Banana Pudding Cookies

This recipe for banana pudding cookies requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.  Here’s what you’ll need.

• Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda and salt.
• Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, instant banana pudding mix, eggs vanilla extract, Nilla wafers and white chocolate chips.

These buttery cookies with banana pudding and Nilla wafers are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these chewy pudding cookies if you need them.

• All purpose flour: Make these banana pudding white chocolate chip cookies gluten free by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based off the weight of the flour (270 g) versus cup for cup. 
• Baking Soda: This recipe hasn’t been tested using baking powder as a replacement for baking soda. 
• Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: Maple sugar would also work well to make this refined sugar free. 
• Unsalted Butter: Vegan butter or plant based can also be used in place of regular unsalted butter.
• Banana Pudding Mix: The main banana pudding flavor comes from using instant banana pudding mix. Feel free to use your preferred brand. 
• Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs. 
• Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. 
• Nilla Wafers: This is optional for texture and to give a little “wink and a nod” to the traditional banana pudding ingredient. Feel free to use graham crackers or omit all together. 
• White Chocolate Chips: The sweet and creamy texture of white chocolate is another flavor addition to sweet creaminess found in traditional banana pudding.

Variations

• Banana Pudding Cookies with Fresh Banana: For even more banana flavor replace 1 egg with ½ cup mashed banana. 
• Banana Cream Buttercream: Top these banana pudding cookies with banana pudding buttercream. Double this vanilla buttercream recipe and add 1 full tablespoon of the same banana pudding mix used in the cookies. Top each of the cookies with about 1 - 2 tablespoons of banana cream frosting and crushed Nilla wafers. If you prefer really sweet cookies, keep the white chocolate chips or omit since the cookies will have banana cream buttercream on top.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line 1 - 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside for now. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the room temperature butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined. On low, cream in the banana pudding mix, eggs, vanilla extract and crushed nilla wafer cookies until smooth and well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.  Gently fold in the and white chocolate chips until well combined. If you would like, cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes - 60 minutes. This step is optional and ideal if you would like to make the cookie dough up to a day in advance.

3. Use a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the cookie dough into balls. Place the banana pudding dough balls about 2 - 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. I usually fit about 12 on a large baking sheet. Bake the banana cookies for for 9 - 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and are a light golden brown. The cookies will still be fairly light in color, but the edges will look set. 
4. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a biscuit or cookie cutter slightly bigger than the diameter of the cookie to nudge the sides of the cookie into a more perfectly round shape. Top the cookies with more white chocolate chips and crushed Nilla wafer cookies if you like.Cool the banana pudding cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack until room temperature or enjoy while warm from the oven.

M’s Expert Tips

• Use room temperature butter and eggs. I like to pull the butter and eggs out about 1 - 1 ½ hours prior to making the recipe (this depends on the temperature of the room). Make sure both are around the same temperature and that they spread easily prior to mixing the two together. 
• Use full fat ingredients. For the best banana pudding cookies make sure to use full fat ingredients. 
• Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
• Don’t overmix the batter.  Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. 
• Chill the cookie dough or not. I always recommend chilling cookie dough for the best texture and flavor. However, this recipe for banana pudding cookies works just fine when baked right after mixing. However, the same rule still applies that the best flavor and texture comes after some chilling time. 
• Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first few seconds of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape. 
• Add more white chocolate chips and crushed Nilla wafers. Make these soft and moist banana cookies even more perfect (and instagramable) by adding a few extra white chocolate chips and a sprinkle of crushed Nilla wafers to the top right after baking.

Other Banana Recipes to Try

• Banana Bundt Cake
• Banana Brownies
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Banana Bread Pudding

If you try this Banana Pudding Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M