Banana Pudding Cheesecake has a Vanilla Wafer crust and a creamy banana filling flavored with fresh bananas and brown sugar. Makes a showstopper dessert.
This creamy dessert flavored with fresh banana is a combination of two of my favorite desserts- cheesecake and banana pudding. I’m a huge fan of banana pudding anything and everything. In the past I’ve made Banana Pudding Pancakes, Banana Pudding Bars, Banana Pudding Cupcakes, Banana Pudding Cake, Twinkie Banana Pudding and Banana Pudding Ice Cream.
Banana Pudding Cheesecake starts off with a vanilla wafer crust – because it’s not banana pudding without nilla wafers 🙂 . Just to make sure there’s enough Nilla Wafer goodness a ring of whole vanilla wafers is placed along the circumference of the springform pan. If you wanted even more vanilla wafers in your Banana Pudding Cheesecake, you could also do a layer of them in the middle of the filling.
Tips for making Banana Pudding Cheesecake:
The original recipe, which came from Southern Living, called for baking the crust before the filling is added, but I skipped this step and it turned out fine. No need to do extra work :). Plus I find crusts made out of vanilla wafers can get a little hard to cut through if they are precooked.
It’s best to use ripe, but not overripe bananas for this cheesecake.
The filling is creamy and rich with just the right amount of banana flavor. Top the cheesecake off with whipped cream and vanilla wafers and you have a showstopper southern dessert that would be perfect to serve for Easter.
Try These Other Banana Pudding Recipes:
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Watch the short video below to see how easy it is to make this cheesecake.
Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup butter , melted
- 17 vanilla wafers
- 2 ripe bananas, diced
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese , softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- whipped cream and vanilla wafers for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, stir together crushed vanilla wafers, chopped pecans, and melted butter. Press into bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan.
- Stand 17 vanilla wafers around edge of pan with rounded sides facing outward. Press them gently into the crust.
- In a small saucepan, combine bananas (both diced and mashed) and lemon juice. Stir in brown sugar, using 2 tablespoons if your bananas are super ripe and 3 tablespoons if they are medium ripe. Cook over medium heat until brown sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Gradually add granulated sugar.
- Add eggs, one at a time and stopping to scrape down sides of bowl after each addition. Do not over beat. Only beat until most of yellow disappears before adding next egg.
- Beat in vanilla extract.
- Stir banana mixture in until evenly mixed. Pour batter into springform pan on top of crust.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until center is almost set. Jiggle the pan to check.
- Turn oven off, open door about 6 inches and leave cheesecake in oven to cool for about 1 hour.
- Remove cheesecake to counter to cool for another 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.
- Garnish with whipped cream and vanilla wafers.
Notes
Nutrition
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Recipe Source: adapted from Southern Living
More Cheesecake Recipes
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Amaretto Cheesecake
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You made this for me didn’t you?!
I adore banana pudding and I adore cheese cake (of course I gotta have the lactose free versions) but put them together and ooh lala!
OMG!!!! Such a great idea!!! These are two of my favorite desserts too! There is just something about vanilla wafers that I Love! And your photos are exceptional, Christin! But they always are 🙂
Oh my gosh, Christin, this looks SOOO good! I love both desserts, so the combo is amazing!! I agree with Kay, this would be perfect for Easter!
I love banana desserts but have never had it as cheesecake. I need to make this! Pinning.
I had a banana cream pie cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory once and it was amazing. Yours looks even better — so creamy and extra full of banana flavor! Pinned.
Unbelievable. My mind is blown. I had down this year to make a banana pudding cheesecake but I’m done and just want this one!
i Love pudding.. So creamy and delicious! Give Me this one 😀
You are the cheesecake queen without a doubt, Christin! This latest beauty is nothing short of gorgeous! Banana pudding is one of my hugest weaknesses so I’m all over this gorgeous cheesecake! Stunning photos, girl! Pinned. 🙂
Christin, this cheesecake looks amazing! Now, I’m hungry for it, and I just ate dinner! No matter – I will make room for it! 🙂
Dear Christin, What a scrumptious cheesecake…I wish I had a slice of this right now. It looks wonderful. xo, Catherine
This is the best cheesecake I’ve ever seen. If I wasn’t so bad at cheesecake, I would make it right now.
This cheesecake looks gorgeous, Christin! Banana is my favorite flavor and I love the pudding texture! Pinned!
This cheesecake looks gorgeous, Christin! I love banana desserts so this sounds like the ultimate treat!
Banana pudding + cheesecake is a match made in heaven. 🙂 I love both of them, so this would be a double treat for me!
#drool
Yummy. . It looks so creamy 😀 I’m in love with this pudding cheesecake..
This cheesecake looks incredible! LOVE that soft, luscious banana center! Pinned 🙂
Wow this is so perfect!!! I love cheese cake and banana pudding as well. So, this recipe is calling my name 😉
WOW!! This looks amazing!! What a lovely recipe! I sure do love dessert! This looks so creamy and delicious! …I could go for a slice myself! 🙂
I am a huge fan of banana anything too 🙂 Baking the crust and filling together is genius! A gorgeous showstopper for an Easter meal in my book too!