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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Banana Pudding Recipe with Cream Cheese (with Mascarpone Option!)

    Banana Pudding Recipe with Cream Cheese (with Mascarpone Option!)

    Published: May 21, 2023 by Barbara Curry · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    5 from 9 votes

    Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

    A banana pudding being assembled.
    A banana pudding being assembled.

    A Southern banana pudding is a good old-fashioned classic dessert, and for good reason! The combination of sweet bananas, creamy pudding, and sweet and crispy vanilla wafer cookies is comfort food at it’s best. However, make this Southern staple even better by adding cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk for an over-the-top dessert.

    A glass baking dish of banana pudding with cream cheese.


     

    Banana Pudding with Condensed Milk and Cream Cheese is heavenly!

    Banana pudding with cream cheese is a fresh take on the old standby recipe, using cream cheese to add a richness to the pudding. A homemade vanilla pudding has bananas blended into it, infusing bananas throughout the entire dish.

    With traditional banana pudding, it is actually just vanilla pudding with a layer of bananas, delicious, but not much banana flavor. Here you actually have a banana pudding, similar to my coconut cream pie recipe.

    In the South, banana pudding is one of those go-to desserts that is served at barbecues, brought to cookouts and potlucks and enjoyed at family get toghethers. While Atlantic beach pie, peach cobblers and sweet potato pie are Southern favorites, nothing beats out banana pudding.

    A banana pudding with cream cheese ready to be served.

    This dessert begins by cooking the homemade pudding on the stove. It only takes a few minutes and is miles better than anything you could get out of a box. As it cools, you’ll add bananas and create the cream cheese mixture.

    Everything chills in the refrigerator before folding in homemade whipped cream and layering the luscious pudding mixture with sliced bananas and vanilla wafer cookies. Once it’s all put together, it goes back into the refrigerator to chill before serving. 

    This heavenly dessert is rich and creamy. It makes a great centerpiece for your next cookout or family gathering and makes an elegant and delicious treat to finish off a fancy brunch. Whether it’s for a casual get-together or a dinner party, banana pudding with cream cheese is always a crowd favorite.

    A casserole dish of banana pudding next to three servings in goblets.

    Why You’ll Love Banana Pudding Made with Cream Cheese (or Mascarpone!)

    • This recipe is so creamy and has just the right amount of sweetness. 
    • It’s a homemade show-stopping dessert that looks impressive on a dinner table or potluck spread. 
    • It serves a crowd so it’s the perfect dessert to bring to a party. 
    • It has more banana flavor than a traditional banana pudding.
    • While there are a few steps, it is hard to mess up and more forgiving than a traditional banana pudding.
    • It’s great for all seasons and can be enjoyed at any time of the year! 

    Why add cream cheese to banana pudding?

    Banana pudding is a sweet dessert. The bananas, silky pudding, and crispy wafers are all sweet in their own way. Cream cheese is rich and tangy, and adds complexity to the flavor of the pudding. The cream cheese adds texture and richness without overpowering any of the more delicate flavors, creating a balanced dessert.

    Cream Cheese Banana Pudding Ingredients

    The ingredients for banana pudding with cream cheese.
    Gather the ingredients.
    • Cornstarch – This gives the pudding the right texture: thick, creamy, and luscious. 
    • Whole Milk – The fat in the whole milk adds richness and a silky mouthfeel to the pudding. 
    • Sweetened Condensed Milk – This adds sweetness, but also adds a concentrated milky flavor that is just so good in this recipe.
    • Egg – The addition of a single egg adds silkiness and thickening power to the pudding. It’s an essential ingredient for achieving the perfect pudding texture. 
    • Heavy Cream – The heavy cream is whipped and adds a beautiful lightness to the pudding and gives it an almost mousse-like texture. 
    • Cream Cheese or Mascarpone – The cream cheese adds a wonderful richness and is a seriously amazing addition to this pudding. You can use regular cream cheese or mascarpone (Italian cream cheese). Both will add additional creaminess to the final pudding. 
    • Bananas – Using perfectly ripe, sliced bananas is essential for a good banana pudding. They add both their banana flavor and texture to the pudding.
    • Vanilla Wafers – Vanilla wafers are the traditional choice for southern banana pudding. 
    • Pantry staples – salt, sugar, butter, and vanilla.

