Banana Pudding Shots are a fun and creative way to enjoy a classic dessert in cocktail form!
This is a boozy banana pudding that is paired with vanilla wafers, fresh sliced bananas, white rum and of course a dollop of Cool Whip on top. The ultimate banana flavor dessert for grown-ups only.
Who doesn’t love dessert shots? This banana pudding shot recipe is a perfect dessert for your next birthday party, summer cookout, or any celebration. It makes for a delicious dessert with just the right amount of added rum.
If you love banana flavored cocktails, be sure to check out this Dirty Banana Drink and the Dirty Monkey. They are similar cocktails, but each have a little different flavor.
For another creamy pudding shot, serve up these super cute Strawberry Shortcake Jello Shots. They are a delicious mix of pudding shots and jello.
Why You’ll Love Banana Pudding Shots
- A fun boozy dessert for adults.
- It’s sweet and creamy banana and rum dessert that really tastes like banana pudding.
- Serve in small shot cups or shot glasses for a single serve treat.
- Twist to classic jello shots you love and the instant pudding mix makes the prep a breeze.
- The whipped topping adds additional creamy texture and the fresh banana slice makes the perfect snack.
More Delicious Shot Recipes
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Shot
Kitchen Equipment
- 3 ounce Plastic Shot Glasses (aka condiment cups) – here are some good tall 3 oz plastic shot glasses
- Food Processor or Ninja Blender or a Ziploc bag and Rolling pin (to crush the vanilla wafers)
- Medium Bowl / Mixing Bowl
- Hand Mixer or Whisk
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
BANANA INSTANT PUDDING MIX: The key ingredient and base for our banana pudding shots. The banana flavor of pudding is one of my favs because it actually tastes fresh.
MILK: Regular whole milk or a plant based milk if you need to skip dairy. Whole milk will offer the creamiest texture to the pudding.
WHITE RUM: The white rum is going to add a nice boozy twist, but it won’t overpower the banana flavor in the recipe, which is nice. I use Bacardi Light Rum, but feel free to use your favorite rum.
NILLA WAFERS: Sweet vanilla cookies are a classic for banana pudding and a must-have for banana pudding shots. We’ll crush the cookies to make the middle layer, so it’s almost like a pie crust.
WHIPPED CREAM: Got to have whipped cream on top, right? I like to use the whipped cream in a can (it does melt faster though), so you can also use the tub of cool whip. To make cool whip look a little more fancy, put put it in a piping bag and use a star tip.
BANANAS: Fresh banana slices to truly give you that classic banana flavor. Reach for ripe bananas and to keep from having left overs, use small bananas.
How to Make Banana Pudding Shots
Follow these easy steps:
STEP 1: Crush your Nilla Wafers. You can put them in a food processor or Ninja Blender (this is what I use and it’s amazing!) to make vanilla wafer crumbs. You can also put the wafers in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. If using the rolling pin method, it might be easier to use the miniature vanilla wafer cookies. Set the wafer crumbs aside.
STEP 2: In a mixing bowl add your instant pudding mix, milk, and rum.
STEP 3: Use a hand mixer to mix until the pudding mixture thickens. You can use a whisk if you don’t own or don’t want to get out a mixer, it just takes a little longer to whip up.
STEP 4: Arrange your plastic cups on a small baking sheet. This just makes it easier to move the banana pudding shots in and out of the refrigerator. Fill each of your 3 oz condiment cups half way up with the pudding shot mixture.
STEP 5: Add a small layer of the crushed cookies.
STEP 6: Distribute the remaining pudding mixture evenly into the cups.
STEP 7: Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
STEP 8: Just before serving, add whipped cream and a slice of banana on top. If you have leftover cookie crumbs, go ahead and add a sprinkle of the remaining nilla wafers on top.
Recipe Variations
Want to mix it up and create new flavors? Here are some easy ideas:
- Swap white rum with a coconut rum for a twist in flavor.
- You can use vanilla pudding mix, French vanilla, or another type of pudding flavor to change up the recipe.
- Instead of Nilla Wafers you could use Golden Oreo cookies or graham crackers.
- Make a banana split pudding shots recipe by adding a layer of chocolate syrup, and then top with either maraschino cherries or strawberries, plus the fresh banana slices.
- Add any of your favorite toppings like rainbow sprinkles, more cookie crumbles, etc.
How to Store Banana Pudding Shots
Keep your banana shots covered and refrigerated. Do not add whipped cream to the top of the shots until you are ready to serve. Canned whipped cream will break down quickly compared to Cool Whip, but I would still wait to add it just before serving.
These shots will store for 2-3 days in the fridge. Plan to prep as many as you think will be eaten at your next party.
Will the Bananas Turn Brown?
Yes, the bananas on top will turn brown as the air hits the banana slices. I find that you will want to add the banana right before serving to prevent it from browning before you serve it up.
Do Pudding Shots Go in the Fridge or Freezer?
Only put your banana pudding shots in the refrigerator. I know it’s tempting to want to chill them quicker in the freezer, but if the pudding freezes – when it thaws, the texture will be odd.
These Banana Pudding Shots are the perfect combination of a classic dessert, with a delicious twist of rum fun! An easy recipe that only needs a few ingredients that all your friends and family will love.
Banana Pudding Shots with Rum
Banana Pudding Shots are a fun and creative way to enjoy a classic dessert in cocktail form! This is a boozy banana pudding that is paired with vanilla wafers, fresh sliced bananas, white rum and of course a dollop of Cool Whip on top. The ultimate banana flavor dessert for grown-ups only.
Ingredients
- 1 (3.4 oz) box Instant Banana Pudding
- 1 ½ cups Milk
- ½ cup White Rum
- 18 Nilla wafers, crushed
- 6 (3 oz.) Plastic Shot Cups
- Whipped Cream for topping
- 6 Banana Slices for topping
Instructions
- Crush the Nilla Wafers. You can put them in a food processor or Ninja Blender (this is what I use and it's amazing!) to make vanilla wafer crumbs. You can also put the wafers in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Set the wafer crumbs aside.
- In a mixing bowl add the instant pudding mix, milk, and rum.
- Use a hand mixer to mix until the pudding mixture thickens. You can use a whisk if you don't own or don't want to get out a mixer, it just takes a little longer to whip up.
- Arrange your plastic cups on a small baking sheet. Fill each of your 3 oz condiment cups half way up with the pudding shot mixture.
- Add a small layer of the crushed cookies.
- Distribute the remaining pudding mixture evenly into the cups.
- Place in the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours.
- Just before serving, add whipped cream and a slice of banana on top.
Notes
See recipe post for additional tips and variations.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 3gSugar: 27gProtein: 4g
Nutritional values are estimates and not exact.