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If you’ve never made this delicious Paula Deen Banana Pudding Recipe before you have GOT to try this out. It’s not your mama’s banana pudding!
Paula Deen Banana Pudding Recipe – “Not Your Mama’s” Recipe
One of our FAVORITE recipes at our home is this CRAZY good Paula Deen Banana Pudding recipe.
Hopefully you have a few of the items in your pantry, but if not, they’re fairly inexpensive items. I grabbed the store brand version of all of these items ~ Publix brand cream cheese, cool whip & vanilla wafers ~ and it tasted simply amazing!
A change that I usually make to the original recipe is to use vanilla wafers instead of Chessman cookies. Apparently Paula Deen is not the penny-pincher that I am, as Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies are a weeeee bit on the pricey side.
I decided Paula might just be proud that I picked up those store brand cookies instead. 😉
However, a few weeks ago when I made this Paula Deen Banana Pudding recipe, I decided to go all out and bought the Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies….
Oh. my. word.
Wow – SO yummy!
Now, my hubby loves his traditional vanilla wafers better (he likes that they get a little soggy underneath the pudding.) But I’m telling you what, those buttery little Chessmen were just fine by me, and I liked that they didn’t turn soggy so soon.
Here’s how to make banana pudding:
Gather up your ingredients and then line the bottom of your baking dish with your cookies. Next, layer with your bananas sliced as thin as you’d like them.
You’ll then get your milk and pudding mix (make sure it’s French vanilla or vanilla instant pudding) and blend with a mixer, and then in a separate bowl, combine your cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Make sure you mix both until smooth.
Next gently add in the whipped cream to your cream cheese mixture, then mix the cream cheese mixture with the pudding mixture until well combined. You could also create your own whipped cream using heavy cream, but I love the convenience of using a store bought brand.
Pour the mixture over your cookies and bananas, and then cover with another layer of cookies.
If you’re not eating it right away, place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Paula Deen Banana Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 12- ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed or equal amount sweetened whip
- 14- ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 8- ounce package cream cheese softened
- 2 cup milk
- 5- ounce box instant French vanilla pudding I could only find plain old vanilla and that worked just fine!
- 6-8 bananas sliced
- 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies or vanilla wafers
Instructions
- Put a bag of cookies (or vanilla wafers) on the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch dish, then slice bananas and layer on top.
- Combine milk & pudding mix, and blend well using a mixer.
- In separate bowl, combine cream cheese & condensed milk and mix until smooth.
- Gently add in whipped topping to cream cheese mixture.
- Mix cream cheese mixture with pudding mixture and stir until well blended.
- Pour mixture over the cookies & bananas, and then cover with another layer of cookies.
- Put in refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!
This recipe is GREAT because not only is it DELICIOUS, but you can make this up at least a day in advance if needed.
If you need a little more menu inspiration, check out all of our family friendly recipes.
And, if you love banana recipes like me, be sure to try out this Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I’m thinking it will be my next big treat to make as it’s been awhile since we’ve had it. Yum!
You can find out why Paula calls this Not Yo Mama’s Banana Pudding over HERE (I loved watching the video this morning) and you can even follow right along with her as she makes it. This recipe is fantastic, such a crowd pleaser, and absolutely a must try recipe for any banana pudding lover you know!
This is one of my favorite ‘go to’ desserts! My modifications: I use both Nilla Wafers AND Chessman Cookies – the wafer goes on the bottom, and the Chessman is on the top. I also make them into individual cups. I use cupcake liners, put one wafer on the bottom, layer the bananas then pudding mixture, and then place a Chessman cookie on top! It’s easier to serve this way.
I love that idea, Kimi! Thanks so much for sharing it. 🙂
First time making this banana pudding my daughter took some to her work and all her coworkers raved about it and keeps begging for me to make more. The recipe is great and makes a lot so I just made more for daughters coworkers and a separate container for me. Everyone loves this! Thanks for sharing
So glad it’s a hit! 🙂
My friend’s son is leaving for college next week & all he ask is that I make Paula’s banana pudding w chessman cookies! So I look forward to making it for him! He says it’s even better than his grandmother’s banana pudding! Which to me that’s all the thanks I need!
Made this today for Easter dessert!! Cant wait to try. Followed recipe to the T 🙂
YUM Kathleen! Hope you enjoy!
Mine came out too watery. What can you do to thicken it up?
Or save it?
Hmmm Winona – I’ve never had that happen? I have no idea (did you double check the size of the pudding mix maybe?) That’s the only thing I can think of!
