Banana Pudding Cookies

Banana pudding has been gracing potlucks and dinner tables for decades. Made with ripe bananas, whipped topping and vanilla wafer cookies, the classic dessert is creamy and comforting. I wanted to capture that flavor in cookie form, so I created a banana pudding cookie recipe with banana cream pudding mix. A pudding mix makes the softest cookies—and they will stay that way!

The pudding mix takes care of the banana flavor, and topping the cookies with crushed Nilla Wafers adds texture and crunch. But to really capture the iconic banana pudding flavor, I include white chocolate chips. White chocolate is sweeter and creamier than regular chocolate and takes on the role of whipped cream. Put it all together, and you’ll want to make these banana pudding cookies again and again!

Ingredients for Banana Pudding Cookies

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• Instant pudding mix: The secret ingredient in this banana pudding cookie recipe is a package of instant banana cream pudding mix. Pudding makes cookies soft and tender, and this particular flavor enriches each bite with banana and vanilla.
• Butter and sugar: Creaming butter and sugar aerates the batter to create a light-textured cookie. Granulated sugar aerates easily to make the cookies thick, while acidic, molasses-rich brown sugar reacts to the baking soda to help the cookies puff up.
• Eggs: Eggs bind the other ingredients together and ensure the cookies have the proper moisture level.
• Vanilla: A little vanilla extract brings out the vanilla flavor in the banana pudding mix.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is our go-to flour for making cookies. It produces cookies with a soft (but not too soft) texture and a chewy (but not too chewy) consistency.
• Baking soda: This leavening agent helps the banana pudding cookies rise so they have an ideal fluffy texture. Baking soda also contributes to browning, so the cookies finish with an appealing golden-brown hue.
• White baking chips: White chocolate chips have a milky, buttery sweetness that melds nicely into the banana cream pudding.
• Vanilla wafers: Crushed cookies add crunch to the soft banana pudding cookie recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars

Molly Allen for Taste of Home

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pudding mix, eggs and vanilla.

Step 2: Make the cookie dough

Molly Allen for Taste of Home

In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Stir in the white baking chips.

Step 3: Chill the dough

Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: It’s tempting to skip this step, but chilling the cookie dough will give you a thicker, richer cookie.

Step 4: Shape the cookies

Molly Allen for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with crushed wafers.

Editor’s Tip: If you prefer to scoop the cookie dough, use a tablespoon-sized scoop.

Step 5: Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies until the edges just begin to turn golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks.

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Recipe Variations

• Frost the cookies: Give the cookies a soft, creamy finish by frosting them with an easy vanilla buttercream frosting. Prepare the cookies without the crushed wafer topping. Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe the frosting on top (similar to frosted sugar cookies). Top the frosted cookies with crushed wafers.
• Change the crispy topping: Swap in crushed graham crackers, gingersnaps or peanut butter wafer cookies like Nutter Butters for the crushed wafers.
• Use another pudding mix: You can use any type of pudding mix to customize the flavor of pudding cookies. Try vanilla pudding and chocolate chips for chocolate chip pudding cookies or pistachio pudding and butterscotch chips for pistachio pudding cookies.

How to Store Banana Pudding Cookies

Let the cookies cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container to ensure they hold their flavor, texture and moisture.

How long do banana pudding cookies last?

In general, cookies last about a week on the counter, but these aren’t your average cookies because of the addition of the pudding mix. They’ll stay fresh only up to four days.

Can you make banana pudding cookies ahead of time?

You can make the dough for this banana pudding cookie recipe a day ahead. Prepare the dough and refrigerate it overnight. When you’re ready, shape the dough and bake the cookies as directed.

If you want to plan way ahead, shape the dough and freeze cookie dough on a baking sheet. Once completely frozen, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to three months. Defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight, and bake the cookies as directed.

Can you freeze banana pudding cookies?

You can freeze banana pudding cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. To thaw, remove the cookies to the counter for a few hours.

Banana Pudding Cookie Tips

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Should you use instant pudding or cook-and-serve pudding to make this banana pudding cookie recipe?

We recommend using an instant pudding mix for banana pudding cookies. Instant pudding is designed to hydrate and set in cold liquid, so it has more cornstarch than cook-and-serve pudding. That cornstarch contributes to the cookie’s soft center and chewy texture. In a pinch, you can use cook-and-serve pudding, but the cookie’s texture won’t be the same.

Can you make banana pudding cookies with sugar-free pudding mix?

You can use regular or sugar-free pudding mix to make this banana pudding cookie recipe. Using sugar-free pudding mix is a great way to reduce the cookie’s sweetness.