This Southern cream cheese banana pudding layers homemade vanilla custard, fresh bananas, whipped cream and buttery shortbread cookies into a rich chilled dessert.
Calories
470kcal
Protein
8g
Carbs
59g
Fat
24g
Have a 23 x 33 cm or 9 x 13-inch serving dish ready. Reserve approximately 50 g of the cookies for crushing over the finished pudding.
Place the egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt and 150 ml of the whole milk in a large heatproof bowl. Whisk until completely smooth and no dry cornstarch remains.
Pour the remaining 500 ml milk into a medium heavy-based saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming and small bubbles appear around the edge. Do not allow it to boil vigorously.
While whisking continuously, slowly pour approximately one-third of the hot milk into the egg-yolk mixture. Add the remaining hot milk gradually and continue whisking until combined.
Return the complete mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat while whisking continuously across the base and corners. Once it begins bubbling, continue cooking for approximately 1 minute until thick and smooth.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the butter and vanilla bean paste until the butter has melted and the pudding looks glossy.
Transfer the pudding to a shallow bowl. Press food-safe wrap directly against its surface to prevent a skin. Cool for approximately 20 minutes, then refrigerate for 45–60 minutes until cold.
Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 1–2 minutes until smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk gradually and continue beating until no cream cheese lumps remain.
Whisk the chilled vanilla pudding briefly to loosen it. Add it to the cream cheese mixture in three portions, beating on low speed after each addition until smooth and evenly combined.
In a clean chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until medium peaks form. The cream should hold its shape while remaining smooth rather than stiff or grainy.
Reserve approximately one-third of the whipped cream for the topping. Fold the remaining whipped cream gently into the cream cheese pudding in three additions until no large white streaks remain.
Arrange approximately half of the unreserved cookies across the bottom of the serving dish. Slice half of the bananas and arrange them evenly over the cookies. Spread half of the pudding filling over the bananas.
Add the remaining whole cookies, followed by the remaining freshly sliced bananas and the rest of the pudding filling. Spread the reserved whipped cream evenly over the surface.
Crush the reserved cookies into coarse crumbs and scatter them over the whipped cream. Keep a few larger pieces for a more attractive finish.
Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. This allows the pudding to set and the cookies to soften into a cake-like texture.
Remove the pudding from the refrigerator immediately before serving. Spoon or slice it into portions, ensuring that each serving contains cookies, bananas and creamy filling.
This Southern cream cheese banana pudding recipe combines homemade vanilla custard, fresh bananas, tangy cream cheese, whipped cream and buttery shortbread cookies. The result is a rich chilled dessert with a light, creamy filling and soft cake-like cookie layers.
This is an independently formulated LaGrub recipe. It is not affiliated with, approved by or presented as the recipe of any celebrity chef, restaurant or packaged-food brand.
The vanilla pudding is cooked from scratch with whole milk and egg yolks, producing a fuller flavour than a filling made entirely from instant pudding mix. Cornstarch gives it enough structure to hold clean layers after chilling.
Cream cheese adds gentle tang and richness, while a controlled amount of sweetened condensed milk provides a smooth dairy sweetness. Freshly whipped cream lightens the custard so the finished dessert remains creamy rather than excessively dense.
The bananas are sliced immediately before assembling each layer. Butter shortbread cookies gradually absorb moisture from the pudding and become tender without disappearing completely.
The best bananas are fully yellow with a few small brown speckles. At this stage they have developed sweetness and banana aroma but remain firm enough to hold their shape.
Green-tinted bananas can taste starchy and may remain firm after chilling. Very dark, soft bananas are excellent for banana bread but can release excess moisture into a layered pudding.
Purchase bananas a few days before making the dessert when necessary. Store them at room temperature until they reach the preferred ripeness.
Homemade pudding allows greater control over sweetness, thickness and vanilla flavour. Egg yolks provide richness, while cornstarch creates dependable structure without requiring an excessive number of eggs.
The pudding should become thick enough to leave visible whisk marks. Once it begins bubbling, cooking it for approximately one additional minute removes the raw starch flavour and activates the thickener fully.
Do not walk away from the saucepan. Milk and egg mixtures can catch around the base and corners unless they are stirred continuously.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch with cold milk until completely smooth before adding heat. Temper the mixture gradually by pouring in the hot milk while whisking.
After returning the mixture to the saucepan, keep the heat at medium-low and whisk across the complete base. If a few small lumps appear, pass the hot pudding through a fine sieve before adding the butter and vanilla.
