Paula Deen Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding is an easy no bake dessert made with Chessmen cookies, cream cheese and instant French vanilla pudding. It takes 15 minutes to put together, feeds 10 people, and there is no oven and no cooking anywhere in it. This is the banana pudding that shows up at every church potluck and family cookout in the South, and it is the reason people ask who brought it.
The Chessmen cookies are the whole trick. Vanilla wafers go soft and disappear into the pudding overnight, but those buttery shortbread cookies hold their shape and stay a little firm, so you get a real layer instead of mush. Use both bags, one on the bottom and one on top, and do not swap them for anything thinner.
Make it the day before. The pudding needs at least four hours in the fridge to set up properly, and overnight is better because the cookies soften just enough and the flavors settle. Slice the bananas last, right before they go in the dish, so they do not brown while you are mixing everything else.
Paula Deen Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding
Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy10
servings15
minutes520
kcalChessmen cookies layered with fresh banana slices under a thick no bake filling of instant French vanilla pudding, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and whipped topping, chilled until it sets into a soft spoonable dessert.
Ingredients
1 (12-oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups milk
1 (5-oz) box instant French vanilla pudding mix
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 bags Chessmen cookies
Directions
- Layer the bottom: Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies, then layer the sliced bananas on top.
- Mix the pudding: In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well with a handheld electric mixer.
- Mix the cream cheese: In another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk and mix until smooth, then fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
- Combine and assemble: Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour it over the cookies and bananas, cover with the remaining bag of cookies, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
FAQs
How long does it need to chill before serving?
Four hours minimum, but overnight is better. The pudding layer needs that time to firm up, and if you cut into it too early it runs instead of holding a spoonful. Made the night before, the cookies soften into a cake-like layer, which is what most people are actually after.
Can you use vanilla wafers instead of Chessmen cookies?
You can, but it changes the dessert. Wafers absorb liquid fast and mostly dissolve, leaving you with a soft pudding and no real layers. Chessmen are shortbread, so they hold up under the filling and stay slightly firm even the next day.
Will the bananas turn brown?
Not much, because the pudding covers them and blocks the air. Slice them right before they go into the dish rather than ahead of time, and make sure the filling seals over them completely. If you are worried, a quick toss in lemon juice works, though it will change the taste slightly.
How far ahead can you make it?
Up to two days. Past that the bananas start breaking down and releasing water, which thins the pudding. Two days is the honest limit if you want it to look as good as it tastes.
Can you cut the recipe in half?
Yes, use an 8×8 dish and halve everything, though the pudding mix is easier to split if you measure it by weight rather than eyeballing half a box. It still needs the same four hour chill.
