Easy Banana Mousse in Cups
This No-Bake Easy Banana Mousse in Cups, using banana pudding mix. It’s fun, and you can make it 30 minutes ahead or the day before, perfect for parties, camping, and summer gatherings.
These easy Banana Pudding Cups are creamy, fluffy, and perfect for summer gatherings.
Made with heavy cream, milk, instant banana pudding mix, bananas, and mini Nilla Wafers, they’re a simple no-bake dessert everyone loves.
The pudding mixture is whipped with heavy cream until thick and mousse-like, creating a rich and airy texture that’s lighter than traditional pudding.
Topped with homemade whipped cream, fresh banana slices, and cookies, these individual dessert cups are perfect for parties, cookouts, camping trips, beach days, family gatherings, and potlucks.
Best of all, they can be made ahead, making entertaining easy.
Why You’ll Love These Creamy Banana Pudding Mousse Cups
- No baking required
- Easy to make ahead
- Perfect individual servings
- Light, fluffy mousse-like texture
- Great for parties and picnics
- Easy to customize
Ingredients
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Instant banana pudding mix
- Fresh bananas
- Mini Nilla Wafers
For the whipped cream topping:
- Heavy cream
- optional powdered sugar
- Optional vanilla extract
How to Make Banana Pudding Cups
In a large mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, milk, and instant banana pudding mix.
Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until it thickens. The heavy cream whips as you mix, creating a rich banana mousse that’s thicker and fluffier than regular pudding.
In a separate bowl, whip additional heavy cream until medium-firm peaks form for the topping. Add powdered sugar and vanilla if desired. I use them.
Layer cookies, the banana pudding/mousse into dessert cups. Add mini Nilla Wafers and banana slices, then top with whipped cream and an additional cookie.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips for the Best Banana Pudding Cups
- Use very cold heavy cream for the fluffiest texture.
- Assemble the cups several hours ahead for easy serving.
- Add the final cookie garnish shortly before serving if you want it crisp.
- Mini Nilla Wafers fit perfectly into individual dessert cups.
- For extra banana flavor, add additional banana slices between layers.
Make Ahead Instructions
These cups are excellent for making ahead. Prepare them the day before your party and keep them refrigerated until serving.
The cookies will soften slightly as they sit, giving them that classic banana pudding texture many people love.
No Fresh Bananas?
No problem.
The banana pudding mix adds plenty of banana flavor on its own. If you don’t have fresh bananas available, simply leave them out and enjoy the creamy banana mousse with cookies and whipped cream. Additionally, you can add banana extract to the whipped cream for more banana flavor.
Gluten Free Option
To make these gluten free, simply skip the cookies. Add some gluten free vanilla cookies.
Layer the banana mousse with fresh banana slices without cookies. Add more bananas in the layers if desired.
For a little crunch, top with banana chips just before serving.
Chocolate chips are another great item to add to these. Mini chips are great for mini desserts!
Easy Make Ahead Banana Pudding Cups
Perfect For…
- Summer parties
- Cookouts and BBQs
- Beach days
- Camping trips
- Birthday parties
- Potlucks
- Family gatherings
- Holiday dessert tables
These Banana Pudding Cups are the kind of easy dessert everyone reaches for first. Creamy banana mousse, fluffy whipped cream, fresh bananas, and cookies make every bite irresistible.
I use these cups, they are perfect for quick, easy desserts like this. Put them in the fridge, use a basket or bin for the fridge, or in the cooler when taking them to-go!
More Banana Recipes:
Just like with Southern banana pudding, the cookies absorb some moisture as the pudding sets up and become soft like cake, making it easy to scoop and giving texture to the dessert.
We have spent quite a few weeks this year in the South, and they love their banana pudding, so I thought I’d come up with some other options!
Let’s Make Quick Easy Banana Mousse in Cups
Ingredients
- 1 5 oz pkg package instant banana pudding mix, or vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (additional for topping) divided 1 cup for pudding, 1 cup for topping
- 1 cup milk I use whole milk
- 1 11 oz. box, mini Nilla wafers cookies
- 2 bananas, additional bananas can be added
Whipped cream topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat heavy cream, milk, and banana pudding mix, starting on low, increasing to high until everything is whipped up smooth and fluffy. About 2-3 minutes.
- Place each serving in a 5 oz cup. Add 3 cookies to the bottom of the cups, add 2-3 tablespoons of pudding, then repeat. (add additional bananas in each layer if desired)
- Add a few slices of fresh sliced bananas pieces.
- For whipped cream: In another medium bowl (or wash and rinse the bowl with cold water so the cream whips easily), add 1 cup heavy cream, and add the vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whip on high until medium peaks form.
- Top each dessert with whipped cream, top with 1 more cookie.
- Place in fridge for 30 minutes to overnight. If preparing the day ahead, place lids on top and refrigerate.