Cream cheese gives the filling a mild cheesecake-like character and helps it remain stable after chilling. Its slight acidity balances the condensed milk and ripe bananas.
Use full-fat block cream cheese rather than a soft spread sold in a tub. Tub-style products often contain more water and can create a looser filling.
Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing. Cold cream cheese is difficult to blend smoothly and may leave small white lumps throughout the pudding.
Butter shortbread cookies produce rich, substantial layers and soften into a tender cake-like texture after several hours. Choose cookies that are crisp rather than soft when the package is opened.
Vanilla wafers are an excellent alternative and create a lighter, more familiar Southern-style pudding. Plain tea biscuits or firm vanilla cookies can also work.
Avoid cookies with very thick chocolate coatings or liquid centres because they can interfere with the texture of the pudding.
Slice the bananas immediately before adding each layer and cover them completely with pudding. Limiting air exposure is more helpful than preparing all the slices far in advance.
Lemon juice can slow surface browning but may introduce a noticeable sour flavour. This recipe instead relies on timely slicing and complete coverage with filling.
A little colour change after storage is natural and does not automatically mean that the dessert has spoiled.
Chill the assembled pudding for at least six hours. This gives the custard time to set and allows the cookies to absorb enough moisture to become tender.
An overnight rest generally produces the most cohesive layers. Pudding served after only one or two hours may taste good but will have firmer cookies and a looser filling.
Warm pudding can soften the cream cheese and deflate the whipped cream. Cool it completely before combining the components.
Cold cream cheese does not blend easily and can produce stubborn lumps. Soften it properly before beating.
Whipped cream that has become grainy is difficult to fold into custard. Stop at medium peaks while the texture remains smooth.
Very soft bananas can collapse and release moisture. Choose sweet but firm fruit.
Exposed slices darken while the remaining filling is prepared. Slice them during assembly instead.
The dessert needs time to set and soften the cookies. Serving it too early creates loose pudding and hard cookie layers.
This pudding contains milk, eggs, cream and cream cheese and should remain refrigerated except during serving.
Replace the butter shortbread with the same weight of crisp vanilla wafers. The dessert will have a lighter cookie flavour and slightly softer layers.
Sprinkle toasted chopped pecans over each serving or add them to the top shortly before serving. Adding them too early causes them to soften.
Drizzle a small amount of thick salted caramel over the pudding layer. Keep the quantity controlled because condensed milk and ripe bananas already provide considerable sweetness.
Add finely chopped dark chocolate between the layers or scatter chocolate curls over the finished whipped cream.
Assemble the ingredients in transparent cups or jars. Break the cookies into pieces that fit comfortably and chill the portions for at least four to six hours.
Yes. This dessert is particularly suitable for advance preparation because it needs several hours to set.
Prepare it the evening before a party or meal. Keep it covered and refrigerated, then add any crisp pecans, additional cookie crumbs or decorative banana slices shortly before serving.
Do not decorate the top with fresh banana slices several hours in advance because exposed pieces will darken.
Cover the dish tightly or transfer portions to airtight containers and refrigerate promptly. For the best banana colour and cookie texture, use the pudding within approximately three days.
Return the dish to the refrigerator after serving rather than leaving it on a buffet table for an extended period.
Freezing is not recommended when the best texture is important. Bananas can become watery and discoloured, while whipped cream and custard may separate during thawing.
For advance preparation, refrigerate the completed pudding overnight rather than freezing it.
Yes, but it changes the formula and flavour. Prepare instant pudding with slightly less milk than the package normally requires so it remains firm enough for layering.
It can be used after thawing, although the flavour and ingredient profile will differ. Use approximately the same volume as the whipped cream produced in the recipe.
It can work, but the filling may be softer and less rich. Full-fat block cream cheese provides the most stable result.
The custard may not have cooked long enough, it may have been combined while warm, or the whipped cream may have been underwhipped. Chill the assembled dessert fully before judging its final consistency.
A skin forms when the warm surface is exposed to air. Press food-safe wrap directly against the pudding while it cools.
An egg-free pudding can be made with additional cornstarch, but it requires a separately balanced formula and will have a lighter flavour.
No direct substitution is recommended. Evaporated milk is unsweetened and considerably thinner than sweetened condensed milk.
Assembling it the evening before serving gives excellent results. The cookies become progressively softer during longer storage.
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