    Pro Tip: Make sure your bananas are ripe enough to eat but not too ripe. Learn some tips for how to ripen bananas.

    Banana Pudding Recipe with Cream Cheese Variations 

    • You can use mascarpone instead of cream cheese which is not quite as tangy and adds the same richness.
    • Try switching out the vanilla wafers for a shortbread cookie like Pepperidge Farm Chessmen or Bordeaux cookies.

    How to make Banana Pudding with Cream Cheese

    Step 1: Make the pudding.

    Whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the milk and egg, then place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly so that no lumps form.

    The pudding mixture in a saucepan.
    Cook cornstarch, sugar, egg, and milk then add butter and vanilla and cool.

    The pudding will thicken significantly and continue to thicken even more as it cools down. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Transfer the pudding mixture to a bowl and place it into the refrigerator while you make the banana mixture.

    Step 2: Make the banana mixture.

    Whisk together the cream cheese (or mascarpone) and condensed milk. Add one banana that’s been chopped into small pieces. Fold this mixture into the pudding once it has cooled down a bit – warm pudding is fine, but the mixture should not be hot when you stir in the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate the pudding for at least one hour. 

    Condensed milk and cream cheese in a bowl
    Whisk the cream cheese and condensed milk.
    A banana chopped on a cutting board.
    Chop one of the bananas.
    Bananas added to the pudding.
    Add chopped bananas.

    Step 3: Make the whipped cream. 

    Combine the cream with a little cornstarch and whip with an electric mixer until very stiff peaks form – it should not fall off of the beater when held upside down. 

    Cream whipped in a bowl with a spatula.
    Whip the heavy cream.

    Once the pudding has fully chilled, gently fold in ⅔ of the whipped cream. Reserve the last third of the cream to top the finished pudding.  

    Whipped cream being folded into the pudding.
    Fold the whipped cream into the cooled pudding.

    Step 4: Layer the pudding.

    Spread ⅓ of the pudding mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 casserole dish. Top with a layer of vanilla wafers, leaving a bit of space between each cookie. Add half of the sliced bananas and add another ⅓ of the pudding. Top with another layer of wafers, add the rest of the bananas, and top with the rest of the pudding.

    The first layer of pudding in a casserole dish.
    Start with a layer of pudding.
    A layer of vanilla wafers on the pudding layer.
    Add a layer of vanilla wafers.
    A layer of bananas on the vanilla wafers.
    Add a layer of bananas and repeat.

    Finish with a layer of whipped cream and top with crushed vanilla wafers. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for six hours before serving.

    A glass casserole dish with a layered banana pudding.
    Top with a layer of whipped cream.

    Right before serving, crush some vanilla wafers and sprinkle on top.

    Vanilla wafers crush in a ziplock bag.
    Crush some vanilla wafers.
    A banana pudding topped with crushed vanilla wafers.
    Add vanilla wafers to the top.

    Tips for Perfect Banana Pudding

    • Be sure to let the pudding chill for the prescribed time. Combining the cream cheese with a pudding mixture that is too hot will cause it to melt, which will negatively affect the texture of the final pudding.
    • Similarly, the pudding must be refrigerated for a minimum of six hours before serving to allow the vanilla wafers to soften and take on an almost cake-like consistency. If you prefer crunchy layers then you can eat it right away.
    A serving of banana pudding in a goblet.

    How to Store Banana Pudding

    You can store banana pudding in its original serving container covered in plastic wrap for up to three days in the refrigerator. After that the vanilla wafers will become mushy.

    Banana pudding is not one of those desserts that you can freeze. The bananas will turn brown, the vanilla wafers will turn mushy and the whipped cream will not have the same texture. You will just have to find friends to share any leftovers with.

    How to keep bananas from turning brown in banana pudding?

