Banana Nana Pudding is a Mouthful

Banana Nana Pudding sits on York Road with a cute window arrangement and a short, simple promise: pudding, and a lot of it. The pink and pastel branding is hard to miss, and the door opens to the smell of vanilla and crushed cookies.

Recently celebrating its one-year anniversary, the shop has made appearances in annual Jenkintown events, and throughout greater Philadelphia. They were even featured live on 6abc and Fox29. 

Inside, the displays are lined with neat rows of parfait cups, each one layered like a tiny trifle: soft cookies, thick vanilla pudding, fresh banana, and whatever twist the flavor calls for. The OG classic is the popular comfort option–creamy without cloying. The Strawberry Crumble and Biscoff flavors lean more towards the sweeter approach, with just enough crunch to keep each bite interesting. Cups come sealed for grab-and-go, and the owner Denee Bynum makes sure the cases are ready to go in case of an after-school rush.

Seasonal flavors, such as Black Forest and Red Velvet, rotate through the displays throughout the year, meaning there is always something new to try.

The mood is kept laid-back and communal, and the massive wall-mounted mirror is only slightly ominous. There are a few spots inside to mingle, and two wire-frame chairs outside. However, most customers find themselves taking their snack with them as they wander the surrounding Jenkintown area.

What really sets this corner of Jenkintown apart is how personal it feels. Bynum passionately built the shop from a family recipe and still runs it like a local brick-and-mortar shop: greeting customers as they walk in and chatting about various flavors, all before sending them back out into the streets holding small plastic cups.

The true birth of the shop came after Bynum sustained an injury working as a train conductor for Septa. Sitting at home rehabilitating for three years, Bynum said she was “incredibly bored,” and that she “just needed something to do.”

Banana Nana Pudding offers more opportunities to buy their cups than just walking in, as of recently they are available for delivery through DoorDash, and they also offer their own catering service.

Fun fact – the lowest Google review of this place is 3 stars, with the only complaint being that the owner was overly friendly and chatty, citing that they had places to be. For everyone else, that same friendliness is part of why Banana Nana Pudding feels like a local pudding joint, rather than just another soulless corporate chain.