Banana Pudding Cheesecake Recipe
Treat yourself to the ultimate dessert fusion of creamy banana pudding cheesecake. Decadent cream cheese, banana cream pudding, and fresh banana slices smother a buttery wafer crust. Every bite is pure heaven.
Have you experienced a dessert dilemma? So many desserts and so little time. If only I could have them all at once! My sweet tooth sometimes wants to take over.
Then I met this banana pudding cheesecake for a fusion of three of my favorite desserts. Cheesecake blends seamlessly with banana cream pudding and fresh fruit for an incredible dessert experience. So get ready to experience the ultimate marriage of two classic comfort foods.
Banana Pudding and Cheesecake Are Heaven Together
So, cheesecake is the decadence of cream cheese filling in a graham cracker crust. Add the soul food classic, banana pudding, and you won’t be able to put your fork down. Add whipped cream on top for pure comfort.
Blow your family’s mind at your next family gathering and see for yourself. Cream cheese, banana cream pudding (store-bought to save time), and a vanilla wafer crust, all topped with whipped cream. I can hardly wait to dig in.
How to Make Banana Pudding Cheesecake
The Crust
- Crush the vanilla wafers. Mix them and the sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the butter moistens the crushed wafers. (Photos 1-3)
- Transfer the vanilla wafer mixture to the prepared springform pan and press it down to form a nice, smooth, even layer. Bake it, then set it aside to cool. (Photo 4)
The Cheesecake
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar on low-medium. Mix in the eggs. (Photos 5-6)
- Add flour and dry instant banana pudding. Stir in the mashed banana and mix to combine, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and zest. Pour the batter into the crust. (Photos 7-10)
- Bake, cool, and refrigerate.
- Whip the cream, and decorate the chilled cheesecake. (Photos 11-14)
Recipe Tips and Twists
- Enjoy a bite-sized version by dividing the mixture into a lined cupcake pan. Or layer it in a rectangular baking dish for that great banana flavor in a cheesecake bar.
- Add coconut flakes and pineapple slices to incorporate more texture and a tropical twist to this cake.
- You can’t go wrong with caramel or chocolate sauce for added sweetness and flavor. A thin peanut butter layer is also a great idea.
- To prevent bananas from browning, mash or slice them right before adding them to the cheesecake. You could also drizzle them with some lemon juice.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
This banana pudding cheesecake recipe is great for making ahead. In fact, you need to bake it a day ahead because it needs 6-8 hours in the fridge to set. Then you can prepare the toppings and decorations on the day of serving. That way, you’ll save time for prepping other dishes.
Keep leftover cheesecake (if you have leftovers) in an airtight container, or wrap it in a cling wrap. It will last in the fridge for 4-5 days or 3 months in the freezer. Frozen banana pudding cheesecake is a lot like an ice cream cake. Yum!
What to Serve With Banana Pudding Cheesecake
This incredible dessert deserves a great cup of coffee (a pumpkin spice latte is a good choice). Chai tea latte or ginger tea are both excellent coffee-free options.
More Decadent Cheesecake Recipes to Try
Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Ingredients
Vanilla Wafer Crust
- 1½ cups (120g) finely crushed vanilla wafers
- ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons (23g) all-purpose flour
- 1 3.4-ounce box instant banana cream pudding mix (dry; don't follow the recipe on the box)
- 1 cup (225g) mashed bananas, very ripe (2-3 bananas)
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (2g) lemon zest
The Toppings
- 2 cups (475ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 8-12 whole vanilla wafers
- 1 medium banana, sliced (firm, not overripe)
Instructions
Vanilla Wafer Crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides using baking spray.
- Crush the vanilla wafers in a food processor or blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. You can also place them in a sealed ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Combine the crushed vanilla wafer crumbs and granulated sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Add the melted butter and mix until all of the crumbs are moistened.
- Transfer the mixture to the bottom of the prepared springform pan and press it down to form a nice, smooth, even layer.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- Once the crust has cooled completely, cover the outsides of the baking pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set the prepared pan aside.
Cheesecake Filling
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on low-medium speed until smooth, 2-4 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition.
- Next, add flour and dry instant banana pudding. Continue to mix on low until well combined. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
- Add the mashed banana, and mix to combine. Finally, add vanilla extract, lemon juice, and zest. Mix on low until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be a little lumpy because of the mashed bananas.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust.
- Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough hot water to go about halfway up the sides of the aluminum foil. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil.
- Bake for 90 minutes (maybe longer, depending on your oven) or until the center is set but still jiggly.
- Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
- Crack the oven door open for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to cool slowly.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath, wrap it, and refrigerate until cool and firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.
The Toppings
- When the cheesecake has chilled and is ready to serve, remove it from the springform pan and place it on a serving plate.
- To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Place a layer of sliced bananas on top of the cheesecake, then pipe a layer of whipped cream swirls on top.
- Finish off the cheesecake with a few more banana slices and vanilla wafers. The fresh banana slices are best when added just before serving.
Tips & Notes:
- Don’t skip the water bath. It prevents the cheesecake from cracking and distributes the heat for even cooking.
- If, despite your best efforts, the cheesecake cracks, cover the cracks with whipped cream.
- Don’t overbeat the cheesecake mixture to avoid putting more air into the batter than desired.
- Bring the eggs and cream cheese to room temperature for easier mixing and baking.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
