Banana Pudding Cheesecake (+Video)
Combine two fantastic dessert flavors, classic banana pudding with a creamy cheesecake with this super easy Banana Pudding Cheesecake recipe!
AN EASY BANANA CHEESECAKE RECIPE
My family is absolutely nuts about cheesecake and we are absolutely bonkers about my recipe for Banana Pudding, so when I set about creating a new cheesecake recipe, I knew it had to be Banana Pudding inspired! Don’t let making your own cheesecake make you nervous. This Banana Pudding Cheesecake recipe is super easy and has some helpful hacks. All you need are 6 ingredients. This is the perfect dessert for weeknights but is still special enough for special occasions and holidays.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I looked everywhere for one of those premade Nilla Wafer crusts. None of my local stores seem to carry them right now. But if you can find them near you, I think it would taste wonderful with this recipe instead of a graham cracker crust. I use them in my Mini Banana Pudding Cheesecakes and make a homemade Nilla wafer crust so you could do that too. Just remember though that this particular recipe is made for a larger pie crust so you’ll have filling leftover when you use a smaller crust.
You can use whatever crust you like. I think a chocolate pie crust would be another fun variation, kind of giving off the chocolate covered banana flavors.
Sure! If you’re a banana lover, you may want to add some small banana chunks to your cheesecake batter. You could also roast some bananas and add them as well. Just keep in mind that bananas brown and can throw off the color of this cheesecake if you aren’t eating the whole thing immediately.
I don’t ever have that problem with this recipe but generally this happens when a cheesecake is cooked too fast. This is why I have it baking at a low temperature (300F degrees.) Also, if a cheesecake is over baked, it will dry out and you’ll get cracks. You do not need a water bath with this recipe but you are more than welcome to use one if that is your preference.
For best results, store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap and foil in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- large graham cracker crust – you want to get the larger 10-inch crust. See my ingredient image below.
- cream cheese– use the full fat cream cheese for the best flavor and to help set the cheesecake properly. I have a great post on how to soften cream cheese fast. Please note: cream cheese should be softened and not at the melting stage.
- banana cream instant pudding– don’t mess up and get the Cook N Serve version or your dessert won’t turn out correctly. That kind needs to be cooked first before it will set up. You could also use the sugar free version.
- eggs – if you have time, allow them to come to room temperature. This helps them mix into the cheesecake batter much easier.
- sugar – you can use a sugar substitute here if you prefer.
- Nilla wafers – you can use the minis if you prefer. Also, I think it’s important to use the brand name Nilla Wafers here. Normally I will usually say that the store brand is fine for most products but I have found that they just don’t come close to the original. However, if there is one you know you like, then that is fine to go with.
HOW TO MAKE BANANA PUDDING CHEESECAKE:
Preheat oven to 300F degrees. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer), combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth (about 2 minutes on medium speed.) Add in eggs and mix until combined.
Add the powdered instant pudding to the cream cheese mixture. If you are using a stand mixer, it’s really important that you scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl often. Mix until combined. Batter will be thick.
Gently stir the Nilla wafers into the cheesecake batter. You want to leave some of them chunky so that you’ll see bits of wafer in the cheesecake when you cut into it.
Spread batter into graham cracker crust. Bake in the oven for about 55-60 minutes. It’ll be a bit puffy when you first take it out of the oven. Don’t worry, it’ll all settle down as it cools. Allow cheesecake to cool for several hours in the fridge before serving.
A great way to serve this is to top each slice with a little squirt of whipped cream and a slice of banana and vanilla wafer on top.
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Originally published: June 2012
Updated and republished: February 2024
Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2 (8 ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3.4 ounce box banana cream instant pudding
- 15 vanilla wafers
- 1 store-bought 10-inch graham cracker crust (2 extra servings size)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer), combine 2 (8 ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth (about 2 minutes on medium speed).
- Add in 2 large eggs and mix until combined.
- Add the powdered 3.4 ounce box banana cream instant pudding to the cream cheese mixture.
- If you are using a stand mixer, it's really important that you scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl often. Mix until combined. Batter will be thick.
- Put 15 vanilla wafers into ziploc bag, and crush using your hands or a rolling pin. You want to leave some of them chunky so that you'll see bits of wafer in the cheesecake when you cut into it.
- Gently fold the wafers into the cheesecake batter.
- Spread batter into 1 store-bought 10-inch graham cracker crust. Bake in the oven for about 55-60 minutes.
- It'll be a bit puffy when you first take it out of the oven but will settle down as it cools. Allow cheesecake to cool for several hours in the fridge before serving.
Video
Notes
- Top each slice with a little squirt of whipped cream and a slice of banana and vanilla wafer on top.
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
This was SO good! Made three for a church bake sale (2 to sale and one to hand out for samples) and every single person who tried it absolutely raved!! Thank you so much. This was so easy make and my pies made the most money so I am proud of that ha!
This sounds like something I want to make soon!
I love the simplicity of this recipe.
Can you eliminate the eggs and make it a no-bake cheesecake?
That’s a good question. I’m really not sure. It could end up a bit dense. Perhaps adding some cool whip might help some with that. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
The first time I made this I followed the directions completely but had a really hard crust. I made it again without the eggs and added 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Still dense but looks great. Will be eating it tonight and will let you know. Thanks for the receipe.
I thought I’d make the crust just by laying the wafers in the pan since I’m going to use a springform pan.
Can this be made in 2 smaller 9″ graham cracker pie shells?
Hi! I wonder if I could use my instant pot for this? My oven heats up the entire house, and it’s 100° outside!
I’m sorry. I haven’t tried it. Maybe someone else on here has and can give us some advice on that. 🙂
Banana pudding cheesecake is so worth it! LOL if my oven weere to heat up the house to over a hundred degrees or more during the summer when making banana pudding cheesecake, I would say you now have an excuse to make the banana pudding cheesecake at 3 a.m. while everybody and while it’s much cooler outside. That’s a win-win in my book. More banana pudding cheesecake for me and the house wouldn’t get as hot as it would during the day but I got one of those smaller oven type contraptions that is barely big enough for one pie to fit in it and it works perfect for me.
Is the timing on this correct? I baked mine for 53 mins because i started smelling it and It came out dark. I have a gas oven and it was on 300, so maybe the time should be adjusted for the different ovens. I almost burned mine.
Hey Britt! Which rack did you put it on? Also, I highly suggest you get an oven thermometer. It sounds like your oven might be running hotter than the given temperature. This happens often with gas ovens (I have one too and mine is off by 12 degrees). Pop the oven thermometer into the middle rack of the oven then preheat the oven to 350F and see if the oven thermometer has the same temperature. And of course, only bake use the middle oven rack. If you bake on any part of the upper part of the oven, heat rises, and it can be much hotter up there. Hope that helps!