🍌🍪 Banana Pudding Cookies – Soft, Chewy, and Irresistibly Sweet! 🍪🍌
If you’re a fan of classic banana pudding, you’re in for a real treat! These Banana Pudding Cookies combine everything you love about that Southern dessert—sweet banana flavor, creamy texture, and melt-in-your-mouth goodness—wrapped up in cookie form. The secret ingredient? Instant banana cream pudding mix, which gives these cookies their unmistakable flavor and chewy texture. They’re ideal for potlucks, holidays, or anytime you want to show some sweet love from your kitchen. 🍌❤️
📜 A Little History
Banana pudding is a beloved dessert in the American South, often made with layers of vanilla wafers, banana slices, and creamy pudding. It has been a comfort-food staple for generations, served at family reunions, Sunday dinners, and celebrations. The inspiration to create a cookie version likely came from the rising trend of pudding mix cookies in the 1980s and 90s, when home bakers discovered that instant pudding mix gave cookies a wonderfully soft texture and extra burst of flavor.
🍌 Banana Pudding Cookies Recipe
🧾 Ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 package (3.4 oz) banana cream instant pudding mix (dry mix only)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or vanilla chips
- 1 cup crushed vanilla wafer cookies (like Nilla Wafers)
- Optional: 1 mashed ripe banana (for extra moisture and flavor, but may alter texture)
🥣 Instructions & Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter & sugars:
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy—about 2–3 minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer. - Add pudding mix:
Mix in the banana cream pudding powder (do not prepare it with milk—just use the dry mix). Blend well. - Add eggs & vanilla:
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. If using mashed banana, fold it in here. - Mix dry ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. - Stir in the goodies:
Gently fold in white chocolate chips and crushed vanilla wafers. - Scoop & bake:
Scoop dough (about 1½ tablespoons per cookie) onto the prepared baking sheets. Space them about 2 inches apart. - Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Centers may look slightly soft—that’s perfect!
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
🛠️ Formation & Tips:
- Chill the dough for 20–30 minutes if your kitchen is warm. This prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- Crushed vanilla wafers add texture and an extra punch of flavor. You can pulse them in a food processor or crush them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
- Use real banana for extra richness—but be aware it can make the cookies cakier.
💞 Lovers of Banana Pudding, Unite!
If you or your sweetheart love banana pudding, this cookie version is a dreamy upgrade. Whether you’re baking for your partner, friends, or your favorite neighbor, these cookies send a message: You are loved. 🥰 They’re also perfect for gifting—wrap a dozen in parchment and a ribbon for a sweet surprise!
📝 Conclusion:
Banana Pudding Cookies are more than just a snack—they’re a nostalgic bite of comfort, love, and joy. Soft, chewy, packed with banana flavor and creamy richness, these cookies are sure to become a beloved addition to your recipe collection. Once you taste them, you’ll never go back to plain old chocolate chip again!
Bake them. Share them. Love them. 🍌🍪❤️
Would you like a printable version or a fun image recipe card too?