Banana Pudding Sheet Cake with Nilla Wafer Crunch

If banana pudding is the queen of Southern desserts, then this Banana Pudding Sheet Cake is her bakery-ready crown. It’s got everything you love about the classic—creamy pudding, fresh banana slices, and that sweet vanilla cookie flavor—all layered into a fluffy sheet cake and topped with a crispy, buttery Nilla Wafer Crunch that takes it to the next level.

This cake is a total crowd-pleaser. Keep it in your back pocket for all the summer happenings - bring it to a BBQ, birthday, church potluck, or just make it for fun—you won’t have leftovers.

🍰 Banana Pudding Sheet Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 1 box yellow cake mix (or your favorite scratch recipe)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the pudding layer:

  • 1 (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
  • 2 cups cold milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped (or use 8 oz Cool Whip)
  • 3–4 ripe bananas, sliced

For the Nilla Wafer Crunch topping:

  • 2 cups Nilla Wafers, crushed
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions:

  1. Bake the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13” pan. Mix cake mix, eggs, water, oil, and vanilla. Bake according to box or until golden and springy (usually ~28–32 mins). Let cool completely.
  2. Make the pudding layer: Whisk pudding mix with cold milk until thickened. Gently fold in whipped cream or Cool Whip.
  3. Layer it up: Spread half the pudding over the cooled cake. Top with sliced bananas, then the rest of the pudding. Smooth the top.
  4. Make the Nilla Wafer Crunch: Mix crushed wafers, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Spread onto a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 5–7 minutes, until golden and crispy. Cool completely.
  5. Finish: Sprinkle the Nilla Wafer Crunch generously over the top of the pudding layer.
  6. Chill: Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving for best texture and flavor.

🍌 Tips & Variations

  • Add a layer of sliced bananas on top too if you want to show off that fruit!
  • You can also drizzle caramel or condensed milk over the warm cake before adding pudding for a tres leches-style twist.
  • Make it mini: Bake in cupcake liners for banana pudding cake “cups” perfect for parties.

✨ Wrapping It Up

This Banana Pudding Sheet Cake is what happens when childhood nostalgia meets bakery-level presentation. Soft cake, creamy pudding, real bananas, and that buttery vanilla crunch? It’s basically summer wrapped in a 9x13 pan.

👉 Up next in the series: S’mores Cookie Bars with toasted marshmallows and graham goodness—aka everything you need for campfire cravings without the actual fire.

Published on May 6, 2025.