This isn't the most penny-pinched dessert with the sales ads this week, but after making Paula Deen's crazy good Banana Pudding this weekend and scraping out ever last bite from the bottom of the pan yesterday, I couldn't wait to share it with you! Hopefully you have a few of the items in your pantry (or if you're like me you can pick up the store brand version of all of these items ~ I used Publix brand cream cheese, cool whip & vanilla wafers and it tasted simply amazing!)
The one change that I did make to the original recipe was on the vanilla wafers. Apparently Paula Deen is not the penny-pincher that I am, as the recipe calls for Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies. When I saw the price of those cookies (a whopping $3.79 for each bag!), I decided Paula might just be proud that I picked up those store brand cookies instead. 😉 You can bet though that I'll be watching for those Pepperidge Farms Chessman Cookies to go on sale . . yummmmm!
Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding adapted from Paula Deen ~ you really need to go take a peek at her version . . . it just looks amazing!
Ingredients
-
12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whip
-
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
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8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
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2 cup milk
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5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding I could only find plain old vanilla and that worked just fine!
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6-8 bananas, sliced
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2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies or vanilla wafers
Directions
- 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 seperate 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 cookes & bananas, and then cover with another layer of cookies.
- Put in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Update: I've now made these with Chessman Cookies. Glorious.
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I have made this several times..and people just love it!!!
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.
this sounds so yummy, i love nana pudding!!!
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 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! 🙂
YUMMMY! This sounds really good. I think I will have to try this recipe.
My mom has been making it this way for years 🙂
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! 🙂
I am unable to find the cookies in this small town, I will have to try with Vanilla wafers.
The Chessman cookies are on sale for $2.68 at Walmart.
Love that – thanks for sharing Rakisha! 🙂
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!
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! 🙂
GAK, COOL-WHIP!!! ICK!!!
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 ….
Good ,but way too sweet
I love sweet Alisha, so that’s probably why I like it so much!
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 🙂
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.
No it’s not my mom’s or grannys banana pudding cause they made their pudding from scratch not a box
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!
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.
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! 🙂
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?
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.
I make this incredible pudding as directed and add a can of crushed pineapple also.So delicious!!!❤
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’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.