I didn’t set out to create a cookie that could steal the spotlight from a whole banana pudding.
But one quiet afternoon, standing in my kitchen with two ripe bananas, a crumbled box of Nilla wafers, and an aching sweet tooth, it just… happened.
I started thinking about all the banana pudding cookies recipes floating around the internet, and how most of them looked great, but somehow felt a little too polished. Too perfect. Too… not me.
I wasn’t looking for a cookie that belonged in a fancy bakery window. I wanted the kind of cookie you make barefoot in your kitchen, music playing low, licking the spoon because no one’s around to stop you.
That’s where these banana pudding cookies come alive, soft, a little messy, packed with real banana flavor, sweet vanilla, melty white chocolate, and enough nostalgia to make you want to call your grandma just to say hi.
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They’re ridiculously easy to whip up, insanely satisfying to eat, and the kind of recipe you’ll want to keep tucked in your back pocket forever.
And hey, if you’re still craving more of that banana pudding magic after these cookies? I’ve got you covered with a banana pudding cupcakes recipe that’ll make you feel like you’ve just bitten into a cloud.
How to Make These Irresistible Banana Pudding Cookie
1. Mix Your Dry Ingredients
Take a moderately sized bowl and mix the flour, baking soda, and salt thoroughly.
Give them a quick whisk to make sure they’re all blended together nicely. This will help your cookies have that perfect texture. Put the bowl aside and shift your focus to the wet ingredients.
2. Beat Your Butter and Sugars to Perfection
In a large mixing bowl, take your melted butter and beat it together with the white sugar and brown sugar.
Using a hand mixer, whip the ingredients for about 2 minutes until the texture is airy and smooth. This is the heart of your cookies, creating a soft, airy bite that dissolves with every taste.
3. Add the Bananas, Vanilla, and Egg Yolk
Now comes the fun part, the bananas! Mash up the ripe bananas until they’re smooth and add them to the butter-sugar mixture.
Stir in the vanilla extract and a room-temp egg yolk to enhance the texture and flavor. Stir everything on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
4. Fold in the Dry Ingredients
Slowly fold the dry components into the wet batter, blending with care. Go ahead and mix on low speed to avoid flour clouds everywhere.
Blend the ingredients lightly, stopping as soon as the flour vanishes into the dough to prevent overmixing. You want this dough to be soft but not too runny.
5. Add the Nilla Wafers and White Chocolate Chips
Time to bring in the magic ingredients: the Nilla wafer crumbs (don’t worry if you have some big pieces and some small ones, the texture is what counts) and white chocolate chips.
Stir them in gently, these will give the cookies that signature flavor and texture that make you want to reach for more.
6. Let the Dough Rest
Here’s a trick you’ll love: Let your cookie dough rest for 15 minutes. While it’s resting, the gluten in the flour will settle, which means your cookies will be softer and chewier.
It’s like giving the dough a little time to chill out and get ready for the oven. Meanwhile, set your oven to 350°F and line a pair of cookie trays with parchment paper.
7. Scoop, Scoop, Scoop, Then Bake!
Once the dough is ready, it’s time to scoop it! Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop and drop 6 cookie dough balls per sheet. You want them spaced out, so they have room to spread as they bake.
Pop them into the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just lightly golden but the centers are still soft and chewy. Let the cookies sit undisturbed on the hot pan for 5 minutes after baking, then shift them to a cooling rack to cool down fully.
9. Make the Whipped Cream Vanilla Pudding
While the cookies are cooling, it’s time to make that dreamy whipped cream vanilla pudding.
Combine the vanilla pudding powder, milk, and vanilla essence in a medium-sized bowl, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Beat it all together on high for about 2 minutes until it’s thick and smooth.
Then, place a metal bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for about 10 minutes, this step makes the whipped cream extra fluffy.
Once chilled, add the heavy cream to the cold bowl and beat it on high until stiff peaks form.
Using a rubber spatula, gently incorporate the whipped cream into the pudding mix with soft, sweeping motions. Be kind here, we want a light, fluffy texture.
10. Assemble the Cookies
Okay, now comes the fun part, assembling these beauties. Grab your cooled cookies and, using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, add a generous dollop of that creamy vanilla pudding mixture on top of each cookie.
Spread it out gently, then top it with a Nilla wafer for that perfect banana pudding touch.
3 Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the Banana Mash Party
It might be tempting to leave a few banana chunks for a “rustic” look, but trust me, smooth and well-mashed bananas blend way better into the dough.
Big banana chunks can mess with the cookie texture and even cause sogginess. T
Overbaking Because They Look “Too Soft”
Here’s the truth: when these cookies come out of the oven, they will look soft, and that’s exactly what you want! If you wait until they look fully set in the oven, you’ll end up with dry cookies.
Pull them out when the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underdone.
Overmixing the Dough
Once you add the dry ingredients, it’s game over for endless mixing. Stir until everything just comes together.
Overmixing can make your cookies tough instead of tender, and nobody’s here for tough cookies!
How to Store Banana Pudding Cookies
Here’s the best way to keep them fresh and fabulous:
Store in a Single Layer
Store the cookies in one even layer inside an airtight container to preserve their freshness. Stacking them will smush the frosting, and trust me, they deserve better.
Refrigerate for Freshness
Keep them in the fridge, tightly covered. They’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days. The cool temperature helps the frosting stay fluffy and keeps the cookies perfectly soft.
Chill Before Serving
These cookies taste amazing slightly chilled, the flavors get even richer after a little fridge time. Pop them out for a few minutes before serving if you prefer a softer bite.
Freezing? Best Without Frosting
If prepping in advance, store the baked (but unfrosted) cookies in a zip-top bag and freeze them for as long as two months. Add the frosting fresh after thawing for the best texture.
Quick & Easy Banana Pudding Cookies You’ll Love!
Ingredients
For the Banana Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup Nilla Wafer crumbs small to medium-sized pieces
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
For the Whipped Vanilla Pudding Topping:
- ½ package vanilla instant pudding mix
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then set it aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together for about two minutes until the mixture looks light and creamy.
- Mash the ripe bananas until smooth, then add them into the butter mixture along with the vanilla extract and egg yolk. Mix on medium speed until everything is fully combined and the batter smells sweet and banana-rich.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears.
- Be careful not to overmix. Gently stir in the Nilla wafer crumbs and white chocolate chips, a few bigger pieces in the crumbs are totally fine for extra texture.
- Rest the dough at room temperature for 15 minutes to help it firm. During this time, set your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookie dough using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop and place six dough balls on each baking sheet, making sure to leave space between them.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look soft.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for five minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool down fully.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the whipped cream vanilla pudding topping. Combine the pudding mix, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl, beating until the mixture reaches a thick texture.
- Chill a metal bowl and whisk, then whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture, being careful not to deflate it.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, spoon a generous dollop of the whipped pudding mixture onto each one.
- Spread it out gently and top each frosted cookie with a Nilla wafer for the perfect finishing touch.
Notes
- One mistake people often make is overmixing the dough. Keep it gentle when mixing in the flour to avoid tough cookies.
- Try using super-ripe bananas for extra flavor.
- Every oven is different, so check your cookies at the 9-minute mark to avoid overbaking.