    Bananas are known to turn brown quickly once they’re peeled or cut due to enzymes in the banana interacting with oxygen in the air. While the bananas in your pudding will inevitably brown, you can delay this process by cutting the bananas just before you need them. Another good way to slow the browning is by making sure they are fully enveloped in the pudding mixture and keeping air from them.

    Why is banana pudding popular in the South?

    Banana pudding is historically popular in the southern United States when a recipe that was published by Nabisco, the manufacturer of Nilla Wafers was printed on the side of the box. No one really knows why it became so popular in the South. My theory is because it’s inexpensive to make and will feed a crowd so it became a popular dish to bring to potlucks, church dinners and funerals.

    It could also be that it’s the perfect dessert to serve with barbecue.

    More Creamy Dessert Recipes to Love 

    • A single slice of Atlantic Beach Pie
      Lemon-Lime Atlantic Beach Pie with Saltine Crust
    • A lemon chiffon pie topped with lemon slices.
      No-Bake Lemon Chiffon Pie
    • Strawberry chiffon pie with whipped cream and a strawberry on top.
      No-Bake Strawberry Chiffon Pie
    • A batch of berry cheesecake squares.
      Blueberry Cream Cheese Squares

    If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

    A cream cheese banana pudding with a serving removed.

    Banana Pudding with Cream Cheese Recipe

    Author: Barbara Curry
    A Southern banana pudding is a good old-fashioned classic dessert, and for good reason! The combination of sweet bananas, creamy pudding, and sweet and crispy vanilla wafer cookies is comfort food at it's best. However, make this Southern staple even better by adding cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk for an over-the-top dessert.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin
    PREP: 15 minutes minutes
    COOK: 5 minutes minutes
    Refrigeration: 6 hours hours
    TOTAL: 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 servings

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 egg
    • ¾ cup whole milk
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 5 bananas medium
    • ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk not an entire 14 oz can
    • 4 ounces cream cheese (or mascarpone)
    • 1 ½ cup heavy cream
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 3 cups Nilla Wafers about ½ box

    Equipment

    • Hand Mixer
    • Saucepan
    • Casserole dish
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium saucepan, add sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk and egg. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly for about 5 minutes. It should be pretty thick. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla, whisk until combined and place in a large bowl. Refrigerate while making the banana mixture.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese or mascarpone cheese. Add 1 banana chopped into small pieces. Fold this into the warm (but not hot) pudding mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour.
    • Once the pudding has cooled, in a separate bowl, beat heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch until very stiff peaks form. You do not want it to be watery.
    • Slice remaining bananas into thin slices, about ¼ inch thick.
    • Gently fold ⅔’s of the whipped cream into the pudding. Reserve the rest of the whipped cream for the top.
    • Spread ⅓ of the pudding into the bottom of an 8 x 8 casserole dish. Top with a layer of vanilla wafers, with a little space between them. Add a layer of ½ of the sliced bananas. Top with ⅓ of the pudding, another layer of vanilla wafers, a layer of bananas, and end with a layer of pudding. Cover with the reserved whipped cream.
    • Crumble about ½ cup of vanilla wafers by placing them in a ziplock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Sprinkle them over the top of the whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

    Video

    Barbara’s Tips + Notes
    • Be sure to let the pudding chill before adding the banana mixture or it will cook the bananas and have a fermented taste. 
    • The pudding should be refrigerated for a minimum of six hours before serving to allow the vanilla wafers to soften and take on an almost cake-like consistency. 
    • Beat the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks but has not turned to butter. The cornstarch in the cream will keep it from becoming watering when layered in the pan.
    •  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Follow Me On SocialDid you make this recipe? Mention @ButterandBaggage or tag #ButterandBaggage on Instagram!

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    Barbara Curry is the culinary adventurer of Butter & Baggage. With a dedicated enthusiasm for real butter made from happy cows she is in constant pursuit of delicious recipes and tasty dishes. She shares her experiences, ventures, and occasional misadventures because let’s face it things can get messy in any kitchen.

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