Banana Pudding Recipe
This mind-blowingly good layered dessert first came into my life years ago, when my friend made it for a party. She got the recipe from the one and only Paula Deen, so I knew it had to be good. Its original name was “Not Yo Mama’s Banana Pudding Recipe” and that’s the truth! I apologize to Yo Mama, but this is absolutely the best banana pudding recipe. Crunchy cookies and sliced bananas sandwich a creamy layer of banana cheesecake filling. This dessert serves a crowd, so it’s perfect for your next potluck or family dinner.
Ingredients
Pepperidge Farms Chessmen Cookies – Technically, you could get by with two packages, but go ahead and buy three to ensure you have enough whole cookies for the layers. Usually, I find that there are several broken pieces in most packages. You can use broken pieces on the first layer to fill in the bottom and sides, or you can also eat the broken pieces! Sliced Ripe BananasMilkInstant Vanilla Pudding Mix – You can use French Vanilla or plain Vanilla instant pudding mix for this Banana Pudding recipe. Cream Cheese – To ensure a smooth final product, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Sweetened Condensed MilkWhipped Topping – For convenience we use thawed Cool Whip, but you could absolutely use homemade whipped cream. You can make homemade whipped cream by mixing heavy cream, a little bit of sugar, and some vanilla extract in a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
Serving Variations
We think this Banana Pudding recipe is pretty much perfect, but if you want to change it up, we do have a few variations. You can use Nilla Wafers, or other vanilla wafer cookies, instead of the Chessman Cookies. Instead of placing the cookies whole on the top layer, you can crush them up and sprinkle the crumbs over the top. You can also serve this dessert in a large trifle dish. Start with a layer of cookies, then a layer of banana slices, then a layer of pudding mixture and repeat until the dish is full.
FAQ
More Dreamy No Bake Desserts
If you’ve tried this Banana Pudding recipe, you know that there’s no need to heat up the house for tasty treats! Try a few more and see for yourself.
You can assemble the pudding layers about a day before serving, especially if you prefer the softer cookie texture. However you can make the pudding and cream cheese filling about three days in advance, then layer the fresh bananas and cookies together just before serving. To keep bananas from browning, especially when making ahead of time, lightly brush lemon juice on the banana slices. Try not to use too much though, as you don’t want to change the flavor of the pudding.
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