I’m with Gay, Sad this recipe uses instant pudding. I know I can make my own but you would think Paula would go from scratch. It taste so much better. I am going with the Nabisco original pudding recipe. It said homemade. I guess some call instant pudding homemade. Not in this house. Anyway I will adapt it.
Amen!
She also has a recipe for home style banana pudding- these are two different desserts. I make home style often but occasionally I make this one and it is also delicious- even with boxed pudding. Believe me, Paula Dean knows how to make a banana pudding.
Can’t believe you used instant vanilla pudding. What makes banana pudding so good is the flavors released when the HOT vanilla pudding (with real vanilla extract) melds with the fresh banana slices and Nilla Wafers!!!
I make this incredible pudding as directed and add a can of crushed pineapple also.So delicious!!!❤
I made this recipe last night for the first time and it came out great.I added a little twist by layering the chessman cookies on the bottom then the bananas and a layer of nilla wafers before doing the whipped layer.
Can you use the cooked pudding instead of instant pudding?
I think you could Elaina, but not sure how much milk you’d have to use with it?
The recipe for the banana pudding that you cook is on the side of vanilla wafer box. It is topped with with meringue and is the “real deal”.
Do you heat the pudding to boiling?
Hi Debbie! You won’t need to heat the pudding at all since it’s instant pudding. Hope that helps! 🙂
If I made this the day before, will it get too soggy when served the next day?
Hi Diana, that’s really the whole objective…..well not to be soggy but for the cookies to soften. It tastes much better when the cookies have softened.
I made this recipe today and I found I only needed 3 bananas and maybe a half box of van wafers. Did I make it right or are we supposed to layer the cookies, bananas, and pudding mixture?
Hi Dawn! When I make it I do one layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom and one layer on the top if that helps? Then I just add the bananas in on top of the first layer of cookies. Hope that makes sense!
No it’s not my mom’s or grannys banana pudding cause they made their pudding from scratch not a box
This is my 1st time using this recipe i’m use to using Vanilla wafers so i’m interested in finding out if this will be a hit with my family or not
Hi Nay. I usually use the Nilla wafers but i tried the chessman and my family didnt like it as much. Some people love it with the chessman but I prefer the wafers.
I have made this for years with the chessman cookies and its out of this world, you need to also try her hot chocolate made with condensed milk 🙂
Good ,but way too sweet
I love sweet Alisha, so that’s probably why I like it so much!
My friend with CP loves Paula's banana pudding. Tom made a change to chocolate pudding mix adding a pinch of salt. In a glass bowel he layered the pudding mixture with red velvet muffin pieces soaked with a cherry brandy. Guests love the change ….
GAK, COOL-WHIP!!! ICK!!!
I can only find 8 oz or 16 oz cool whip & I use banana flavor pudding and we scrape the pan too!!! Wal Mart has cookies for $2.78 package here still not cheap & I've made it without bananas once loved it that way as well!
Thanks for sharing Diana – glad I’m not the only one who licks the pan! 🙂
Honestly, with the chessman cookies I found it intolerably sweet.
Good to know Elizabeth – not sure I’ve ever found anything intolerably sweet (I love sweet stuff!), but I can see how that would make a difference 🙂 Definitely makes me feel better about using penny pinched vanilla wafers!
Love that – thanks for sharing Rakisha! 🙂
The Chessman cookies are on sale for $2.68 at Walmart.
I am unable to find the cookies in this small town, I will have to try with Vanilla wafers.
If you have a Pepperidge Farm outlet store nearby, you might be able to get the Chessman’s cookies for a decent price.
That’s a great idea Raksha ~ thanks for the tip! 🙂
My mom has been making it this way for years 🙂
YUMMMY! This sounds really good. I think I will have to try this recipe.
This looks great! Sadly, I don’t think either of those coupons will work though. The Yellow Advantage Buy coupon is for PF Soft Baked or Chunk cookies. And I believe the PF Bakery item is for their bread or rolls, if I’m not mistaken??
You may be right – I didn’t look closely at them. Thanks Melanie… guess I’ll stick to my cheap Nilla wafers! 🙂
Every time I make this EVERYONE requests the recipe. When Pepperidge Farm chessman cookies go on sale I buy a lot and freeze. I do the same with cool whip and also when pudding goes on sale I buy several french vanilla. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe.
this sounds so yummy, i love nana pudding!!!
Yum… I’ve made this before but it’s been over a year. I think I need to make this again soon! I’ll go with the nilla wafers too.
I have made this several times..and people just love it!!!