Banana Pudding Cheesecake

A southern favorite gets a bit more indulgent in this creamy banana pudding cheesecake, complete with a vanilla wafer crust.

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Evidently I am on a banana pudding kick as I shared a recipe for banana pudding cookies a couple weeks ago and now here we are again with a banana pudding cheesecake.

Although to be fair, I am very rarely not in the mood for banana pudding in any form, from classic banana pudding pie, to the more unique banana pudding dessert lasagna, or obviously this banana pudding cheesecake!

It’s always impressive how much flavor bananas pack. This recipe only uses two medium bananas (1 cup mashed), but those that ate it were surprised it wasn’t more. They key is making sure you use nice, ripe bananas!

Technically this recipe doesn’t have any actual pudding in it, but it certainly taste like banana pudding in cheesecake form. It has a majority of the components, with a vanilla wafer crust, creamy banana cream cheese filling, and whipped cream, banana slices, and more vanilla wafers on top.

For topping mine, I went the extra mile and piped stabilized whipped cream on top (more on that below), before topping with more vanilla wafers and banana slices, but you can dress it up however you like. I also added some Milk Bar-inspired vanilla wafer crumbs in the center, on top of a thinner layer of the aforementioned whipped cream because I am extra.

I didn’t include a recipe for that topping because I wasn’t sure who would actually make it. Maybe one day I will when I post an actual banana pudding recipe. But I digress, for now you can crush up the vanilla wafers for the same look.

Making this banana pudding cheesecake ahead of time?

Cheesecake is already a great, albeit necessarily so, make-ahead dessert. But the toppings on this cheesecake are best left until right before serving. However, here are my tips if you want to top it ahead of time.

• Toss the banana slices in lemon juice to slow browning.
• Add 1 oz cream cheese per 1 cup of heavy cream to make stabilized whipped cream.
• Vanilla wafers are actually supposed to be soft in banana pudding so no tricks are needed. But if you prefer them to be crunchy, wait to add until right before serving.

BANANA PUDDING CHEESECAKE

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Yield: 12-16 Servings Prep Time: 4 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1-1/4 cup ground vanilla wafers
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

• 3 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• Whipped cream*, vanilla wafers, banana slices, for topping

Directions

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl combine vanilla wafer crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
3. Make the filling: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, brown sugar, mashed bananas, and flour on low speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla and mix on low until combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing slowly until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
4. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, crack open the door and allow to cool slowly for another 30 minutes. Remove from own and let sit on counter for 15 minutes before refrigerating until cool, at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Remove the spring form, slice and serve topped with whipped cream and additional vanilla wafers and banana slices.

Notes

*If topping ahead of time, toss banana slices in lemon juice to slow browning, and add 1 oz cream cheese per 1 cup of heavy cream to give your whipped cream more stability long term. If you don't mind soft vanilla wafers (which is how they should be for banana pudding), go ahead and top those ahead of time. If you prefer them to be crunchy, add right before serving.

Source: Adapted from my Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake.