Banana Pudding Cheesecake

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Banana Pudding Cheesecake

This cheesecake is a flavor-packed dream! Think layers of crushed vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, velvety pudding, creamy whipped cream cheese, and a generous topping of cool whip. I’ve whipped this up twice this month, and both times, people were clamoring for more. Perfect for the Fourth of July – it’s a showstopper!

Crust Layer:

  • 1 box vanilla wafers, crushed (reserve 1/8 cup for topping)
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Layer:

  • 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pudding Layer:

  • 1 box (3.4 oz) Banana Cream or Vanilla Instant Pudding mix
  • 1 cup cold milk + 2-3 tbsp

Banana Layer:

  • 4 bananas, sliced

Topping Layer:

  • 8 oz. Cool Whip, defrosted
  • 1/8 cup reserved crushed vanilla wafers from the crust layer
  • Optional: Whipped cream for decoration

Instructions:

  1. Slice 4 small bananas and set them aside. Defrost Cool Whip to room temp if it’s in the freezer.
  2. Crush vanilla wafers in a blender. Set aside 1/8 cup of crushed wafers. Mix the remaining crushed wafers with melted butter to form a thick, buttery crust. Press the crust down on the bottom of a lightly greased 9” springform pan. Put it in the fridge.
  3. While the crust chills, beat the cream cheese using a hand-held or stand mixer until soft. Add sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, beating until smooth. Set aside.
  4. Make the pudding mix, deviating from the box instructions. Combine pudding mix and 1 cup of cold milk. Add an additional 2-3 tbsp of cold milk as needed. The pudding should be thicker but smooth.
  5. Retrieve the crust from the fridge and layer the cream cheese mixture on top. Spread with a spatula. Add the pudding layer and smooth it out. Place the sliced bananas on top. Finish with a layer of Cool Whip. Sprinkle the remaining crushed vanilla wafers on top.
  6. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours. We usually take it out around 2.5 hours.
  7. Remove from the fridge and get creative with whipped cream decorations. Enjoy!

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