caramelizes, as it can quickly go from golden to burnt. The color should turn amber, indicating it’s ready.

2. Stop stirring and let the sugar cook, undisturbed, until it turns amber in color, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the melted sugar from the heat and whisk in the butter until combined, then slowly and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. It will bubble vigorously. Stir in the sea salt then transfer the caramel to a glass container to cool while you prepare the pudding.

2. Make the Banana Pudding

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk with the instant vanilla and banana pudding mixes.
2. In a separate medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and condensed milk.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the cold heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. You can do this with a hand mixer, too.
4. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Pro Tip: Be gentle! A light touch helps keep the whipped cream nice and airy, giving your pudding that dreamy texture we all love.

5. Stir the cream cheese mixture into the pudding until well combined. Refrigerate the pudding until ready to serve.
6. When ready to serve, place a layer of Nilla Wafers on the bottom of your serving dish, and then top the wafers with a layer of the pudding, followed by a layer of sliced bananas and a drizzle of the salted caramel sauce. Repeat the layers as needed.

• When making caramel, it’s really important to use a heavy-bottomed saucepan and to never turn your back on the sugar. It can change from amber to black in a second!
• This recipe will yield about 1 cup of caramel. Use a portion of it with the pudding and save the rest, stored in an airtight container in the fridge, for vanilla ice cream sundaes or for eating by the spoonful.
• The amount of Nilla Wafers you will need depends on how you serve the pudding. You can serve the pudding in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, or make individual banana puddings in your desired serving dishes, such as mason jars, tall glasses or ramekins.
• While the pudding can technically be served immediately, it tastes best when chilled for a minimum of 1 hour.

You can easily make this dessert ahead of time by preparing the components separately and assembling them just before serving. Warning: DO NOT assemble the layers until just before serving, or you’ll end up with soggy Nilla Wafers and brown bananas.

1. Salted caramel sauce – this can be made up to two weeks in advance. Store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Gently reheat the sauce in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave until warm and pourable.
2. Banana pudding – this can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Common Questions

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Dessert

Banana Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

Enjoy cool and creamy Banana Pudding layered with fresh bananas, silky salted caramel sauce and crunchy Nilla Wafers.

Author: Kelly Senyei

4.75 from 4 votes

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Servings

12 servings

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the salted caramel:

• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubed
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• ▢ 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

For the banana pudding:

• ▢ 4 cups whole milk
• ▢ 1 (3.4-oz.) box instant vanilla pudding
• ▢ 1 (3.4-oz.) box instant banana pudding
• ▢ 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• ▢ 1 cup cold heavy cream
• ▢ 6 large bananas, sliced
• ▢ Nilla Wafers or shortbread cookies (See Kelly’s Notes)

Instructions

Make the salted caramel:

• Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the sugar until it begins to melt and darken in color, about 10 minutes. (If chunks form, continue stirring until they dissolve.) Stop stirring and let the sugar cook, undisturbed, until it turns amber in color, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the melted sugar from the heat and whisk in the butter until combined, then slowly and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. (It will bubble vigorously.) Stir in the sea salt then transfer the caramel to a glass container to cool while you prepare the pudding.

Make the banana pudding:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the milk with the instant vanilla and banana pudding mixes.
• In a separate medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and condensed milk.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the cold heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
• Stir the cream cheese mixture into the pudding until well combined. Refrigerate the pudding until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, place a layer of Nilla Wafers on the bottom of your serving dish, and then top the wafers with a layer of the pudding, followed by a layer of sliced bananas and a drizzle of the salted caramel sauce. Repeat the layers as needed. (See Kelly’s Notes.)

Kelly’s Notes

• The amount of Nilla Wafers you will need depends on how you serve the pudding. You can serve the pudding in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, or make individual banana puddings in your desired serving dishes, such as mason jars, tall glasses or ramekins.
• When making caramel, it’s really important to use a heavy-bottomed saucepan and to never turn your back on the sugar. It can change from amber to black in a second!
• This recipe will yield about 1 cup of caramel. Use a portion of it with the pudding and save the rest, stored in an airtight container in the fridge, for sundaes … or for eating by the spoonful.
• While the pudding can technically be served immediately, it tastes best when chilled for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Make-Ahead: You can easily make this dessert ahead of time by preparing the components separately and assembling them just before serving.
  • Salted caramel sauce – this can be made up to two weeks in advance. Store it in an airtight container (I like to use a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid) in your refrigerator. I recommend gently reheating the sauce in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave until warm and pourable.
  • Banana pudding – this can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate.
• ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 64mg, Sodium: 533mg, Potassium: 340mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 780IU, Vitamin C: 5.3mg, Calcium: 116mg, Iron: 0.2mg

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