Description
Creamy southern classic Paula Deen banana pudding combines vanilla wafers, ripe bananas, and silky pudding layers. Rich dessert delights with its nostalgic charm and comforting southern hospitality you’ll savor to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
- 2 bags chessmen cookies
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk
- 1 (12 oz/340 g) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1 (8 oz/227 g) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14 oz/397 g) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (5 oz/142 g) box instant French vanilla pudding mix
Instructions
- Layer Foundation: Construct a uniform base using chessmen cookies across the entire bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, creating a crisp and stable platform.
- Banana Placement: Generously distribute fresh banana slices over the cookie layer, ensuring complete and even coverage for maximum flavor infusion.
- Pudding Preparation: Employ an electric mixer to blend whole milk and instant vanilla pudding mix until achieving a silky, lump-free consistency with a vibrant texture.
- Cream Cheese Fusion: Utilize an electric mixer to combine softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk, whipping until the mixture becomes smooth and velvety.
- Topping Integration: Delicately fold thawed whipped topping into the cream cheese blend, maintaining a light and airy structure while ensuring thorough incorporation.
- Final Mixture: Carefully merge the prepared pudding mixture with the cream cheese blend, creating a harmonious and creamy filling with gentle stirring motions.
- Assembly and Finishing: Pour the combined mixture over the banana and cookie base, spreading evenly with a spatula and topping with remaining chessmen cookies for an elegant presentation.
- Chilling Process: Securely wrap the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, allowing flavors to meld and the dessert to set completely before serving.
Notes
- Precise Cookie Placement: Arrange chessmen cookies in a tight, uniform pattern to create a sturdy, even base that supports the entire dessert structure.
- Banana Ripeness Matters: Select perfectly ripe bananas with minimal brown spots for the best flavor and texture, avoiding overly soft or green fruit.
- Mixing Technique: Use gentle folding motions when combining cream cheese and whipped topping to maintain a light, airy consistency that prevents deflating the mixture.
- Chilling is Crucial: Allow minimum 2-hour refrigeration to let flavors fully develop and ensure the pudding sets into a creamy, cohesive dessert that slices cleanly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 40mg