Description
Paula’s classic banana pudding combines creamy layers of pudding, crisp vanilla wafers, and ripe bananas for a Southern dessert that delights guests. Chilled and sweet, this nostalgic treat offers comfort with each spoonful you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
- 2 bags chessmen cookies
- 1 (8 oz/226 g) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14 oz/397 g) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz/340 g) container frozen whipped topping, thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream
- 1 (5 oz/142 g) box instant French vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups milk
Instructions
- Cookie Foundation: Layer vanilla wafer cookies uniformly across the entire bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish, ensuring complete base coverage.
- Banana Preparation: Distribute sliced ripe bananas across the cookie layer, slightly overlapping to create a lush fruit landscape.
- Pudding Fusion: Whisk milk and instant vanilla pudding mix using an electric mixer until achieving a silky, lump-free consistency, then blend softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Cream Integration: Gently fold whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture, maintaining its airy structure and creating a luxurious, velvety texture.
- Assembly Technique: Pour the blended pudding mixture over the banana-cookie base, using a spatula to spread evenly and eliminate potential air pockets.
- Decorative Topping: Artfully arrange remaining vanilla wafer cookies across the pudding surface, creating an elegant, slightly overlapping pattern.
- Chilling Protocol: Refrigerate the dessert for 3-4 hours or overnight, allowing flavors to harmonize and develop a perfectly set, chilled consistency.
Notes
- Banana Selection: Choose perfectly ripe, yellow bananas without brown spots for the best flavor and texture, ensuring they are firm but not hard.
- Chilling Technique: Allow minimum 4 hours refrigeration to develop deep, rich flavors and achieve a perfect creamy consistency that allows cookies to soften naturally.
- Mixing Precision: Blend cream cheese and condensed milk thoroughly to prevent lumpy texture, using room temperature ingredients for smoother integration.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare this dessert one day in advance for maximum flavor development and easier serving, as the pudding tastes even better after overnight chilling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg